FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Opinion like tea leaf in hot water - both need time for brewing.”

GREETINGS! We have now reached the beginning of the Sidney Toler era of the Charlie Chan film series. Toler’s first onscreen moments as Charlie Chan are shared with the entire Chan family, as one new member’s arrival is immanent! In the meantime, there is a murder case to solve…

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 PRESENTATION: “Charlie Chan in Honolulu” (1939; 68 minutes); along with our “extra,” a Charlie Chan radio mystery, “The Landini Murder Case: The Missing Key”. (1936; 15 minutes).

FEATURE INTRODUCTION: A murder is committed on the passenger freighter Susan B Jennings, as it reaches Honolulu. After a circuitous route to the docked ship, Charlie Chan learns that the murdered man's identity is a mystery and that secretary Judy Hayes is the only eyewitness to the fatal shooting. The rest of the freighter's passengers include animal keeper Al Hogan, Mrs. Carol Wayne, psychiatrist Dr. Cardigan, criminal Johnny McCoy, and police detective Joe Arnold, who is taking McCoy back to the U.S. from Shanghai. Another person is murdered and $300,000 has gone missing.

FEATURE NOTES: This film was the first in which Sidney Toler appeared as Charlie Chan. According to a ‘Hollywood Reporter’ news item, associate producer John Stone had chosen Toler to be the successor to Warner Oland, who had played Chan from 1931 until his death in 1938, after seeing him play a Chinese character in the Paramount film “King of Chinatown.” Toler was the thirty-fifth actor tested for the role, with ‘Hollywood Reporter’ noting that others considered for the role included Leo Carrillo, Cy Kendall, and J. Edward Blomberg who appeared in “Charlie Chan on Broadway” (1937). Toler continued to play Chan until his death in 1947. This was also the first film in which Sen Yung played Jimmy Chan. Yung had replaced Keye Luke, who had portrayed Lee Chan in earlier entries in the series. Luke left the series after Oland's death, when he and Twentieth Century-Fox disagreed on his new contract. According to ‘Hollywood Reporter’ news items, the search for Luke's replacement was "frantic," and led to casting director James Ryan seeking applicants among the Los Angeles university students and Chinatown residents. The ‘New York Times’ had speculated that “Charlie Chan in Honolulu” would cost $300,000 to produce, and that Toler would receive $15,000 per Chan film. Many reviewers applauded Toler's and Yung's performances and noted that followers of the series would be satisfied with the new actors. The ‘Motion Picture Herald’ review remarked on the novelty of a Chan film being previewed at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and stated that the December 16, 1938 showing was very well received by the "top-ranking executives, the most sought after reviewers and commentators and invited guests" who attended. According to a ‘Hollywood Reporter’ news item, Richard Lane was originally signed to play the "romantic lead" opposite Phyllis Brooks. During that picture's production in August 1938, cast and crew learned of Oland's passing in his native Sweden while on the final leg of a tour of Europe. Oland was set to resume his role as Charlie Chan upon his return in a film that was to have been “Charlie Chan in Honolulu.”

CAST (as credited):

Sidney Toler: Charlie Chan

Phyllis Brooks: Judy Hayes

Sen Yung: James [Jimmy] Chan

Eddie Collins: Al Hogan

John King: [Chief Officer George] Randolph

Claire Dodd: Mrs. Carol Wayne (alias Mrs. Elsie Hillman)

George Zucco: Dr. Cardigan

Robert Barrat: Captain Johnson

Marc Lawrence: Johnny ["Mac"] McCoy

Richard Lane: Joe Arnold

Layne Tom, Jr.: Tommy Chan

Philip Ahn: Wing Foo

Paul Harvey: [Chief] Inspector Rawlins



UNCREDITED CAST (alphabetical):

