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Douglas Dumbrille's hat!

Last weekend, while watching "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" on Turner Classic Movies, the first I noted was that Douglas Dumbrille, who appeared in three Charlie Chan films, was in this one in a prominant role. What I next noticed, fairly soon, was his HAT - more precisely, the RIBBON on "same."

It has been mentioned both on this humble Message Board and during a couple of our Chat Groups how the bow on the band on the white hat that Charlie Chan wears in two films, "Charlie Chan in Shanghai" and "Charlie Chan at the Race Track," is positioned at the BACK of the hat. Was this a "fashion statement" made by Mr. Chan alone?

It seems that the answer is no. If one looks at the bow on the ribbon band on Douglas Dumbrille's hat as seen in "Mr. Deeds" it will immediately be obvious that he is making the same "fashion statement" that Mr. Chan made. As "Shanghai" and "Race Track" were shot in 1935 and 1936, respectively, and "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" was filmed in 1936, perhaps this unusual positioning of the bow on a man's hat was a momentary phenomenon.

Maybe Charlie Chan was, indeed, attempting to exhibit a hint of trendsetting style!

Sincerely,
Rush Glick

Re: Douglas Dumbrille's hat!

Thank you, Rush "Eagle Eye" Glick!
Virginia