Dear Chris,

I think that the criticism of Charlie Chan tossing out apt sayings during the course of a film comes mainly from those who attempt to compare his wise words to those which emerges from the humble fortune cookie. In my opinion this is ridiculous, and I have even heard (read) a supporter or two of Mr. Chan refer to his aphorisms as "fortune cookie" statements, even though meant as such in a "good" way. (The vast majority of fortune cookies that Yours Truly has opened over the years have contained suggestions or "predictions" for the future. Not too many have contained Confucius-like statements.)

Others who have a distate for Charlie Chan uttering more than a few aphoristic phrases in a film may feel that it comes off as something akin to "showing off" one's intelligence. If this is so, then I will need to disagree here, too. I think that the detective's underlying humility should dispell any such notion immediately.

Some may contend that the sayings stop the flow of the action. To this, I would say that moments of calm consideration only serve to enhance any action that follows.

A handful may simply see Charlie Chan's use of aptly placed epigrams as too "cute" and not befitting a lawman. Indeed if some see them if they are "cute," is that not one of the qualities of Chan's aphorisms that make them so delightful? They also give the detective a charming introspective dimension and a "softness" not seen in too many other sleuths, let alone other popular characters in any realm.

Yes, there is a place for the "tough" detective, but one of the things that has been a very important part of Charlie Chan's mystique from the outset has been his contemplative nature. Charlie Chan's aphorisms offer the viewer some insight into this aspect of his multi-faceted character throughout most of his adventures. Some Chan films contain many axioms while a few have but a smattering (Only THREE are to be heard in "The Chinese Cat"!).

For decades now, fans of Charlie Chan have found his aphorisms to be a delight to the ear, and but one of the detective's endearing - and enduring - qualities that have made him an American icon. Even those who know very little or nothing of Charlie Chan have probably heard one or more of his statements of wisdom at some point in their lives.

Sincerely,
Rush

One thing I have noticed in the later films, especially the Winters series, is that the aphorism aren't very original. It always seemed to me that by the time Roland Winters came to the role, the writers decided they ran out of clever sayings. I always thought there was only one or two per film but on seeing your lists for each of the six films there were several.

Upon closer inspection, I do notice that the sayings are very trite and forced and don't seem to offer much in the way of wisdom. This is probably the reason why I don't immediately notice them.

Dear Chris,

Well...by the the time of Charlie Chan's final adventures, the venerable detective was around 70 years old. By this time, through my conjecture, Mrs. Chan as well as his number three son Tommy had joined the illustrious Chan ancesters, thus the reason why Mr. Chan was now evidently based in San Francisco during the Winters era along with Number Two Son taking on the name "Tommy." Perhaps, with age and life's sadnesses, some of the "spark" was gone, and Mr. Chan's dwindling aphorisms reflected the detective's state of mind during his last few years prior to retirement.

By the way, I made a mistake in my last post. It was actually "BLACK MAGIC" ("MEETING AT MIDNIGHT") that had only three true aphoristic sayings. Also, of related interest, in the "Miscellaneous" section of our Study we have included the contents of a little promotional booklet entitled "Charlie Chan's Chinese Proverbs." This was used to help advertise the Charlie Chan radio show in 1935.

Here's to the enjoyment of hearing Charlie Chan utter each and every one of his aphorisms...

Sincerely,
Rush