Our LABOR DAY Chat anf Film Viewing: "The Red Dragon"
“Assistants should be seen, not heard.” (Charlie Chan – “The Red Dragon”
Greetings, and HAPPY LABOR DAY! Our film for this week’s Monday Evening Chat and Film Viewing will be: “The Red Dragon” as we move along on our trip through the entire Charlie Chan film series.
Quick Synopsis: Charlie Chan is sent by the government to investigate several murders connected with a bank where a vital store of radium is kept. A number of employees of the bank have been killed by an injection of cobra venom. Chan remembers a similar case back in Shanghai in 1937, but the suspect in those murders, his face disfigured in an explosion, escaped. Number Tree Son, Tommy, and assistant Birmingham Brown help the detective as the trio places themselves in mortal danger as they track down the illusive "Cobra Killer."
The Facts:
Monogram Pictures Corporation
Distributed: Monogram Pictures Corporation, February 2, 1946
Production: Early to late September 1945
Copyright: Monogram Pictures Corporation, December 22, 1945; LP74
Opened: New York, N.Y., December 27, 1945
Sound: Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording
Film: Black and white
Running Time: 64 minutes
Production Code Administration Certificate Number: 11289
Source: Based on the character created by Earl Derr Biggers
Song: "My Heart Is Yours" (composer undetermined)
Producer: James S. Burkett
Director: Phil Rosen
Assistant Director: Eddie Davis
Original Screenplay: George Callahan
Director of Photography: Vincent Farrar
Special Effects: Robert Clark
Technical Director: Dave Milton
Editor: Ace Herman
Musical Director: Edward J. Kay
Sound Recording: Tom Lambert
Production Manager: Glenn Cook
CAST:
Sidney Toler: Charlie Chan
Fortunio Bonanova: [Inspector] Luis Carvero
Benson Fong: Tommy Chan
Robert E. Keane: Alfred Wyans
Willie Best: Chattanooga Brown
Carol Hughes: Marguerite Fontan
Marjorie Hoshelle: Countess Irena [Countess Irena Massack]
Barton Yarborough: Joseph Bradish
George Meeker: Edmund Slade
Don Costello: Charles Massack
Charles Trowbridge: Prentiss
Mildred Boyd: Josephine
Jean Wong: Iris Ling
Donald Dexter Taylor: Walter Dorn
Lucio Villegas: Chemist (not credited)
Toni Raimondo: Woman in Powder Room
Richard Lopez: Bellboy
Augie Gomez: Cab Driver
Notes: The film's working title was Charlie Chan in Mexico. The title card reads, “Charlie Chan in ‘The Red Dragon’".
Where: Our Charlie Chan family Chat Room, located at charliechan.info.
When: Monday evening, September 6, beginning at 5:00 Eastern time.
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.
To find a copy of our film online: Go to Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/CharlieChanRedDragon1945
Results for our AUGUST POLL: Would you like next year's 2016 Charlie Chan Film Tour to continue in its present chronological format or change to a random format?
Chronological 70%
Random 30%
THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CHARLIE CHAN: If you don’t yet have a set of these 39 wonderful half-hour crime dramas starring J. Carrol Naish and James Hong, please consider obtaining one. “The New Adventures of Charlie Chan” was produced in 1957 and takes place in many exotic locales around the world, mainly Europe. Many of the episodes were actually shot on location, offering us a glimpse of parts of the world as they were nearly 60 years ago, and we can also see how some places are much the same to this day. All this and 39 worthy mysteries as well! On occasion, we will be focusing on some of these adventures during our Monday Evening Chats, and “The New Adventures of Charlie Chan” can be found for sale throughout the Internet. Please take some time ad take a look at our information on “The New Adventures of Charlie Chan” at our Charlie Chan Family Home. I have nearly completed the task of documenting each of the stories, and, hopefully, that may be completed by summer’s end!
Take care, have a happy, safe, and restful Labor Day Monday, and let’s gather for yet another Chan-filled night of a fine movie, sharing, and FUN!
