Re: Our Monday Evening Chat/Film Viewing: "Charlie Chan in the Secret Service"
Hello Rush,
Thank you for providing us with an introduction to the "new" Charlie Chan at Monogram Pictures. I agree with you. These low-budget films are worth viewing because they take the adventures of Charlie Chan in a different direction.
It's great to see the familiar cast of characters: Sidney Toler and Victor Sen Yung. They're still in character, but they have changed a bit. The country had changed a bit too.
When the Monogram Chans began, we, the USA, were deep into World War II. The world was changing, and so was Charlie Chan. The fresh-faced youth of America was going off to war. The average "Joes" and "Janes" on the home-front were sacrificing household items for the war effort.
The Monogram films have a different feel to them from the 20th Century-Fox films. The movies had changed from the beautiful, elegant, exotic travels of the Oland Chans to a "Naked City" type of inner-city crime scene.
The Monogram Chans are almost film noir, but not quite. When we get into the Roland Winter period, one can sense a darker Chan mystery. The playfulness is gone. The plots are serious.
Thank you for sharing the wonderful photograph of Sidney Toler. This is a fine portrait of a great character actor.
Speaking of Virginia's beverage cart . . . I have posted my grandmother's recipe for turkey dressing.
Yes, I know I'm about two and a half months early but tonight's movie IS Secret Service . . . in Washington, D.C. . . .too often the land of stuffed turkeys!
But not to worry! I have also posted a simple recipe for cinnamon rolls!
And don't forget that all recipes are archived at http://tommenterprises.tripod.com/id131.com by title and ready to be pulled up and printed out!
