It's Melbourne Cup Time: "Charlie Chan at the Race Track"
FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “When player cannot see man who deal cards, much wiser to stay out of game.”
OUR MONDAY NIGHT: This week, we celebrate the annual running of the famous Melbourne Cup horse race, we continue along together on our CHARLIE CHAN FILM TOUR 2018. For many years now the Melbourne Cup has provided us an evening of fun and a very real-time connection with Charlie Chan and Number One son, Lee, as they take part in a very real way in the intrigue and life threatening dangers present amidst the darker side of the Sport of Kings! As we watch our film for this week, “Charlie Chan at the Race Track,” we will be drawing at random the numbers of each of the 24 horses taking part in the actual race. Each person in attendance will receive at least one, probably two numbers. As the results of the race in Melbourne come in later, we will know who holds the “winning ticket.” The person holding the winning number will receive a commemorative 1936 U.S. silver half-dollar, honoring Charlie Chan’s 50-cent bet placed on Avalanche as seen in our movie!
The plot behind “Charlie Chan at the Race Track” itself has historical connections. It was very probably inspired by the true account of the famous New Zealand race horse, Phar Lap (the 1930 winner of the Cup), and his mystery shrouded demise in 1932 which received international coverage.
As is out recent custom, arriving at 7:30 Eastern Time, we will be sharing, before our featured presentation, a vintage a trio of “extras” focusing on Phar Lap…
OUR PRESENTATIONS:
“The 1936 M3lbourne Cup” (1936; Runtime: 1:02)
“1936 VRC Melbourne Cup – Wotan” (1936; Runtime: 1:18)
“Phar Lap” (Runtime: 7:26)
“Charlie Chan at the Race Track” (1936; Runtime: 69 minutes)
FILM SUMMARY:
Following the suspicious disqualification of his horse, Avalanche, in the Melbourne Cup, Major Kent, a friend of Charlie Chan, returning to the United States with the thoroughbred via steamship, is found kicked to death in the horse's stall. Chan investigates when the liner stops off in Honolulu. He discovers evidence of foul play, and when the detective uncovers fraud involving another race in Los Angeles, he, along with Number One Son, Lee, seeks to expose an international gambling ring as well as the murderer.
NOTES: The Roxy Theatre in New York billed this film as “At The Race Track with Charlie Chan.” ‘Variety’ reviewed the movie as “Chan at the Race Track.” According to Motion Picture Herald and Liberty, some scenes in the film were shot at Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia, California, and the film contained footage of "some of the most spectacular events of the recent racing season." Motion Picture Herald also notes that the film "has a semi-topical significance in as much as a great antipodean horse, Pharlap, brought to this country a few years ago [from Australia], died under circumstances that have never been fully explained." Liberty notes that Technical Director Monroe Liebergold had been a jockey for the well-known horse breeder H. P. Whitney. Although Hollywood Reporter production charts list Neil Fitzgerald and John Mooney as additional actors, and only Neil Fitzgerald's participation in the final film has been confirmed.
TIME: We begin with arrivals and greetings at 7:30 EASTERN TIME. Then, we share our three short extra presentations which will be followed at exactly 8:15 when we roll our featured movie: “Charlie Chan at the Race Track.”
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. Happily, our feature IS presently available online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chadtgvSHmk
THIS YEAR’S MELBOURNE CUP FIELD:
1. Best Solution
2. The Cliffsofmoher
3. Magic Circle
4. Chestnut Coat
5. Muntahaa
6. Sound Check
7. Who Shot Thebarman
8. Ace High
9. Marmelo
10. Avilius
11. Yucatan
12. Auvray
13. Finche
14. Red Cardinal
15. Vengeur Masque
16. Ventura Storm
17. A Prince Of Arran
18. Nakeeta
19. Sir Charles Road
20. Zacada
21. Runaway
22. Youngstar
23. Cross Counter
24. Rostropovich
NEXT WEEK: We return to our direct course through the Charlie Chan film series with “Docks of New Orleans.”
PLEASE have great day, and let’s get together for this year’s celebration of the running of the Melbourne Cup!
