First off, a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Rush for his contributions to this set. He, and Howard Berlin, Ken Hanke, et al, did a wonderful job and should be very proud.
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"Not only was Charlie Chan a great Chinese detective, but also the greatest American detective...He was a true American icon" - Rush Glick

The above sums up the legacy of Chan very well and is quoted from the bonus features on the new set. For simplicity, I'll take it disc by disc.

LONDON DISC

Trailer for London - this runs 2:05 and is in decent shape for its age especially considering how relatively few trailers from the early 30s survive. The audio is a bit rough but understandable. It's interesting to note that the trailer uses alternate versions of scenes than what was finally used in the film. This practice is sometimes used even today.

Restoration comparison - Fox did some additional clean-up work to get these ready for DVD. Each film had between 75 and 120 hours of digital restoration done to remove cue marks, minimize scratches, etc. Using a split screen, you can see "before" and "after" for each of the 4 films in this set. This runs about 4 and a half minutes in total.

The Legacy of Charlie Chan (13.5 minutes)

Features many speakers, including Rush Glick, Layne Tom, Ken Hanke, Barbara Gregorich (author of Biggers' biography).

The theme of this feature is how the Chan character was a huge step forward in the depiction of Asians both in literature and on screen. Some Asians are included and, unlike the FMC debacle, their comments are generally positive even if they had mixed feelings about a white playing Chan. There was none of those bogus "servile, subservient, etc." comments that Dr. Sulu's gang gave us.

The 1935 Pennsylvania Referendum short that Oland did is included in this.

PARIS DISC

Repeat of London trailer (apparently no trailers for Paris, Egypt, Shanghai survive)

In Search of Charlie Chan (25.75 minutes)

In addition to Rush and Ken Hanke, Howard Berlin joins the conversation as well as does some of Sol Wurtzel's family.

This feature highlights the men who made the character so popular (Biggers, Sol Wurtzel, Hamilton MacFadden, Oland, Luke). It also discusses each of the 4 films in this set.

Stepin Fetchit is mentioned. Rusty Cundieff, a black actor, calls him a "trailblazer" and compares the character to Beetle Bailey ("it's hard work being this lazy"). Good job of putting this much maligned actor into context.

Dr. Berlin makes some really good points about how Chan was a different type of detective (not relying on good looks, money, etc.) and how his on-screen relationship with his son has made him an enduring character.

EGYPT DISC

Repeat of London trailer

The Real Charlie Chan (20 minutes)

Fox traveled to Honolulu to interview a number of locals about the life and times of Chang Apana. Two family members of his are also interviewed.

His story is incredible. A very small man, he used a whip as his only weapon and once single-handedly arrested 70 individuals in a single event. Listening to the curator of the Honolulu Police Department Museum (Officer Eddie Croom) and a veteran columnist for the Honolulu Advertiser (Bob Krauss; he looks like Grandpa Munster's brother) it is obvious that Honolulu is very proud of this man and his legacy. No wonder he was named one of the 100 most influential people in Honolulu's history last year.

SHANGHAI DISC

London Trailer (just in case you missed it the other three times)

Eran Trece movie - this looks great. Apparently this was well preserved. Yes, there are English subtitles (probably supplied by Rush) which are most appreciated. If you know "Murder Cruise" well, it will make following this that much easier.

Summary: fans are really going to like this. Fox obviously spent a lot of money putting these features together. John Cork, who produced these, also worked on the James Bond DVDs so he's obviously experienced at this.

The inclusion of Dr. Berlin, Rush Glick, and Ken Hanke make this even more special. They, along with all the other speakers, did a wonderful job.

Steve:

Thank you so much for taking the time to summarize the 1st Chan Volume for us. I can only echo your comments in regards to the fantastic contributions made by Dr. Berlin, Mr. Hanke, and our own Rush Glick!!! All of us who are fans of the humble detective of Punchbowl Hill will always be indebted to these folks for all their great work in helping to make this long awaited event happen. I am counting the days when I expect this set to arrive at my door - and believe me it cannot come soon enough!