Our Monday Evening Chat/Film Viewing: "Charlie Chan in Paris"
We have now arrived on the European continent as we follow Charlie Chan to the City of Light! Our film for this week’s Monday Evening Chat and Film Viewing is “Charlie Chan in Paris.” Arriving from London following the successful solution of the Stable Murder Case, Charlie Chan, working undercover for a London banking house investigating irregularities involving bank bonds, the detective soon finds himself to be a very unwelcomed visitor to Paris. Soon, the investigation broadens to one of murder!
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).
FILM NOTES: According to ‘Daily Variety’, Hamilton MacFadden, the original director, was relieved of his assignment after the film was in production one week. Dan Clark, who did not receive screen credit, was the original cameraman. This was the first film in which Keye Luke played the recurring role of Number One Son, Lee Chan. For those with a keen eye, if you watch very closely at the plane on which Charlie Chan arrives you will see “F-AFV1” painted over the letters "TWA" on fuselage. TWA, in 1934, stood for Transcontinental & Western Airlines, a Los Angeles-based airline that became known years later, under the ownership of multimillionaire Howard Hughes, as Trans World Airlines. Also, when Charlie Chan goes into a stereotypical “pidgin” sing-song Chinese accent following Max Corday’s off-taste joke, he is probably sounding much as he did in the “lost” film “Charlie Chan’s Courage” (the film directly preceding “London”) in which he worked undercover as Chinese cook and handyman, Ah Kim. Finally, we see a rendition of the Danse Apache (pronounced “Ah-pahsh”), a highly dramatic dance that was associated with the violent “Apache” (referring to the Native American tribe) street culture of Paris dating back to the turn of the twentieth century, and, is thought by some, to portray the interaction between a pimp and a prostitute!
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. HAPPY NEWS…this week’s film, “Charlie Chan in Paris,” IS available at YouTube! Here is the address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6cvj8aZ7Tc
NEXT WEEK (February 17) we will be sharing two of “The New Adventures of Charlie Chan” - “The Noble Art of Murder” and “The Hand of Hera Dass.”
“THE RETURN OF CHARLIE CHAN” ON DVD: If you are interested in purchasing a clear, clean copy of “The Return of Charlie Chan” (Universal – 1971) a made-for-TV movie starring Ross Martin as Charlie Chan, I can recommend a version which you will find at: http://www.ioffer.com/i/the-return-of-charlie-chan-ross-martin-dvd-504052734. It lists for $14.99 which includes postage/handling. However, you may make a lower offer!
A NEW CHARLIE CHAN BOOK: “The Charlie Chan Mystery Movie Guide” by Luke Freemen, who attended last week’s Chat, is available at a list price of $16.99 (and less via Amazon.com). Please read our description of this new Chan entry at our Entrance page at www.charliechan.info.
Please take care, have a pleasant Monday, and let’s all get together for another Chan-filled evening of fun and sharing as we watch “Charlie Chan in Paris.”
