OUR CHARLIE CHAN FAMILY MONDAY EVENING CHAT FOR May 1, 2023: “Charlie Chan in Reno”
FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Praise in any language very sweet.”
THIS WEEK: Charlie Chan, along with Number Two Son, Jimmy, travel to “The Biggest Little City in the World” help a friend who is accused of murder!
THE CHAT ROOM: Go to our “Chat Room” page, and, at the bottom of that page, click on the “Charlie Chan Family Chat Room ENTRANCE” link. You may then enter as a “Guest.”
OUR FEATURE PRESENTATION: “Charlie Chan in Reno” (1939; 70 minutes)
FEATURE SUMMARY:
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.
THIS WEEK’S EXTRAS: Please join us earlier before the start of our feature for these extra presentations:
Reno, Nevada in 1943
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqtfWSBhuIU
(Running time: 4:01)
OUR MESSAGE BOARD: Please consider regular visits to our Message Board, and feel free to add a message to begin a conversation or state a thought! Our Message Board has been there for YOU since 2004! Take a trip back in time and take a look at what was happening with your Charlie Chan Family “way back when”! (Go to charliechan.org and use the “Message Board” link.)
AS ALWAYS, WE BEGIN OUR EVENING at 7:30 Eastern Time with a 45-minute time for arrivals and greetings, and the sharing of an extra…or two...or even three! (see above). Then, at precisely 8:15 ET, we begin running our feature film simultaneously starting our personal or online copies of this week’s feature!
AT OUR BULLETIN BOARD: THE CHARLIE CHAN FAMILY HOME 2022 NEWSLETTER is now available at our “Bulletin Board” at our Charlie Chan Family Home, charliechan.org! Also, at our Bulletin Board you will find a lot more in the form of links to other items of possible interest!
AND, please take a minute to cast your vote on our MAY POLL, also available on our Bulletin Board.
NEXT WEEK: We will be sharing what many consider to be the finest film of the Charlie Chan film series with “Charlie Chan at Treasure Island,”
Take care, and I hope to see you at this week’s Monday Evening Chat at our Charlie Chan Family Chat Room at charliechan.org as we share “Charlie Chan in Reno.”
