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Our Memorial Day Evening Chat/Film Viewing: "Charlie Chan in Panama"

FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Intelligent defense of nation best guarantee for years of peace.”

THIS EVENING, as we commemorate Memorial Day, we share an appropriate adventure in the Charlie Chan film series with “Charlie Chan in Panama.” In 1940, Europe was already aflame and France was only a few months from falling to the might of Nazi Germany. In Asia, Imperial Japan had already been actively expanding her empire into China. It was only a matter of time that the isolationist United States would probably be plunged into the cauldron. “Charlie Chan in Panama” illustrates the impending realities of the world in 1940!

Preceding our Charlie Chan feature, our weekly “extra,” will be another chapter, episode 30) of the 1936 radio dramatization of “The Landini Murder Case,” an adaptation, of Earl Derr Biggers’ “Keeper of the Keys,” the only Biggers Chan Story never to have been made into a film, starring Walter Connolly.

OUR PRESENTATIONS: “Charlie Chan in Panama” (1940; 67 minutes) …AND “The Landini Murder Case,” Episode 31 (Radio Drama: 1936; 15 minutes).

FILM SUMMARY: Charlie Chan, working with the U.S. government, poses as a maker of Panama hats. Amidst a backdrop of suspicion, espionage, and murder, Chan seeks to thwart a plot which would destroy part of the Panama Canal, thus trapping the Navy fleet on its way to the Pacific.

FILM NOTES: “Charlie Chan in Panama” provides a glimpse at the stresses experienced by the United States in the stages that led to the eventual entry of our nation into World War II. At this point, the United States was "neutral" in the war which had already begun in both Europe and in the Far East. We note the hints throughout the movie as to the identities of the hostile nations, although no definite references are provided in the interest of appearing neutral. Film footage containing sequences of U.S. Navy warships, including the USS ‘Arizona’ and USS ‘Lexington’ passing through the Panama Canal, is seen in this picture.

TIME: We begin with arrivals and greetings at 7:30 EASTERN TIME. Then, we share our special short “extra” which will be followed at exactly 8:15 when we roll our feature for this Monday evening, “Charlie Chan in Panama.”

LOCATION: Our Charlie Chan Family Chat Room, which is accessed at http://www.charliechan.info/id17.html.

IF YOU LACK A COPY OF OUR FILM: Often our features can be found available online. Once again, good fortune is with us as our feature IS available online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-MiQZdu_sI

And, for our Charlie Chan radio drama, you may use this link: https://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/crime/charlie-chan/charlie-chan-31-landini

THIS WEEK’S IMAGE: Lieutenant Montero questions Charlie Chan, working undercover as Fu Yuen, as death claims agent R.J. Godley in Fu Yuen's Panama hat shop.



OUR MONTHLY POLL: Please take a moment to cast your vote in our soon-to-conclude April 2018 Poll, located at our Entrance Page (http://www.charliechan.info/index.html)!

NEW BOOK RELEASE! “The Charlie Chan Films” Here is the link at amazon.com to order James Neibaur’s new Charlie Chan book, “The Charlie Chan Films”:

https://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Chan-Films-James-Neibaur/dp/162933314X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523727689&sr=1-2&keywords=charlie+chan+film

This is the link to the softcover version. It is also available in hardcover for an additional $10.

In spite of a number of publisher-made typos, I recommend getting a copy! These errors will not detract from your enjoyment (that’s what second editions are for!). New information and insights abound, including tidbits gleaned from the author’s 1971 interview(s) with Mantan Moreland! Please, do yourself a favor, and GET THIS BOOK!

NEXT WEEK: Join us on June 4 as we join Charlie Chan on a sea voyage – a DEADLY cruise – in “Charlie Chan’s Murder Cruise”!

SO, PLEASE JOIN US tonight as we enjoy the adventure, intrigue, and history that abound in “Charlie Chan in Panama.”

Sincerely,

Rush Glick