Greetings! We now move into the second half of April as we join Charlie Chan and Number One Son, Lee, for our Monday Evening Chat and Film Viewing for the April 15th as we feature Warner Oland and Keye Luke in “Charlie Chan on Broadway.” On their way back home following the Olympics in Berlin, Germany and a subsequent tour of some of the Continent, a mystery with the potential of shaking the very foundations of the city government of New York City falls at the feet of Mr. Chan as Lee is implicated in a murder!

NOTES: “Charlie Chan on Broadway contains MANY idioms and period slang as well as some other terms and references. In fact this film offers a WEALTH of “same”! Here, from the “Charlie Chan on Broadway” section of our Charlie Chan Family home is that laundry list:

aloha - (Hawaiian) An acknowledgment that can be used to say hello or goodbye. Other meanings include love, compassion, and a profound spirit of welcome.
Charlie Chan: "...where roar of surf replace noise of subway, and hot rhythm of Broadway cooled by strains of 'Aloha.'"

angle - (Slang) A devious method; a scheme.
Reporter: "Yeah, what's the new angle?"

bigwigs - (Slang) Very important persons.
Inspector Nelson: "The bigwigs expect you to tear a duck apart with them tonight."

burn - To execute by electrocution.
Johnny Burke: "They'll never burn me for that."

camera hounds - (As used) Amateur camera enthusiasts.
Inspector Nelson:"Those ain't reporters, they're worse - camera hounds."

Chicago fire - A disasterous fire that broke out on October 8, 1871, destroying much of the city of Chicago.
Murdock: "It'll make it hotter than the Chicago fire."

clean bill - (As used) No evidence found to indicate guilt.
Reporter: "Did you give Burke a clean bill?"

crossed up - (Slang) To have ruined or confused.
Speed Patten: "Yeah, but you crossed me up."

D.A. - District Attorney.
Speed Patten: "...but does the D.A. know it?"

dame - (Slang) A woman.
Inspector Nelson: "...a year ago, that little dame was so hot she had to skip the country."

diphenylamine - A colorless crystalline compound used as a stabilizer for plastics and in the manufacture of dyes, explosives, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals.
Police Chemist: "A solution of diphenylamine and sulfuric acid which reacts instantly to nitrates."

do the town - (Slang) To experience a city's nightlife.
Billie Bronson: "Well, you look like you're all dressed up to do the town tonight."

ducky - (Slang) Fine; excellent.
Inspector Nelson: "Well that's just ducky!"

Father Knickerbocker - Father Knickerbocker became a symbol for New York City in the early 1800s following the publication of Washington Irving's satirical "History of New York," which Irving attributed to "Diedrich Knickerbocker." A round, 17th century Dutch character, Father Knickerbocker reminded New Yorkers of their Colonial past. Wearing knickers, buckled shoes, and a white beard, Father Knickerbocker has been illustrated and depicted in many ways, often symbolizing changes in the city's politics. The image of Father Knickerbocker, a reminder of old New York, was prevalent until the 1950s when the modern city had securely taken hold. The name survives today, in abbreviated form, in the name of the New York Knicks basketball team.
Charlie Chan: "Most happy to have placed new broom in hands of Father Knickerbocker."

finger - (Slang) (1) To inform on. (2) To designate, especially as an intended victim.
Speed Patten: "It puts the finger right on Burke."

fishing - (As used) Looking for clues or answers.
Johnny Burke: "...he's just fishin'."

fresh - Bold and saucy; impudent.
Inspector Nelson: "I knew there was something fresh around here, I thought it was the ocean air."

Grant's Tomb - Officially designated as the General Grant National Memorial, Grant's Tomb stands as a tribute to Ulysses S. Grant, the principal author of Union victory during the Civil War and 18th president of the United States. Located in Riverside Park in Manhattan, this granite and marble monument is the final resting place of President Grant and his wife, Julia Dent Grant. It is also the second largest mausoleum in the Western Hemisphere.
Billie Bronson: "I want to see Grant's Tomb."

heat - (Slang) (1) An intensification of police activity in pursuing criminals. (2) The police. (Used with the.)
Johnny Burke: "We'll lay low 'til the heat's off."

honey - (Informal) Something remarably fine.
Joan Wendell: "...it's a honey."

hot - (Slang) Wanted by the police.
Billie Bronson: "I'm not hot anymore, and you know it!"

