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The Charlie Chan Family Message Board

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The Charlie Chan Family Message Board
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Re: Question For Rush And SteveO

Hi Sam,

I'm curious how SKY DRAGON went over with your crowd. It's not necessarily considered the best Chan although it does have Lois Lane :)

A clue to the answer to your question was perhaps found very recently. Within the past several weeks Warner contacted a very popular and influential DVD site and asked the owners to run a poll on the Bowery Boys series, also produced by Monogram. Warners has been trying for at least 3 years to put together a first class collection of BB titles but was lacking good prints of certain titles.

The essence of the poll was to see how consumers wanted these released. Perhaps as a "best of" collection with titles with bad prints not being represented. Another alternative was to wait even longer while Warners tried to find private collectors with better material so that the films could be released chronologically in their entirety. A number of individuals, myself included, expressed the view that a chronological release would be best but if certain titles presented problems, just skip over them and release them later when better prints were found.

Although the above deals with the Bowery Boys I think a very similar scenario exists with Charlie Chan. Warners has had Chan on the radar since at least 2004 or 2005 and it's somewhat clear that they've cooled a bit on the idea because of the print issues. It has probably reached the point where it just isn't cost justified to keep looking.

The problem with appealing to the private collector market for 35mm prints is that some, not all, 35mm prints in the hands of individuals were obtained illegally and even the honest collector may be hesitant to offer his print due to the fear of the studio using legal action to get the print back. As you probably know 35mm is much higher quality than the 16mm prints most collectors have. The grey market DVDs you have were probably from well worn 16mm prints.

So bottom line...it is my speculation that Warners has probably already searched fairly extensively for the needed Monogram Chan and if they haven't found them it will take a very generous private collector to make a complete release happen.

Steve

Re: Re: Question For Rush And SteveO

So does this mean that they're gonna give up on releasing the later Chans? That would kinda suck, quite frankly. I am a completist and admit I would have to go to the gray market if the need arose, but it would be nice to see these films.

Re: Question For Rush And SteveO

Dear Sam,

I am pleased to hear that your Charlie Chan showings continue, and, as Steve emntioned, I would also be interested in the crowd reaction for "The Sky Dragon."

As to the current status and possibilities for a Warner Brothers Chan rlease, I believe that Steve, being the expert in that field, has said what can be said at this point. Hopefully, Warner will see fit to at least release what they have available currently, and, hopefully, one day, the insufficient others can be offered at some later time.

Keep 'em rolling, Sam...

Sincerely,
Rush

Re: Re: Question For Rush And SteveO

So does this mean CC volume 3 will be the last DVD release we will see for a while? Tony

Re: Re: Re: Question For Rush And SteveO

I would think that they will continue with the Foxes that Sidney Toler made with Victor Sen Young.

Virginia

Re:Question For Rush And SteveO

Hi Tony,

Not at all. Fox has already announced intentions to release Vol 4 which would start the Tolers. No release date set yet but it will be sooner rather than later. The presumption is that Vol 5 and 6 would follow.

The Monograms are owned by Warner, another company.

Steve

Re: Re:Question For Rush And SteveO

Great! Thank you so much..

Re: Re: Re:Question For Rush And SteveO

Well they seemed to like The Sky dragon. There is one resident who claims that his father took him to see these Monogram Classics at a actual movie theater in San Francisco back in the late 1940's. He also claims that these Monogram Chans were shown on television long before Fox released theres on TV. He claims to have seen The Sky Dragon on TV as early as 1952. Is this possible? Does anyone have records of when the Charlie Chan films were first shown on TV? Is it true that the Monogram Chans were released on TV long before the Fox Chans or is this residents memory a little off?

Re: Re: Re: Re:Question For Rush And SteveO

Dear Sam,

It is very possible that "The Sky Dragon" was shown on TV as early as 1952. The showing of this and other Charlie Chan films, as well as other productions, would have helped Monogram financially at that time. Yes, I believe that the resident who told you that they saw that film on television in the early '50s is probably not mistaken. One way that we could research the early showings of Charlie Chan on television would be to look through microfilm copies of old newspapre television listings.

One clue to the early showing of Charlie Chan on television comes from an episode of "The Honeymooners," in which Ralph Cramden and Ed Norton watch a Charlie Chan movie on the "Late, Late Show" on a TV that they are "sharing." I cannot recall the title that was mentioned, but it was an "imaginary" movie whose title was reminiscent of a Monogram picture! Also, further checking (at this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Living_Through_TV) reveals that a TV showing of a Charlie Chan movie was referred to in a first season (1955) "Honeymooners" episode, which indicates to me that audiences would have been very familiar with Chan being shown on television by that time.

It would, perhaps, be interesting to quiz your audiences as to their recollections of when and where they saw Charlie Chan films.

Sincerely,
Rush