The Charlie Chan Family Message Board
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FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Shady business do not make for sunny life.”
GREETINGS: This week, we continue Monogram Pictures’ phase of our Charlie Chan Film Tour with “Black Magic,” also known as “Meeting at Midnight.” Included for your enjoyment, we offer Hawaii Steve’s selections of this week’s “extras,” as well as other related bits of information regarding our feature film! AND, for those who took the challenge of answering the questions from the first part of “The Great Charlie Chan Quiz” which was put together by Mike in DC, we will now present the next portion, Part 2! Please ENJOY!!!
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 along with one or more “extras” (Thank you so much, Hawaii Steve!) that relate in some way to our feature presentation. Then, at precisely 8:15 ET, we begin our feature film simultaneously starting our personal or online copies of this week’s feature!
THIS WEEK’S PRESENTATION: “Black Magic” (1944; 65 minutes)
FEATURE INTRODUCTION: A murder occurs during a séance conducted by a fraudulent medium. Birmingham Brown, who happens to be on the premises when the killing occurs as is Charlie Chan's daughter, Frances. Chan finds himself entangled in a dangerous web as he follows the killer's trail of death in a case that has its origins a decade in the past.
FEATURE NOTES: The working titles of this film were “Murder Chamber” and “Charlie Chan in the Murder Chamber.” It was also reviewed as “Charlie Chan in Black Magic.” The film was later reissued as “Meeting at Midnight,” probably so as to avoid confusion following the 1949 release of the Orson Wells film also titled “Black Magic.” Although a ‘Hollywood Reporter’ news item lists Trevor Bardette in the cast, his participation in the completed film has not been confirmed.
CAST (as credited):
Sidney Toler: Charlie Chan
Mantan Moreland: Birmingham Brown
Frances Chan: Frances Chan
Joseph Crehan: Sergeant Matthews
Helen Beverley: Norma Duncan (alias Nancy Woods)
Jacqueline deWit: Justine Bonner
Geraldine Wall: Harriett Green
Ralph Peters: Rafferty
Frank Jaquet: Paul Hamlin
Edward Earle: Dawson
Claudia Dell: Vera Starkey
Harry Depp: Charles Edwards
Charles Jordan: Tom Starkey
Richard Gordon: William Bonner
UNCREDITED CAST (alphabetical):
Darby Jones: Mr. Johnson
George Morrell: Man at Elevator
Dick Rush: Police Officer
Crane Whitley: Dr. [William] Bonner
THIS WEEK’S IMAGE: (Attached) Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan in “Black Magic.”
IF YOU LACK A COPY OF OUR FEATURE: Often our features can be found online, and happily, the good news continues! Our feature IS available through the link provided at our Chat Room.
FROM HAWAII STEVE’S DESK…THIS WEEK’S EXTRAS & INFO:
Black Magic is the third Charlie Chan film made with Sidney Toler at Monogram Pictures. It was released in the USA on September 9, 1944.
FILMING LOCATION/FICTITIOUS SETTING: Los Angeles "posing" as Berkeley, California.
NOTE: Stock footage includes shots of older buildings in the downtown area of Los Angeles.
At the 15-minute VIDEO MARK, footage of the Los Angeles County Hall of Records Building (1911-1971) appears. The Hall of Records Building is "posing" as the Shattuck Hotel.
CLOSING CREDITS include the following wartime message: "Calling 80,000,000 American Movie Goers! Buy War Savings Stamps and Bonds. On sale in this Theatre."
The first documented report of a new title to “Meeting at Midnight” occurred in June 1951 on KTLA-TV Los Angeles.
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THEME OF FILM: Spiritualism
The belief that ghosts exist and we can communicate with them – came into being as a movement in 1848, when mediums began to spring up all over the United States and then in Britain.
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EXTRA #1: How Seances Work (March 2016)
Narrator: unknown.
How Seances Work - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvtrOSQm0qM)
Running Time: 2:19 How It Works
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EXTRA #2: The Most Infamous Seances in History (August 2019)
Host: Kallen from Australia.
The Most Infamous Seances in History - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9tZv52ia3U)
Running Time: 10:51 Slapped Ham.
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AND…FOR YOUR CONTINUING ENJOYMENT, A CHALLENGING CHARLIE CHAN TRIVIA QUIZ (CONTINUED):
The World’s Greatest Charlie Chan Quiz (Parts 2&3)
by Mike in DC
Part II: “World is large - me, lowly Chinaman.” (Charlie Chan in London) – 24 pts.
Charlie’s exploits take him to exotic settings where unusual occurrences are commonplace. Answer the following questions and identify the film associated with them. (One point for each correct answer, one point for identifying the film; 24 points total)
1. What are committed in the sewers of Paris?
2. Where was Lake when Capt. Hamilton was murdered?
3. Where is the vile den known as the Versailles Café located?
4. What cannot happen…in Berlin?
5. What is the best club for amateur photographers to visit?
6. Where was Susan B. Jennings tied up?
7. Of what locale is Dr. Zodiac a native?
8. Whose murder brought Charlie to our nation’s capital?
9. What happened in London on the night of October 5, 1935?
10. A “Shanghai Trio”
11. Where did the Shanghai cobra do its deadly work?
12. Where did Mei Ling leave the Shanghai Maid?
13. Where was the Shanghai chest found?
Part III: Patience is a virtue – 20 pts.
Throughout his career, Charlie admonished others not to act in haste and to have patience. Identify the films from which these aphorisms come. (Two points each, 20 points total)
1. Hasty accusation like long shot on horse race - odds good, but chance is doubtful.
2. Hasty conclusion easy to make, like hole in water.
3. Hasty conclusion like gunpowder - easy to explode.
4. Hasty conclusion like hind leg of mule - kick backward.
5. Hasty conclusion like toy balloon - easy to blow up, easy to pop.
6. Hasty deduction like ancient egg: look good from outside.
7. Must have patience.
8. Patience lead to knowledge.
9. Patience—must harvest rice before can boil it.
10. Patience very lovely virtue.
The answers will be provided…NEXT WEEK!
OUR MONTHLY POLL: Please take a moment to cast your vote in our AUGUST 2022 POLL, right here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HFSDBKR
LAST MONTH’S POLL RESULT: To see our JUNE 2022 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 (AUGUST 8): Please join us as we continue our Charlie Chan Film Tour 2022 with a shared viewing of “The Jade Mask”!
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 on Monday, August 1 for this week’s feature, “Black Magic.”
AS ALWAYS: THANK YOU SO MUCH…
Sincerely,
Rush Glick