FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Sometimes muddy waters, when stirred sufficiently, bring strange things to surface.”

OUR CHAT ROOM: Our Chat Room can be accessed the same way that we accessed by going to our “Chat Room” link at charliechan.info, or use this direct link: http://www.charliechan.info/id17.html

THIS WEEK’S PRESENTATIONS: “The Shanghai Chest” (1948; 65 minutes) and the conclusion of the radio drama, “The Baffling Murder of Col. Willoughby“ (October 29,1936; 15 minutes) starring Walter Connolly.

“THE SHANGHAI CHEST” CAST:
Roland Winters: Charlie Chan
Mantan Moreland: Birmingham Brown
Tim Ryan: Lt. Mike Ruark
Victor Sen Young: Tommy Chan
Deannie Best: Phyllis Powers
Tristam Coffin: Ed Seward
John Alvin: Victor Armstrong (also called Vic)
Russell Hicks: District Attorney Frank Bronson
Pierre Watkins: Judge Wesley Armstrong
Philip Van Zandt: Joseph Pindello
Milton Parsons: Mr. Grail
Olaf Hytten: Bates
Erville Alderson: Walter Somervale
George Eldredge: Pat Finley
Lois Austin: Landlady (not credited)
Willie Best: Willie Best (not credited)
Eddie Coke: Thomas Cartwright (not credited)
Chabing: Receptionist (not credited)
Tom Colemen: Mortuary Owner (not credited)
Louis Mason: Custodian
William Ruhl: Jailer (not credited)
John Shay: Dr. Stacey (not credited)
Cap Somers: Convict (not credited)
Paul Scardon: Cemetery Custodian (not credited)
Charlie Sullivan: Officer Murphy (not credited)

FEATURE SUMMARY: In San Francisco, Judge Wesley Armstrong is stabbed to death in his study by an intruder, and Victor, the judge's nephew, who has come to see him, is attacked and rendered unconscious. As the police arrive at the Armstrong home, they discover Victor recovering consciousness and holding the murder knife in his hand. This, plus other incriminating evidence, makes him the prime suspect in the murder. When Charlie Chan comes to see the district attorney to apologize about a misadventure with his number two son Tommy and assistant Birmingham Brown, word is received that two sets of fingerprints were found on the knife - Victor's and those of a criminal who was executed six months earlier. Lieutenant Mike Ruark asks for Chan's help with the case.

FEATURE NOTES: This film's working title was “Murder By Alphabet.” Louis Mason is listed in the Call Bureau Cast Service in the role of the cemetery custodian, but the part was actually played by Paul Scardon.

TRIVIA: Willie Best, who appears in “The Shanghai Chest” as “Willie Best,” appeared in more than one hundred films of the 1930s and 1940s. Several sources state that for years he was billed only as "Sleep n' Eat." Best starred alongside some of film's great comedians including the Marx Brothers, Bob Hope, Laurel, and Hardy and three films with Shirley Temple.

WORD OF THE WEEK: bastille - A prison; a jail. The Bastille was an infamous prison located in Paris in pre-revolutionary France.

Charlie Chan: "Night in bastille not exactly bed of roses."

TIME: We begin with greetings at 7:30 EASTERN TIME. Then, we share our “extra” presentation, the conclusion of “The Baffling Murder of Col. Willoughby,” which will be followed at exactly 8:15 when we roll our first feature for our Monday evening, “The Shanghai Chest.”

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 online. Unfortunately, our feature is NOT available online, but our extra is, so please use the link provided at our Chat Room.

OUR MONTHLY POLL: Please take a moment to cast your vote in our NOVEMBER 2019 POLL, found as you scroll down our Entrance Page (http://www.charliechan.info/index.html)! This month’s question: “Would you like to see a revival of the collaborative group-produced Charlie Chan film script project?” VOTE!!

OUR OCTOBER POLL RESULT:

“Which would you most likely participate in to celebrate the Charlie Chan family Home's platinum 20th anniversary, Sunday, October 3, 2021?”

A trip to Earl Derr Biggers' home, Warren, Ohio and dinner at the nearby Welchfield Inn. 0%

A trip to Honolulu, Hawaii with tour of the HPD police museum, Chang Apana's grave, a Charlie Chan tour by Hawaii Steve's "Honolulu Ghost & Mystery Tours," and dinner at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. 42%

Organize a one-day Charlie Chan symposium (location to be determined) with discussion groups, guest speakers, and dinner. 42%

Meet at an existing film-related conference or convention, possibly pre-arranging to participate in some way such as hosting a film presentation with a group discussion, a "live" chat, etc. 16%

OUR CCF CHAT ARCHIVE: Please take a look at our growing collection of CCF Chat Texts from previous years and this year: http://www.charliechan.info/id630.html

NEXT WEEK: Please join us on Monday, December 2, as we view “THE GOLDEN EYE.”

DON’T MISS THIS GREAT CHARLIE CHAN BLOG!: A great blog site, The Postman on Holiday, offered by our own Lou Armagno which is: "A place to explore all things surrounding Detective Charlie Chan, his creator Earl Derr Biggers, and their connection with Hawaii, Cleveland, and mystery fiction." It can be found at this address: https://thepostmanonholiday.com/

DO YOU HAVE A POLL QUESTION? Please feel free to suggest a Monthly Poll question! Send your ideas to: charliechanfamily@lyahoo.com!

SO, PLEASE JOIN US for this week’s Monday Evening Chat and Film Viewing as we share “THE SHANGHAI CHEST.”

THANK YOU SO MUCH…

Sincerely,

Rush Glick