FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “All foxes come at last to fur store.”

NOTE: PLEASE vote in our SEPTEMBER Poll! The poll can be reached at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H3BZY6C

GREETINGS: We take a s short side road on our tour through the Charlie Chan film series to pause to celebrate the birthday of Warner Oland with a viewing of “The Black Camel.”

OUR CHAT ROOM is located at: 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, as always, 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 Black Camel” (1931; 70 minutes)

FEATURE INTRODUCTION: Hollywood star Shelah Fane, who is in Hawaii shooting a film on location, is murdered in her beach house in Waikiki. Detective Charlie Chan of the Honolulu Police Department is called on to investigate. "Death is a black camel that kneels unbidden at every gate. Tonight black camel has knelt here," Chan tells the assembled suspects.

FEATURE NOTES: The novel “The Black Camel,” by Earl Derr Biggers, was originally published serially in ‘The Saturday Evening Post’ between May 18 and June 22, 1929. Sources conflict concerning the release date of the film. According to information in the Twentieth Century-Fox Records of the Legal Department at the UCLA Theater Arts Library, some scenes were shot in Honolulu, where some of the film's music was also recorded.

CAST (as credited):

Warner Oland: Charlie Chan
Sally Eilers: Julie O'Neill
Bela Lugosi: Tarneverro
Dorothy Revier: Shelah Fane
Victor Varconi: Robert Fyfe
Murray Kinnell: Smith
William Post, Jr.: Alan Jaynes
Robert Young: Jimmy Bradshaw
Violet Dunn: Anna
J.M. Kerrigan: Thomas MacMasters
Mary Gordon: Mrs. MacMasters
Rita Rozelle: Luana
Otto Yamaoka: Kashimo

UNCREDITED CAST (alphabetical):

Dwight Frye: Jessop
C. Henry Gordon: Huntley Van Horn
Robert Homans: Chief of Police
Bo Ling: Number One Chan Daughter
Hamilton MacFadden: Movie Director Val Martino
Louise Mackintosh: Librarian
Melvin Paoa: Hawaiian Beach Boy
Richard Tucker: Wilkie Ballou
James Wang: Wong
Marjorie White: Rita Ballou
(Unknown): Miss [Diana] Dixon

THIS WEEK’S IMAGE: (Attached) Warner Oland as Charlie Chan.



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 (located as a link above the Chat Room Board). Also, if you do not own the films of the Charlie Chan Film Series, please consider purchasing them, as commercially produced, authorized copies of ALL existing Charlie Chan movies on DVD are available for purchase across the Internet, often at very reasonable prices!

FROM HAWAII STEVE’S DESK…THIS WEEK’S EXTRAS & INFO:

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FEATURE FILM: Charlie Chan in "The Black Camel"

The Black Camel is the second Charlie Chan film made with Warner Oland at the Fox Film Corporation. It was released on June 21, 1931 in the USA. The film was released on December 12, 1931 in the Territory of Hawaii.

The Black Camel (film) - Wikipedia

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Camel_(film))

And ...

The Black Camel (1931) - IMDb

(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021668/?ref_=ttmc_mc_tt)

OPENING FILM CREDITS from Fox Film Corporation

The film print is from Fox Film Corporation.

FILMING LOCATION/FICTITIOUS SETTING

Oahu film sites include Kailua Beach, City of Kailua, windward Oahu.

Filming around the grounds and inside the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Waikiki.

Stock footage of Oahu landmarks and buildings include:

Waikiki Beach featuring footage of surf-riders.

Kalakaua Avenue with a passing shot of the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial.

Prospect Street along the base of Punchbowl Crater, Honolulu.

STORYLINE OF FILM: Chan attempts to solve two murders, both Hollywood related.

THEME OF FILM: The mysterious murder of a Hollywood starlet.

CURTURAL AND HISTORIC CONNECTION between Feature Film and Short Extras

Please see below.

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Charlie Chan in 1931

Warner Oland as Inspector Charlie Chan of the Honolulu police.

WARNER OLAND AS HIMSELF, AND AS CHARLIE CHAN

During his lifetime (1879-1938), actor Warner Oland appeared in several silent movies and in a number of short sound films during the 1930s. In honor of Mr. Oland's birthday (October 3rd), please find five (5) rare films featuring the acclaimed actor below.

EXTRA #1: Ten Things You Show Know About Warner Oland

10 Things You Should Know About Warner Oland - YouTube

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX0F0nLBnt0)

Running Time: 1:52 Cladrite Radio, 2020.


EXTRA #2: The Lightning Raider (1919-silent)
Cast: Pearl White (as Lightning Raider, the heroine), Warner Oland (the villain).

This film belongs to the sensationalistic "Yellow Menace" genre of its time, with Warner Oland playing the insidious Oriental Wu Fang. During his early film career, Oland portrayed a variety of Asian characters in several movies before being offered the leading role in the 1929 film “The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu.” The 1919 film is a fine example of Oland's early film work.

Scene from THE LIGHTNING RAIDER (1919) Pearl White and Warner Oland - YouTube

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xeQoT_YM-U)

Running Time: 10:26 The Serial Squadron, 2010.



EXTRA #3: HOW TO BREAK 90 #3: HIP ACTION (1933 Warner Bros.)

Cast: Golf Master Bobby Jones, comedian W. C. Fields, and actor Warner Oland.

This film presents Oland in a non-speaking role. He is wearing white pants, sitting next to Fields.

Bobby Jones consoles W.C. Fields on his poor golf swing - YouTube

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zJUuuAc24M)

Running Time: 0:48 Captain America, 2006.



EXTRA #4: An Unknown Travelogue (1936)

Vacation with Warner and Edith Oland in the Orient.

Location: Shanghai.

1936 Shanghai - Actor Warner Oland (Charlie Chan) in China - YouTube

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U-MtQ6MIaY)

Running Time: 0:22 My Footage.com, 2012.



EXTRA #5: Charlie Chan Carries On (1931)

A trailer of Warner Oland's first Charlie Chan movie for Fox.

Directed by Hamilton MacFadden.

Released April 12, 1931 in the USA.

CHARLIE CHAN CARRIES ON [1931, Trailer] - Warner Oland - YouTube

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3KF6T-FItw)

Running Time: 3:58 Geno's House of Rare Films, 2021.

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And now ... we present our feature film presentation:

On-Line Viewing of Charlie Chan Film here

TITLE: The Black Camel (1931 Fox Film).

Charlie Chan, The Black Camel, Warner Oland, Bela Lugosi, 1931 Full Movie - YouTube

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eU6vXcPIgA)

Running Time: 1:10:52 Vantage Films.

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OUR MONTHLY POLL: Please take a moment to cast your vote in our SEPTEMBER 2022 POLL, right here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H3BZY6C

LAST MONTH’S POLL RESULT: To see our AUGUST 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 (October 10): Please join us as we watch TWO episodes of “The New Adventures of Charlie Chan,” as we see Charlie Chan in the Atomic Age!

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, “The Black Camel.”

AS ALWAYS: THANK YOU SO MUCH…

Sincerely,

Rush Glick