FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Very difficult to believe ill of those we love.”

GREETINGS: Charlie Chan’s family Easter is interrupted as he travels to “The Biggest Little City in the World” to prove the innocence of a friend wrongly accused of murder.

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: “Charlie Chan in Reno” (1939; 70 minutes; Production: January 23 to February 24, 1939

FEATURE INTRODUCTION: Mary Whitman has gone to Reno seeking a divorce from her husband, Curtis. While there, she is arrested on suspicion of murdering a fellow guest at her hotel, an establishment that specializes in accommodating individuals who are awaiting finalized divorces. There are many others at the hotel who harbor strong feelings against the victim. At the request of Mary's estranged husband who is a friend of Charlie Chan, the detective travels from his home in Honolulu to solve the murder.

FEATURE NOTES: The working title of this picture was “Death Makes a Decree,” as it was based on the story of the same name by Philip Wylie. According to materials contained at the UCLA Theater Arts Library, Paul Perez wrote a version of the screenplay in December 1938, but his name does not appear in the final credits. In the Call Bureau Cast Service lists, Sheriff Fletcher's name was originally Foster. Mrs. Russell was named Alice Williamson, and Choy Wong was named Sung Li. According to reviews in ‘Hollywood Reporter’ and ‘Motion Picture Herald,’ at the time that this picture was produced, this was the most expensive production in the Chan series.

CAST (as credited):

Sidney Toler: Charlie Chan
Ricardo Cortez: Dr. Ainsley
Phyllis Brooks: Vivian Wells
Slim Summerville: Sheriff ["Tombstone"] Fletcher
Kane Richmond: Curtis Whitman
Sen Yung: James [Jimmy] Chan
Pauline Moore: Mary Whitman [Mrs. Curtis Whitman]
Eddie Collins: Cab Driver
Kay Linaker: Mrs. Russell
Louise Henry: Jeanne Bentley
Robert Lowrey: Wally Burke
Charles D. Brown: Chief of Police King
Iris Wong: Choy Wong
Morgan Conway: George Bentley
Hamilton MacFadden: Night Clerk

UNCREDITED CAST (alphabetical):

Jimmy Aubrey: Wisecracker in Lineup
Brooks Benedict: Man in Line-up
Stanley Blystone: Lineup Officer [Mack]
Heinie Conklin: Police Officer
Alphonso DuBois: Waiter
Jerry Frank: Bar Patron
Bob Hale: Jones
Chuck Hamilton: Police Officer
Harry Hayden: Chemistry Professor
Dick Hogan: College Student [Jack]
Fred Kelsey: Reno Police Desk Sergeant
Al Kikume: Honolulu Police Officer
Barbara McLain: College Student
Frank McLure: Gambler
Hank Mann: "Injured" Con Man/Casino Extra
Imboden Parrish
Jack Perry: Rough Drunk ["Mr. Jones"]
Arthur Rankin: Bellhop
Fred Rapport: Man in Lineup
Virginia Sale: Maid
Robert Shaw: College Student
Allen D. Sewell: Lineup Spectator
Ed Stanley: Police Chemist
Blue Washington: Man in Lineup

THIS WEEK’S IMAGE: After Choy Wong finds Mrs. Bentley's riding boots, Jimmy Chan notes that the presence of mud and scratches, indicating she had spent time off her horse.



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 APRIL 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 (May 9): Please join us as we continue our Charlie Chan Film Tour 2022 with a shared viewing of what many consider to be the best film in the series, “Charlie Chan at Treasure Island.”

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 “Charlie Chan in Reno.”

AS ALWAYS: THANK YOU SO MUCH…

Sincerely,

Rush Glick