Why do Charlie's daughters appear so seldom in the films? They are a bit sharper than their brothers (who are just as lovable) and seem to have a bit more savvy. In addition, their looks add a nice feminine touch.
Yes, this subject has come up with regularity, usually during our Monday Evening Chat and Film Viewings that feature a film that prominently features a Chan daughter.
One nice feature of the Monogram Pictures era of the Charlie Chan film series was the inclusion of a daughter of Charlie Chan who assisted in the case. Right at the start, with "Charlie Chan in the Secret Service," we met Iris (played by Maryanne Quon) who teamed up with Tommy (Benson Fong). Two films later we have daughter Frances (played by Frances Chan!) working solo with her Pop in "Black Magic" (aka: "Meeting at Midnight"). Sadly, this trend didn't continue, and wouldn't it have been fun to see either of these daughters, or both, return from time to time?
We do catch glimpses of Chan daughters in a couple of films. In "The Black Camel," we have Bo Ling as the Chans' Number One Daughter at the family breakfast table. Later in "Charlie Chan in Honolulu" the Chan's Number One Daughter, Ling (interesting, as Bo LING was seen as First daughter as mentioned), returns (portrayed by Florence Ung) and we see her as she is about to give birth to the Chans' first grandchild. aside from some more fast glimpses, that's about it. (It is worthy of note that in a series of Chinese-produced Charlie Chan adventures in the past, Chan regularly teamed with a daughter named Meina.)
