Re: Re: "Charlie Chan in Egypt" and "Snowshoes in the Desert"
Dear Russell,
Another great analysis on your part. Thank you for this and the effort that you always put into your informative posts.
"Charlie Chan in Egypt," as you mention, did much to show Charlie Chan to be an INTERNATIONAL detective. Just imagine, from humble beginnings in the Honolulu of the time to flying or sailing off to the far flung corners of the globe to solve crime! Uniquely Charlie Chan.
Actually, "Egypt" was the third of a connected "series" of movies that began with "Charlie Chan in London" and contiunes with "Charlie Chan in Paris." In the next movie, "Charlie Chan in Shanghai," we see Mr. Chan on the road once again. In fact, from this time forward, the moments are fairly rare when we even see Charlie Chan "back home." Egypt did, indeed, offer a very exotic, mysterious locale. It was not too many years following the opening of Tutankhamen's tomb that this film was shot. In fact, the opening sequences seem to borrow imagery and from the Carter discovery, not to mention alleged curses.
While the presence of "Snowshoes" in "Charlie Chan in Egypt," it seems that by the last moments of the film the door was being left open for his return, as he mentions that he will follow Mr. Chan.
