Return to Website

The Charlie Chan Family Message Board

Welcome to our Message Board. Please feel free to post your thoughts, questions, or information.

The Charlie Chan Family Message Board
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
Nearly everyone at my work is naive about Charlie Chan

Hi Everyone! I work at a Retirement Home as a Cook. Anyways, Today I decided to see how many people have heard of Charlie Chan? Well I asked 6 Residents( all were over the age of 65) and I asked 9 fellow employees( 4 are 17 years old, 1 is 18 years old, 2 are 30 years old 1 is 35 years old and the last one is 39.). Well all 6 of the residents have heard of Charlie Chan(No Surprise )The Four 17 years old never heard of him,The 18 year old one thought Charlie Chan is the current Action Star from China(confusing him with Jackie Chan )Both 30 year olds thought Charlie Chan was a former employee (Confusing him with a Richard Chan who used to work here)and both the 35 and 39 year old have heard and seen Charlie Chan Movies but the 39 year old is also Chinese and he thinks the Charlie Chan Films are Racist and that all prints and negatives should be burned and destroyed! That comment really disturbed me! I thought we lived in the United States!

Re: Nearly everyone at my work is naive about Charlie Chan

Dear Sam,

Ah, the last gentleman you mentioned has profited well, it sounds, from his college education. It sounds as if he has had contact with some very "enlightened" persons along the way, perhaps in a film class.

Sadly, the current media has presented, for the most part, a terribly biased view of Charlie Chan and what he has truly meant to our culture. Just as he faced adversaries in his day, many of whom were bent on his destruction, today, there are those who hold the same thought in mind. It is very ironic to me that the sons and grandsons of those whom Charlie Chan may have offered the greatest benefit as the American public, as well as the West in general, were exposed to a beloved Chinese HERO, are now misinformed and taught to despise him. If they could but stop "following the leader" for a moment and watch with unblemished eyes one of Charlie Chan's adventures, realizing that his was a very different world from our "enlightened" world of today, they might learn something. Sadly, however, the "free thinkers" of our time thrive on being told what to believe...

A look at some of the "extra" material included in the "Charlie Chan Collection" will offer some insight into what some persons of Chinese descent thought of Mr. Chan. Also, I can tell you that the surviving members of Keye Luke's honorable family have only praise for their worthy ancestor. I have seen them for myself view a Charlie Chan movie in which Keye Luke portrayed Number One Son, Lee. They all had a GREAT time, and I can also tell you that they were not the only Chinese persons in attendance!

I regret your co-worker's bitterness. Truly, however, the loss is ultimately his. By shunning Charlie Chan, he is turning his back on one who was, in many ways, a forerunner in the advancement of greater rights and understanding for those representing an ancient culture and people...the Chinese. Keye Luke stated in a 1977 interview: "I felt the Chan pictures were a credit to the Chinese people. Before this only menacing pictures of Chinatown were shown - opium dens, slave girls, hatchet men, climaxed by the arch-villain Fu Manchu. Charlie Chan came along and erased that image and spread throughout the world a much better picture of the Chinese. Granted it was entertainment, but the public takes the screen portrayal as the real thing, especially when it was done as convincingly as Warner Oland did it. I think that he created a better image for the Orientals, and that his "sons" helped him in that way. You can see that Charlie Chan was wise, sensitive, cautious, honest, gracious, courteous and compassionate. No one ever out-foxed him. He triumphed over everybody and everything. He was the number one man from beginning to end, and I think that did a great deal to erase the image of Fu Manchu."

Continue to enjoy you new Charlie Chan DVDs, Sam. It will take much more than Mr. Chan's curent batch of misguided and ill-informed adversaries to beat him or remove him from his rightful place as an American icon.

