The Feb. 2007 poll question at this website states...

"As TCM is going to air a Charlie Chan film in March, will this modest step lead to MORE Chan on TV?"

I went to the TCM website but the March schedule is not up yet. In any event, I took the poll question posted here as evidence that some Charlie Chan film is in the lineup for March at TCM. TCM has shown the Chan films in the recent past.

Therefore, it seems to me that TCM might be one organization who would perhaps be willing to make some direct inquiries about the lost films. Indeed, there is even a news item on the TCM website about the TCM-sponsored restoration and airing of some previously lost (or at least largely forgotten) RKO films. The link to that story is...

http://www.tcm.com/movienews/index/?cid=156033

TCM makes the statement about these RKO films...

“These six films had slipped through the cracks of film history because the two copyright holders—Merian C. Cooper and Ernest L. Scanlon—had long since passed away,” Karsch said. “As a result, they were languishing in film archives around the world, largely unpreserved. As curators of film history, TCM is proud to take the lead on preserving these films and airing them for classic movie fans of all ages.”

Dear Roy and Douglas,

TCM's schedule shows that they will be airing "The Scarlet Clue" on March 6 at 4:15 a.m., Eastern Time. If nothing else, viewers can plan on recording this showing. This small step in returning Charlie Chan to the airwaves should be applauded, I feel, as this could lead to more in the future.

Sincerely,
Rush Glick

It could lead to more in the future, but I'd think that TCM, owning a bucketload of MGM titles in addition to the Warner catalog, would only show the Monogram Chans (see the "Chanthology" DVD set, released by MGM - said Monograms being snapped up by Allied Artists who, in turn were ultimately snapped up by MGM, who, partially anyways in terms of catalog, was snapped up by Turner).

So, unless Turner (TCM) wants to tangle with Fox or they work out some sort of broadcast deal, I don't think we'll be seeing Warner Oland and Sidney Toler in his healthier days on TCM.