FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Thousand friends too few.” (“Charlie Chan in Panama”)

GREETINGS! Number One Son, Lee, attends a criminology class taught by none other than Mr. Moto! In this film that began shooting as “Charlie Chan at the Ringside,” we see the “retooled” version of a Charlie Chan adventure, complete with aphorisms meant for Charlie Chan!

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

We Begin our evening at 7:30 Eastern Time with a 45-minute time for arrivals and greetings. During this time, we also have the opportunity to engage in open dialogue or perhaps an impromptu sharing of a short video upon request! Then, at precisely 8:15, we begin our feature film simultaneously starting our personal or online copies of this week’s feature!

THIS WEEK’S PRESENTATION: “Mr. Moto’s Gamble” (1938; 72 minutes).

FEATURE INTRODUCTION: Bad blood exists between Bill Steele and Frankie Stanton, the leading contenders for the heavyweight title, and a grudge match is scheduled. Steele's knockout victory is tainted by his opponent's untimely death, ostensibly from a concussion caused by hitting the canvas. A post-mortem reveals that poison was somehow introduced into a cut above Stanton's eye although it is unclear how and why. Gambling might seem to be the motive as several of the principle suspects, gamblers Clipper McCoy and Nick Crowder, Stanton's shady manager Jerry Connors, and fight promoter Philip Benton, all seemed to have made wagers on the fight. Benton's spoiled daughter and female reporter Penny Kendall are vying for the affections of Steele, who is now slated to fight for the championship against pugnacious Biff Moran. Lt. Riggs of New York Homicide and Moto, who were spectators at the fight, go on the trail of the murderer following the autopsy results. Moto's prime suspect is a shadowy character named John Howard, who collected on huge bets in four different Midwestrern cities after the Stanton fight. Discovering his real identity will be a key to Moto's TKO of the killer.—Gabe Taverney (duke1029@aol.com)

FEATURE NOTES: “Mr. Moto’s Gamble” was released on March 25, 1938. Originally, this film was planned as a Charlie Chan picture, “Charlie Chan at the Ringside.” However, Warner Oland had struggled with what has been reported as a nervous breakdown, resulting in his walking off the set, thus bringing the production to a halt. It was reformulated, using as much completed material as possible, resulting in the present film, “Mr. Moto’s Gamble.

CAST (as credited):

Peter Lorre: Mr. Moto
Keye Luke: Lee Chan
Dick Baldwin: Bill Steele
Lynn Bari: Penny Kendall
Douglas Fowley: Nick Crowder
Jayne Regan: Linda Benton
Harold Huber: Lt. Riggs
Maxie Rosenbloom: Wellington
John Hamilton: Philip Benton
George E. Stone: Connors
Bernard Nedell: Clipper McCoy
Charles Williams: Gabby Marden
Ward Bond: Biff Moran
Cliff Clark: McGuire
Edward Marr: Sammy
Lon Chaney Jr.: Joey
Russ Clark: Frankie Stanton
Pierre Watkins: District Attorney
Charles D. Brown: Editor

UNCREDITED CAST (alphabetical):

Carol Adams: Tourist
Leon Alton: Boxing Spectator
Irving Bacon: Sheriff Tuttle
Al Bain: Trainer
Brandon Beach: Boxing Spectator
Edward Biby: Boxing Spectator
James Blaine: Policeman
Stanley Blystone: Policeman
Gary Breckner: Announcer
Don Brodie: Ticket Seller
George Chandler: Boxing Spectator
Chester Clute: Ticket Theft Victim
James Conaty: Boxing Spectator
Bing Conley: Second
Russell Custer: Boxing Spectator
De Grasse: Fighter
Dick Dickinson: Knock-Out Timer
Lester Dorr: Reporter
Ralph Dunn: Detective
Edward Earle: Medical Examiner
Dick Elliott: Kansas City Gambler
Matty Fain: Detroit Gambler
Frank Fanning: Turnkey
Paul Fix: Gangster
George Ford: Boxing Spectator
Allen Fox: Reporter
Dick French: Reporter
Arthur Gardner: Elevator Boy
Jack Gargan: Usher
Joe Gray: Fighter
Harrison Greene: Cleveland Gambler
Sherry Hall: Ticket-Taker
Eddie Hart: Policeman
Tommy Herman: Fighter
Olin Howland: Deputy Sheriff Burt
Gladden James: Cashier
Fred Kelsey: Mahoney
Carl M. Leviness: Boxing Spectator
Stanley Mack: Usher
Wilbur Mack: St. Louis Gambler
George Magrill: Policeman
Allen Mathews: Handler
Mike Mazurki: Bit Part
Frank McGlynn Jr.: Detective
Larry McGrath: Referee
Lucille Miller: Boxing Spectator
Adrian Morris: Policeman
Charles Morton: Student
David Newell: Detective
Franklin Parker: Reporter
Bob Perry: Referee
Bob Reeves: Detective
Dick Rich: Pickpocket Detail Cop
Matty Roubert: Elevator Boy
Gloria Roy: Detroit Gambler's Moll
Robert Ryan: Policeman
Syd Saylor: Hotel Desk Clerk
Lee Shumway: Policeman
Edwin Stanley: Doctor
Landers Stevens: Doctor
Jack Stoney: Kid Grant
Harry Strang: Policeman
Brick Sullivan: Detective
Charles Sullivan: Handler
Dan Tobey: Fight Announcer
Emmett Vogan: Fingerprint Man
Max Wagner: Thug

THIS WEEK’S IMAGE: (None this week)
IF YOU LACK A COPY OF OUR FEATURE: Often our features can be found online. CONTINUED GOOD NEWS! Our feature IS available through the link provided at our Chat Room.

OUR MONTHLY POLL: Please take a moment, before it closes at the end of this month, to cast your vote in our MARCH 2022 POLL, right here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DSV6RPV

LAST MONTH’S POLL RESULT: To see our March Poll result as well as ALL of our polls going back to 2003, please use this link: http://www.charliechan.info/id93.html

NEXT WEEK (April 25): Please join us as we continue our Charlie Chan Film Tour 2022 with a shared viewing of “Charlie Chan in Honolulu”,” starring Sidney Tolerin his first appearance as Charlie Chan!

AND, AS ALWAYS… 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

OUR 2022 CHARLIE CHAN FAMILY NEWSLETTER!

This year’s Charlie Chan Family Newsletter, chronicling the year 2021, is now available! Thank you so much, Lou, for your continued, masterfully hard work and dedication! It can be accessed at the following link:

https://thepostmanonholidayhome.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/2021-newsletter-lou-final.pdf

AND, FINALLY, REMEMBER: PLEASE JOIN US for this week’s feature “Mr. Moto’s Gamble.”

AS ALWAYS: THANK YOU SO MUCH…

Sincerely,

Rush Glick