TONIGHT'S Monday Evening Chat/Film Viewing: "Charlie Chan in the Secret Service"
“Detective without curiosity is like glass eye at keyhole – no good." (Charlie Chan: “Charlie Chan in the Secret Service”)
Our year-long journey together has now left the 20th Century-Fox series of Charlie Chan films as we enter the Monogram Pictures phase with “Charlie Chan in the Secret Service.” Charlie Chan continues his wartime work for the U.S. government as he is now stationed in Washington, D.C. In this, the first Monogram adventure of the series, Chan is called on to seek out a notorious spy who is out to steal top secret information for Germany. As murder inevitably enters the scene, we are treated to a host of unusual suspects who inhabit the confines of a noted scientist! We are also introduced to Number Three Son, Tommy (Benson Fong) and Number Two Daughter, Iris (Marianne Quon). We also meet Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland) for the first time. He who would prove to be a mainstay of the Monogram Charlie Chan series, becoming something of an honorary family member.
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: This was the first Charlie Chan film that Sidney Toler made at Monogram Pictures after leaving Twentieth Century-Fox following the cancellation of the Charlie Chan film series at that studio. Toler, who had starred as Chan in many of the Fox films, bought the screen rights to the character from the widow of writer Earl Derr Biggers and continued to star as Chan for Monogram until his death in 1947, after which time Roland Winters assumed the role. This film also marked the beginning of Charlie Chan's work with the U.S. Secret Service for the remainder of the war. Mantan Moreland also made his debut as Birmingham Brown, a character who would become a mainstay of the series for the remainder of its run. Benson Fong appeared for the first time as Number Three Son Tommy, while his sister Iris, portrayed by Marianne Quon, made her sole series appearance in Charlie Chan in the Secret Service.
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 the Secret Service,” IS available at YouTube at this address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMYDGDREvhU
NEXT WEEK (August 3) we will be sharing “The Chinese Cat.”
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 the Secret Service,” shall we?