Richard Alexander: Tough Sailor with Cigar

Martin Cichy: Crewman

Ruth Clifford: Nurse

David Dong: Chan Son

Frank Dong: Chan Son

James Flavin: Desk Officer

Grace Hayle: Stout Woman

Allan Hoo: Chan Son

Eugene Hoo: Chan Son

Frances Hoo: Chan Daughter

Hippie Hoo: Chan Daughter

J. Anthony Hughes: Doctor

Grace Key: Mrs. Chan

Al Kikume: Police Officer

Faye Lee: Number Four Chan Daughter

Margie Lee: Number Five Chan Daughter

Arthur Loft: Peabody

Shirley Louie: Telephone Operator

Mike Morelli: Stevedore

Anton Northpole: Crewman

James Pierce: Police Officer

Constantine Romanoff: Stanislav Usepopokovski

James Spencer: Hawaiian Peddler

Florence Ung: Ling

Blue Washington: Crewman

Billy Wayne: Crewman

Iris Wong: Number Two Chan Daughter

Barbara Jean Wong: Number Three Chan Daughter

Sinclair Yip: Older Chan Son

FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION ON OUR FEATURE: Please go to http://www.charliechan.info/id36.html

TRIVIA: A tribute to Warner Oland appears in the film “Mr. Moto's Last Warning,” starring Peter Lorre. In one scene during a quick passing shot over the title "Charlie Chan in Honolulu," starring Warner Oland, on the bill of the Sultana Theatre of Variety, they placed the banner "Last Day."

THIS WEEK’S TERM: cop a sneak - (Idiom) Steal.

Johnny McCoy: "Who wouldn't try to cop a sneak with his hooks on 300 grand?"

THIS WEEK’S IMAGE: Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan…in Honolulu.



For a viewing of more than 500 images from ALL films in the Charlie Chan series and MORE, please visit our Gallery: http://www.charliechan.info/id448.html

IF YOU LACK A COPY OF OUR FILM: Often our features can be found online. CONTINUED HAPPINESS! “Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo” IS AVAILABLE online! You may access it above at “THIS WEEK’S PRESENTATION” and also at our Chat Room as a link.

OUR MONTHLY POLL: Please take a moment to cast your vote in our APRIL 2021 POLL, right here: APRIL 2021 Poll

OUR MARCH POLL RESULT:

QUESTION: Which of these police officials was the most helpful to Charlie Chan?

Inspector Duff (Charlie Chan Carries On, Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise) 13%

Inspector Nelson (Charlie Chan on Broadway) 7%

Chief of Police Souto (Charlie Chan in Rio) 60%

Lt. Mike Ruark (The Shanghai Chest, The Golden Eye, The Sky Dragon) 20%

Sheriff Mack 0%

DO YOU HAVE A POLL QUESTION? You are invited 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/id830.html

NEXT WEEK: “Charlie Chan in Reno”

OUR CHARLIE CHAN FAMILY NEWSLETTER for this year!

This is our third annual Charlie Chan Family Newsletter! It contains the work of a number of Charlie Chan Family members and friends. Thank you so much to Lou Armagno, aka, HonoluLou, who has put together and published yet another masterpiece! Please use this link to access this year's newsletter which covers the year 2020. Please enjoy!

AND… DON’T MISS THIS GREAT CHARLIE CHAN BLOG!: AND… DON’T MISS THIS GREAT CHARLIE CHAN BLOG!: A great blog site, The Postman on Holiday, is 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: www.thepostmanonholiday.com

SO, REMEMBER, PLEASE JOIN US for this week’s feature, “Charlie Chan in Honolulu.”

THANK YOU SO MUCH…

Sincerely,

Rush Glick

Dear Rush, a question if I may. Reference the trivia:

TRIVIA: A tribute to Warner Oland appears in the film “Mr. Moto's Last Warning,” starring Peter Lorre. In one scene during a quick passing shot over the title "Charlie Chan in Honolulu," starring Warner Oland, on the bill of the Sultana Theatre of Variety, they placed the banner "Last Day."

I've never seen "Mr. Moto's Last Warning" or this tribute/banner to Warner Oland. Since Oland never did star in "Charlie Chan in Honolulu" (and Toler did) was this banner specially made up for Warner Oland's death? What I mean is was there a play bill at the Sultana Theatre with Oland's name on it (vice Toler's) at one time? :thinking_face: Thank you so much.

Hi, Lou! Here it is:

Wow! Thank you so much. So I take it this playbill was specially created for the "Moto" movie as a tribute to Oland. That is pretty indicative of how popular Warner Oland, and Detective Chan, were at the time. Thanks again, Lou