This is how I acquired all the Charlie Chan films on DVD.
First, I purchased the five volumes of Chan films from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Vol. Five still has the price tag on it: $29.99 from Costco.
Next, I purchased the first six Monogram Chans released by MGM Home Video. Each title sells for $9.39 at www.deepdiscount.com.
Both Fox and MGM did a professional job in restoring their Chan films. They look and sound great. On the Fox DVDs, you get extra documentaries, which I found interesting.
I purchased the remaining Monogram titles from a company called The Vintage Theatre. Before I made my purchase, I spoke with a sales representative. I asked him if he would break up a complete set of 41 titles and sell me the last 12 titles only. He was kind enough to do that. The Vintage Theatre.com sold me discs 11 - 14.
Please be aware that these titles have not been restored. Because these films are in public domain, the DVDs are not of the best quality. One or two titles are barely watchable.
From other sources, I purchased the two contemporary Charlie Chan films.
For my take on the modern Chan films, please see my posting in the Video Review section in the Study area of this website. I hope this information is helpful.
There is a dramatic difference between the DVD's for sale from the studios and the third party copies which are sometimes barely watchable. Your best bet is to get the 5 volumes from fox and the 6 disc Chanthology from MGM then wait for Warner Bros to put out its set of Monogram Chans early next year(from the original nitrate negatives they say.)You may be able to get the entire 40 film series on commercial DVD by next year. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish. These third party copies are, for the most part, junk. Yes you may pay a little more for the studio produced versions but it's without a doubt a better investment.
