Hey all,

*waves*

My grandfather, George Ford Chung, worked in Hollywood from 1932-1950s as an extra and bit player in more than 300 films. I've found articles about him saying that he played Number One Son in at least one of the Chan films.

Does anyone know the films where Keye Luke did not play Lee Chan?

Thanks for your help,


Jamie

Dear Jamie,

Thank you for sharing about your grandfather, George Ford Chung. Keye Luke first appeared as Charlie Chan's Number One Son, Lee, in "Charlie Chan in Paris" (1935). He remained as Number One Son, really, for the entire remainder of the Charlie Chan film series until its end in 1949. Keye Luke left the series for a decade, following the death of Warner Oland in 1938, but appeared as Lee Chan in "Mr. Moto's Gamble," starring peter Lorre, which had begun shooting as "Charlie Chan at the Ringside" prior to Oland's passing. Keye Luke returned to the screen as Number One Son, Lee in the final two movies in the Chan series, "The Feathered Serpent" (1948) and "The Sky Dragon" (1949).

The first Charlie Chan film in the series, "Charlie Chan Carries On," from 1931, did have a brief appearance of a "Number One Son," who was not credited and thus far we do not know who filled that brief role. Sadly, that film is now lost to us, BUT, there was a Spanish language version shot by Fox studios that was, except for the major actors, nearly identical to the original. That film can be viewed via YouTube, and you can see if the young man playing Chan's son at dockside might possibly be your grandfather!

The next Charlie Chan movie, "The Black Camel" (1931), offers a scene with the entire family at breakfast. If your grandfather was in that one scene, you might recognize him as a young man. This picture is available for viewing on YouTube.

Another Chan film with a Number One Son, "Charlie Chan's Greatest Case" (1933), had a brief appearance of Frank Tang as Number One Son, Oswald.

So, there are two possibilities for your grandfather to have appeared in a Charlie Chan film as Number One Son: "Charlie Chan Carries On," and "The Black Camel."

I hope that this helps you in your search, and please let us know what you find!

Sincerely,
Rush Glick

Hi Rush,

Thank your for the expert advice--much appreciated!

I just checked out both films. Unfortunately he's not either of those Number One Sons, though it almost could be him in the Black Camel if I let my imagination wander. He would have been 23 during the filming, and I'm afraid the actor looks too young.

It's a shame, because my grandfather was an extra in Shanghai Express (1932) and I have photos of him with Warner Oland, so there is a connection, but I just don't think it's him.

Also, why we're chatting about Charlie Chan, do you know where the rights to that character went? As much as I could figure out, the rights were transferred to Hanna Barbara for the animated series in the 70s, but then that company went under. Not sure if they ended up at Warner Brothers after that?

Thanks again...I'll keep looking, hoping, my grandfather will pop in as an extra in one of the Chan films.

Jamie

Hi, Jamie!

It is still possible that your grandfather was the briefly-shown Number One Son in the original, English-Language version of "Charlie Chan Carries On." The person who played Chan's son in the Spanish language version, "Eran Trece" ("There Were Thirteen"), spoke his lines in Spanish. I still think it would be a possibility that he could have appeared in that first Chan picture. Some research with either the U.C.L.A. film library or the U.S.C. film library, or both, might shed some light on this mystery; they have all kinds of information available! The fact that your grandfather was in "Shanghai Express" with Warner Oland in 1932 might also point to the possibility that he was "Henry Chan" (as our Number One Son would have been called in "Charlie Chan Carries On" just the year before. Are you sure that the photos of your grandfather with Warner Oland were taken at the time of "Shanghai Express"? In some of the early scenes of that movie, Oland dressed and appeared very much like Charlie Chan!

If your grandfather told you seriously that he was Charlie Chan's Number One Son in one of the Charlie Chan movies, I would tend to believe that he was not mistaken. It is also possible that, as he worked with Warner Oland on at least one film ("The Shanghai Express"), that Mr. Oland, being the "character" that he could at times be, referred to your grandfather on the set as his son! However, I still think that our best possibility lies in your grandfather appearing very briefly in "Charlie Chan Carries On." He would have had a few short lines, as you can read through in our script-based reconstruction elsewhere at this site: http://www.charliechan.info/id392.html

This is all very fascinating as well as intriguing as to the possibility that your grandfather just may have been the very first person to portray Charlie Chan's Number One Son in the Chan film series!

Please let me know how your research may go on this. Also, if you are able to and feel so inclined, please feel free to scan your photos and send the files to me at: charliechanfamily@lycos.com

Also, I almost forgot: I believe that the rights to Charlie Chan belong to a company called Leisure Concepts.

Take care, and thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Rush Glick

Hi Rush,

Thanks again for your incredible help--you're definitely THE authority on all things Chan!

I checked out the Spanish version of Charlie Chan Carries On. The son in that film could almost be my grandfather, but I don't think so. I have his headshot from 1931 and they're both the same body type and have similar faces, but I'm not a 100% certain. My grandfather is 10-15 years older in all the other films where I've seen him and I definitely recognize him.

I'll pursue that lost film, or what's left of it at UCLA and USC. (Oddly enough, I'm a novelist and wrote a book where one of the characters is on the set of Eyes of the Totem, a lost film shot in Tacoma, Washington. And a year later someone found a copy in the archives at MOMA in NY. They re-released it at the same Rialto Theater where it premiered 87 years earlier).

And that photo with Oland is definitely on the set of Shanghai Express. It's a shot of a group of actors and they're all in costume, plus I have some other behind the scenes photos. None of Dietrich or Anna May Wong, unfortunately.

I'll send a couple or photos via email.

The search continues...


Jamie

Thank you, Jamie! I received the emails and those shots of your grandfather with Warner Oland on the set of "Shanghai Express" are wonderful! I'll continue my reply via a response to your email.

Sincerely,
Rush