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Charlie Chan lost episodes

First of all, Rush I enjoy your comentaries on "The Charlie Chan Collection" Vol.s 1-3.
I have a couple questions for all of you on this forum.
If memory serves, I understand there were 4 lost Chan films, distroyed in a fire.
My question is, Could Fox remake these lost Chan's, using the original scripts, keeping the 1930's and 40's setting, and filmed in black & white?
My other question is, If so, Who could Fox get for the lead role as Charlie Chan?

Re: Charlie Chan lost episodes

Could Fox do this? Yes. Will they? Probably not; it wouldn't be good box office.

My personal preference would be for A&E, PBS, or some similar outfit to commission a series of telefilms based on the original novels. The actor playing Chan would almost assuredly be an unknown as the most well known Asian actors are not right for the role. Chow Yun-Fat is perhaps the most well known Asian actor today but he's too young, too tall, and too slender for the part.

Re: Re: Charlie Chan lost episodes

It would not be good box office, but it could be good BOX SET.

It could perhpas be profitable (at least in the long run) for Fox to recreate those four Oland pictures in some fashion and release them in their own box set as direct-to-dvd movies. I know nothing about filmmaking, but they may be cheaper to recreate than some modern direct-to-dvd films that turn a profit.

The scripts already exist. The films would be somewhat more static than modern movies since the originals were in the early talkie era. The running times are shorter. Films of that era also had much smaller budgets and in many scenes resemble filmed theatrical plays, though not entirely of course. Liberal use could be made of period stock footage and this would actually be both effective and cheap.

The success of these recreations would depend almost entirely on two factors, it seems to me:

1. The actor who plays Chan -- The actor must resemble Oland to a certain extent, must actually be able to act fairly well, and would IDEALLY be Asian to avoid the age-old complaint about the series. The casting of other roles would be less of an issue. Almost no one would have the faces of the actors who played the other characters in mind when watching this, but we are supposed to think of Oland's Chan in these films. We need an actor who can at least bring out the spirit of Oland's Chan in the films.

2. Period feel -- The four recreated films should actually resemble early talkies. I wonder if that would be expensive or inexpensive to achieve. A recreation of 'Charlie Chan Carries On' could be filmed almost as an English-language version of 'Eran Trece'. The same stock footage should be used. The sets should be at least roughly similar. In fact, maybe even some additional footage from 'Eran Trece' could be employed directly here and there. The other films should employ photographic evidence from the films as a guide. Period stock footage might also be used to great effect. The microphones should not have the full dynamic range of modern studio mics, etc. etc. 'Black Camel' would be a valuable existing visual and audio reference as another guide. The recreations should ideally not clash too sharply with this film. If the recreations were shot in color on videotape, they would not be nearly as effective. 'Young Frankenstein' is a good example of a modern film that splendidly recreated the atmosphere of a period film by using historical lighting and cameras. I wonder if this would drive the costs up sky high or make it perhaps cheaper in some respects. Perhaps period film equipment could be rented or loaned out cheaply.

I also wonder if such a project is of some historical benefit and might be accomplished through the assistance of some sort of grant. The tricky though would then be to release the films commercially on DVD and make a profit.

Re: Charlie Chan lost films

Hi Douglas,

First, thanks for your posts on the Chinese Chan films...fascinating stuff.

Regarding your proposal, that would be ideal, but probably not practical. Setting a film in a long bygone era will be very expensive because of the need to find and utilize period cars, clothing, background sets, etc. By the time cast and crew are hired you're probably talking about an investment in the multi-millions to produce 4 direct to video films. Sales figures would have to be astronomical for Fox to recoup this back much less make a profit.

The "filmed stage play" applies more to the very early talkies. The 4 missing Chans apparently had good production values. Evidence of this is presented via watching BLACK CAMEL which even went on location to shoot.

Chans were "A" pictures at the beginning and not done on the cheap. They gradually went to "B" status but still maintained the high gloss that Fox afforded their productions.

The method John Cork used (audio accompanied by stills from the actual production) seems to be to be the most practical and cost effective way of recreating the lost films.

Re: Re: Charlie Chan lost films

You can tell that I'm completely obsessed with those Charlie Chan films from China, can't you? I hope people won't mind that I have been posting extensively what I've found. I want to document it somehow, but I'm having trouble dealing with the Chinese characters on my computer directly. That text actually prints here, so I have done more than my fair share of stream-of-consciousness postings recently.

Well, the audio reconstruction with accompanying pictures is great also. Such reconstructions make fantastic DVD extras, of course. I would applaud that also.

The question was about actually refilming those movies. I agree that it would be impractical almost certainly. I don't see it happening.

However, just as a hypothetical exercise, if it were somehow to happen as some sort of direct-to-DVD venture, the issues of somehow recreating Chan himself and recreating the period (to whatever level of success that could be achieved) would be the key.

However, it would take some very special circumstance for it to actually be done. Perhaps some special funding for a film school project to study early sound film-making techniques or something.