Hottentot - (1) A Khoikhoin. (2) Any of the Khoisan languages spoken by the pastoral people of Namibia and South Africa.
Billie Bronson: "The Hottentot Club."

hush money - (Slang) A bribe paid to keep something secret.
Joan Wendell: "We'll blow some of this hush money..."

in a jam - (Slang) In a difficult, threatening, or embarrassing position; also, unable to solve a dilemma.
Johnny Burke: "Yeah, yeah, I'm in a jam."

job - (Informal) A criminal act, especially a robbery.
Buzz Moran: "Everybody but the cops knows he pulled the job."

joint - (Slang) (1) A cheap or disreputable gathering place.
(2) A building or dwelling.
Joan Wendell: "Hey, what's the idea? I can't get out of this joint?"

kowtow - (From Chinese) (1) To kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in expression of deep respect, worship, or submission, as formerly done in China. (2) To show servile deference.
Billie Bronson's supposed diary text, as read by Inspector Nelson: "It was sure funny to see everybody kowtow to Johnny and Buzz."

lay low - (Slang) Keep oneself or one's plans hidden; bide one's time to act.
Johnny Burke: "We'll lay low 'til the heat's off."

lowdown - (Slang) The whole truth.
Speed Patten: "I'm going to see her tonight and get the lowdown."

maharaja - (1) A king or prince in India ranking above a rajah, especially the sovereign of one of the former native states. (2) Used as a title for such a king or prince.
Speed Patton: "I got a swell human interest yarn on the Maharaja of Radfa today."

mouse - (Slang) A discolored swelling under the eye caused by a blow; a black eye.
Inspector Nelson: "Holy mackeral! Look! Another mouse!"

nifty - (Slang) First-rate; great.
Speed Patten: "Looks like Burke pulled a nifty on you."

on ice - (Slang) Away from the public. (as used: In jail.)
Inspector Nelson: "And that's all I need to put that guy on ice."

on the lam - (Slang) Running away, especially from the police.
Inspector Nelson: "...a couple of minutes after Burke took it on the lam..."

on the level - (Slang) Without deception; honest.
Murdock: "How do I know it's on the level?"

on the spot - (Idiom) In a difficult situation.
Marie Collins: "They had Johnny on the spot..."

paraffin test - A chemical test that is used to indicate the presence of nitrates, which are found in gunpowder.
Charlie Chan: "Perhaps paraffin test better alibi, if negative."

payoff - (Informal) The climax of a narrative or sequence of events.
Speed Patten: "You mean it's the payoff?"

pinch - (Slang) To take into custody; arrest.
Detective: "This is a pinch."

pipe down - (Slang) To stop talking; quiet down.
Inspector Nelson: "Pipe down!"

rubbed out - (Slang) Killed, murdered.
Meeker: "I want to know the time Mitchell was rubbed out."

scoop - (Slang) An exclusive news story acquired by luck or initiative before a competitor.
Speed Patton: "Nice scoop, kid."

shyster - (Slang) An unethical, unscrupulous practitioner, especially of law.
Inspector Nelson: "Get out of here, Burke, and take that shyster with you!"

slumming - (Slang) to "go out on the town."
Joan Wendell: "No, just slumming."

sulphuric acid - A heavy, corrosive, oily liquid, colorless when pure, but usually yellowish or brownish, produced by the combined action of sulphur dioxide, oxygen (from the air), steam, and nitric fumes. It attacks and dissolves many metals and other intractable substances, sets free most acids from their salts, and is used in the manufacture of hydrochloric and nitric acids, of soda, of bleaching powders, etc. It is also powerful dehydrating agent, having a strong affinity for water, and eating and corroding paper, wood, clothing, etc. It is thus used in the manufacture of ether, of imitation parchment, and of nitroglycerin. It is also used in etching iron, in removing iron scale from forgings, in petroleum refining, etc., and in general its manufacture is the most important and fundamental of all the chemical industries.
Police Chemist: "A solution of diphenylamine and sulfuric acid which reacts instantly to nitrates."

yarn - (Informal) A long, often elaborate narrative of real or fictitious adventures; an entertaining tale.
Speed Patton: "I got a swell human interest yarn on the Maharaja of Radfa today."

For a complete list from all films, please visit our Charlie Chan Glossary at www.charliechan.info.


So, please join us in our Chat Room which is located at our Charlie Chan Family Home: www.charliechan.info, and use any of the “Chat Room” links to join us. We begin with arrivals and greetings at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and we roll our personal copies of our film exactly 15 minutes later (8:15).

Even if you cannot access a copy of the above-noted film, please do join us anyway, as you will NOT be left out of our ongoing chat and festivities. Also, as is our custom, newcomers are offered the seat of honor at our humble table. (Many of our films, such as this week’s entry, may be found available for viewing online through such outlets as YouTube, etc. CONTINUED GOOD NEWS! A check at YouTube reveals that “Charlie Chan on Broadway” IS available for viewing.)

Thank you so much, and let’s meet for yet another fun Monday evening as we gather to watch “Charlie Chan on Broadway.”

(PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to receive weekly email announcements regarding our Monday Evening Chats, as well as receive high-quality scanned movie still images (one per week) from our films of the week, please email us at: charliechanfamily@yahoo.com.)

Sincerely,
Rush Glick