FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Things misplaced sometimes furnish very good clues.”

GREETINGS! This week, Charlie Chan is called on to solve the murder of an eccentric scientist who was working on a secret project for the U.S. government. Assisting him are Number FOUR Son, Edward, “Don’t call me ‘Eddie’!” along with Birmingham Brown, in a case that features multiple murders and a group of very unusual suspects!

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 Jade Mask” (1944; 66 minutes) along with our “extra,” the SIXTH episode of “Secret Agent X-9” with Keye Luke! (1945; 20 minutes).

FEATURE SUMMARY: Charlie Chan is assigned by the government to investigate the murder of Harper, an eccentric scientist who had been experimenting with a formula that could turn wood into a substance as hard as steel. Chan, with Number Four Son, Edward and Birmingham Brown in tow finds himself in a strange mansion that is teeming with an odd assortment of suspects, virtually all having a possible motive to do away with Harper. Several additional murders occur as the detective closes in on his quarry.

FEATURE NOTES: The working title of this film was “Mystery Mansion.” The title card on the print reads: “Charlie Chan in ‘The Jade Mask’." Early Hollywood Reporter production charts include Russell Simpson in the cast, but it is unlikely that he appeared in the released film. The ‘Variety’ review mistakenly identifies Edwin Luke's role as Tommy in the accompanying list of credits.

TRIVIA: Edwin Luke, who played Edward Chan in this picture, was the younger brother of actor Keye Luke.

TERM OF THE WEEK: Dictaphone - A trademark used for a machine that records and reproduces dictation for transcription.

Charlie Chan: "Recording Dictaphone."

THIS WEEK’S IMAGE: (Below) Birmingham Brown points out to Edward a gun being held in front of his face, belonging to a police officer patrolling the grounds of the Harper mansion.


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. Fortunately, OUR FEATURE IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, so please use the link provided at our Chat Room.

CAST (as credited):

Sidney Toler: Charlie Chan
Mantan Moreland: Birmingham Brown
Edwin Luke: Eddie Chan (also called Edward)
Hardie Albright: Walter Meeker
Frank Reicher: Harper
Janet Warren: Jean Kent
Cyril DeLevanti: Roth
Alan Bridge: Sheriff Mack
Ralph Lewis: Jim Kimball
Dorothy Granger: Stella Graham
Edith Evanson: Louise Harper
Joe Whitehead: Dr. Samuel R. Peabody
Henry Hall: Inspector Godfrey
Jack Ingram: Lloyd Archer
Danny Desmond: Bellboy

UNCREDITED CAST (alphabetical):

John Breen: False Police Officer
Lester Dorr: Michael Strong

OUR MONTHLY POLL: Please take a moment to cast your vote in our August 2020 POLL, found as you scroll down our Entrance Page (http://www.charliechan.info/index.html)!

OUR JULY POLL RESULT:

QUESTION: Which would you choose as the better "prison movie" in the Charlie Chan series?

Charlie Chan in London 59%

Dark Alibi 41%

Please cast your vote in our AUGUST Poll!

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

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, August 17 as we watch “The Scarlet Clue”!

AND… DON’T MISS THIS GREAT CHARLIE CHAN BLOG!: Continuing strongly in 2020, great blog site, The Postman on Holiday, offered by our own Charlie Chan and Earl Derr Biggers expert, 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." Updated each month, it can be found at this address: https://thepostmanonholiday.com/2020/08/01/celebrate-a-musical-montage-for-charlie-chan-creator-earl-derr-biggers-136th-birthday-august-26th/

SO, REMEMBER, PLEASE JOIN US as we share “The Jade Mask.”

THANK YOU SO MUCH…

Sincerely,

Rush Glick