Sincerely,
Rush Glick

Re: Re: Nearly everyone at my work is naive about Charlie Chan

Rush, Do you think I should lend my Charlie Chan DVD's with the extras so he can be better informed about Charlie Chan? Speaking of which, Several of the residents at the Retirement Home I work at, has expressed interest in watching some of the Charlie Chan Movies. They have an Entertainment Room, where they watch movies(usually rented family films from Blockbuster) twice a week. I am going to ask for permission from the Executive Director at my work, if I can show the Charlie Chan Movies and maybe have a discussion period afterwards. Do you think it's a good idea?

Re: Re: Re: Nearly everyone at my work is naive about Charlie Chan

Dear Sam,

Great idea!

On my few encounters with residents of retirement homes, I can tell you that, in my opinion, they will LOVE the opportunity to see these films! You might like to see if you can show one film per evening for several evenings, or, perhaps, one movie each week on a specific evening.

Do you think that you would be allowed to make it a real movie event complete with popcorn and refreshments? This would add to the fun, don't you think? You could also act as MC and introduce the movies and give some information about the films, actors, etc. Be sure to ask the members of the audience to share any memories that they may have regarding Charlie Chan.

As for loaning out your DVDs, I always tell people to do so only if they are willing to take the risk of getting the material back in a condition slightly less than it was before it left your hands. Perhaps your friend could attend the Chan showing that you propose?

Sincerely,
Rush

Re: Re: Re: Re: Nearly everyone at my work is naive about Charlie Chan

Rush, Thanks for the advice.Movie Nights are on Wednesday and Saturday Nights. Saturday would be the best day. As for refreshments, they do offer popcorn and Lemonade as well as Freshly Baked Cookies.If it works out, I plan to bring both Ken Hanke's book as well as Howard Berlin's fine Charlie Chan Encyclopedia to help me. I also plan to invite my coworker "Ken Wong", to view it too, though I'm afraid he might spoil things with the anti-Chan rhetoric.I am looking forward to it as well as this Monday Night!

Re: Nearly everyone at my work is naive about Charlie Chan

What a great thing you're doing Sam...sounds like a lot of fun.

Regarding loaning DVDs - I made that mistake once, never again. These days I only loan them to family members.

I am sorry to hear about your co-worker that is hostile to Chan. As Rush said, he probably was exposed to some bad thinking in his education. From my readings and observations, Asians that have actually taken the time to watch the films are generally much more positive about them than those who were simply told about them.

There's a great scene in Paris when Charlie gently, but effectively, puts Max Corday in his place after the latter rather childishly mimics a Chinese accent in speaking to Charlie. To me, that shows the respect that writers had for the character and his heritage. To say the films are racist is, to me, absolutely ludricrous.

Steve

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Nearly everyone at my work is naive about Charlie Chan

Sam,
I suspect that you won't have to worry!

Your older residents will probably be able to handle the "nay-sayers" with graciousness, good-will, and far more documentable rebuttals than anything that they can come up with.

If these people keep coming up with the Politically Correct message inspite of what your senior citizens say, they'll just make themselves look that much worse!

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Nearly everyone at my work is naive about Charlie Chan

Sam: please let us know what happens if you get to show the films! And join us monday nite if you are able. Regards, johnr

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Nearly everyone at my work is naive about Charlie Chan

I plan to talk to the boss tomorrow about the Charlie Chan showing at work. I am looking forward tonight "Charlie Chan In London".

Re: Nearly everyone at my work is naive about Charlie Chan

I'm so excited for you Sam! I hope all goes well. Which Chan are you going to choose? I don't know that you have them all, but it makes me think, which would be the best Chan to show to someone somewhat antagonistic towards them? (You certainly don't have to take our suggestions, Sam, it's just part of the fun of discussing Chan.) Steve's idea of CC in Paris is good because he is shown to be a famous international figure, well respected, clever, gentlemanly and he does deal well with the character that treats him as your co-worker would expect. Any other Chans that would or would not be the first one you would choose to show a neophyte?

~Mrs. P

Re: Re: Nearly everyone at my work is naive about Charlie Chan

I only have the current DVD's, Both Fox and MGM. I was planning to show it in chronological order like Rush is doing starting with Charlie Chan In London.