FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “What detective needs is great patience.”

NOTE: PLEASE vote in our July Poll, as the original one was lost. This replacement poll will be slightly different than that which you voted on already! THANK YOU SO MUCH! The poll can be reached at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HFSDBKR

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: “The Scarlet Clue” (1945; 65 minutes)

FEATURE INTRODUCTION: Charlie Chan of the Secret Service is searching for the killer of an enemy agent. The trail leads to a radio and television broadcast center, where Number Three Son, Tommy and assistant Birmingham Brown accompany the detective as he winds his way through a host of suspects and hidden dangers.

FEATURE NOTES: The working title of this film was Robot Murder. The title card reads: “Charlie Chan in ‘The Scarlet Clue’.” ‘Hollywood Reporter’ production charts include Harry Bradley and William Gould in the cast, but their participation in the released film has not been confirmed. ‘Hollywood Reporter’ production charts also note that director of photography William Sickner was borrowed by Monogram from Universal to work on this film. The minor role of actor "Horace Carlos" is obviously based on film actor Boris Karloff, while the film's killer wears a mask modeled on actor Rondo Hatton. Modern sources add the following actors to the cast: Charles Jordan (Nelson) and Kernan Cripps (Detective).

CAST (as credited):

Sidney Toler: Charlie Chan
Mantan Moreland: Birmingham Brown
Ben Carter: Ben Carter
Benson Fong: Tommy Chan
Virginia Brissac: Mrs. Marsh
Robert E. Homans: Captain Flynn
Jack Norton: Willie Rand
Janet Shaw: Gloria Bayne
Helen Devereaux: Diane Hall
Victoria Faust: Hulda Swenson (alias Janet Carter)

UNCREDITED CAST (alphabetical):

Kernan Cripps: Detective
I. Stanford Jolley: Ralph Brett (alias Rolf Brott and Britt)
Charles Jordan: Nelson
Kenner G. Kemp: Police Radio Expert
Milt Kibbee: Herbert Sinclair
Reid Kilpatrick: Wilbur Chester
Frank Mayo: Hodge
Leonard Mudie: Horace Karlos
Tom Quinn: Chemist
Charles Sherlock: Sergeant McGraw
Emmett Vogan: Hamilton
Charles Wagenheim: Rausch
Crane Whitley: Cooper (alias Carper and Cauper)

THIS WEEK’S IMAGE: (Attached) In an unseen scene, Tommy Chan and Birmingham Brown listen at a door as they are watched by a curious party. (Do we find this scene in the film?)

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:

FEATURE FILM: Charlie Chan in "The Scarlet Clue"

The Scarlet Clue is the fifth Charlie Chan film made with Sidney Toler at Monogram Pictures. It was released on May 11, 1945 in the USA.

The Scarlet Clue - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scarlet_Clue)

From YouTube, here is the film.

Charlie Chan The Scarlet Clue 1945 - Sidney Toler - YouTube (Charlie Chan The Scarlet Clue 1945 - Sidney Toler - YouTube)

Running Time: 1:04:47.

FILMING LOCATION/FICTITIOUS SETTING: Los Angeles "posing" as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

==========

OPENING AND CLOSING FILM CREDITS from Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors

Because Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (Ltd) released this film, in the UK, after the end of World War Two, the wartime message of "Buy War Bonds and Stamps" was omitted. New opening and closing credits were created.

==========

CURTURAL AND HISTORIC CONNECTION between Feature Film and Short Extras. Please see below.

==========

STORYLINE OF FILM: The theft of U. S. government radar plans.

THEME OF FILM: U.S. Government Agent Charlie Chan Supporting the U. S. War Effort (1942-1945).

==========

EXTRA #1: Mantan Moreland, Almost One of the Three Stooges

Cast: Mantan Moreland.

Mantan Moreland - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantan_Moreland)

Narrator: Simon Whistler.

The Black Comedian Who Was Almost One of the Three Stooges - YouTube (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantan_Moreland)

Plot: Biography of the career of Mantan Moreland.

The Black Comedian Who Was Almost One of the Three Stooges - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/)

Running Time: 8:24 Today I Found Out, 2017.

==========

EXTRA #2: Radar (1945 British newsreel)

From Gaumont British News.

Plot: Radar During World War II.

RADAR, the secret weapon that revolutionised warfare (1945) - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8IqTnE198w)

Running Time: 4:50 British Pathe, 2020.

==========

EXTRA #3: The Comedy Team of Ben Carter and Mantan Moreland

Actor/Comedian Ben Carter (c1910 - 1946).

Ben Carter (actor) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Carter_(actor))

From Dark Alibi (1946 Monogram), the "Interrupted Talk" Routine.

Mantan Moreland and Ben Carter "Interrupted Talk" Routine - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejWuU6eq6u0)

Running Time: 4:46 Jay Raskin, 2018.

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 JULY 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 22): Please join us as we continue our Charlie Chan Film Tour 2022 with a shared viewing of “The Shanghai Cobra.”

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 8 for this week’s feature, “The Scarlet Clue.”

AS ALWAYS: THANK YOU SO MUCH…

Sincerely,

Rush Glick