Our Monday Evening Chat/Film Viewing: "Charlie Chan in Rio"
“Biggest mistakes in history made by people who didn’t think." (“Charlie Chan in Rio”)
Continuing our journey through the Charlie Chan film series, we have arrived at the sunny, tropical climes of the storied city of Rio de Janeiro as we join Charlie Chan and Number Two Son, Jimmy who have traveled there from Honolulu to bring back an accused murderer to face justice. What seemed to be a straightforward duty soon becomes a tangled web with further deaths and an ever-deepening mystery!
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: Although Ted North's character is called "Carlos Dantas" in the film's onscreen credits and in reviews, in the picture he is called "Clark Denton." According to ‘Hollywood Review’ news items, Virgil Miller was originally assigned as the photographer on this film, but was replaced by Joseph P. MacDonald, who was promoted after serving as an operative cameraman with Twentieth Century-Fox for eight years. An April 30, 1941 ‘Hollywood Reporter’ news item noted that Jeanne Kelly had been loaned by Universal to appear in the next Charlie Chan film, and, while it was presumably this picture, her participation has not been confirmed. “Charlie Chan in Rio” bears a “striking resemblance” to “The Black Camel,” directed ten years earlier by Hamilton MacFadden, who appears in the cast of “Rio.” It is perhaps of interest to note that MacFadden also appeared briefly in “The Black Camel,” and he also had a minor role in “Charlie Chan in Reno” (1939).
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, new comers 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 Rio,” IS available at YouTube at this address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brrgSthtdtE
NEXT WEEK (July 20) we will be sharing “Castle in the Desert.”
Have a happy and safe Monday, and let’s all get together for another Chan-filled evening of fun and sharing as we view “Charlie Chan in Rio,” shall we?
