FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “When player cannot see man who deal cards, much wiser to stay out of game.”

OUR MONDAY NIGHT: We've reached the first Monday of November, and this week, we celebrate the annual running of the famous Melbourne Cup horse race, we continue along together on our CHARLIE CHAN FILM TOUR 2021. 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 our custom, arriving at 7:30 Eastern Time, we will be sharing, before our featured presentation, a vintage pair of “extras.” The first one focuses on Phar Lap, while the second shows the running of the actual 1936 Melbourne Cup!

OUR PRESENTATIONS:

1. “Phar Lap (The Mighty Conqueror)” (1936; Runtime: 10:07)

2. “The 1936 Melbourne Cup” (1936; Runtime: 2:29)

3. “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 Chat Room

IF YOU LACK A COPY OF OUR FILM: Often our features can be found available online. Happily, our feature IS presently available! Look for the link at our Chat Room!

THIS WEEK’S IMAGE FROM OUR FILM: Nursing his gunshot-injured leg, Charlie Chan and son, Lee, watch the activity as the racehorses are unloaded at the Port of Los Angeles.



THIS YEAR’S MELBOURNE CUP FIELD:

1 TWILIGHT PAYMENT

2 INCENTIVISE

3 SPANISH MISSION

4 VERRY ELLEEGANT

5 EXPLOSIVE JACK

6 THE CHOSEN ONE

7 DELPHI

8 OCEAN BILLY

9 SELINO

10 JOHNNY GET ANGRY

11 KNIGHTS ORDER

12 PERSAN

13 CARIF

14 MASTER OF WINE

15 PONDUS

16 GRAND PROMENADE

17 MIAMI BOUND

18 PORT GUILLAUME

19 SHE’S IDEEL

20 FUTURE SCORE

21 TRALEE ROSE

22 FLOATING ARTIST

23 GREAT HOUSE

24 SIR LUCAN

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!

Sincerely,

Rush Glick