“Lending sympathetic ear to lady in distress is pleasure, not trouble.” (Charlie Chan – “Shadows Over Chinatown”

Greetings! I hope that everyone had the opportunity to watch the Sunday night showing of “Dark Alibi” and “Dangerous Money” on TCM! Robert Osborne did his usual great job of hosting the evening. However, he made one mistake in his commentary (actually a pair!). Can you tell us what that was tomorrow evening at our Chat and Film Viewing? Speaking of which, our featured movie will be “Shadows Over Chinatown.”

Quick Synopsis: Charlie Chan, Number Two Son, Jimmy, and assistant Birmingham Brown are all on a bus heading south to San Francisco to investigate a murder case involving an unidentified armless, legless, headless torso. Chan learns that an elderly woman, Mrs. Conover, is traveling to San Francisco to search for her missing granddaughter, Mary. He tells the concerned woman that he will do what he can to help her find her missing loved one.

The Facts:
Monogram Pictures Corporation
Distributed: Monogram Pictures Corporation, July 27, 1946
Copyright: Monogram Pictures Corporation, July 5, 1946; LP420
Sound: Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording
Film: Black and white
Running Time: 64 minutes
Source: Based on the character created by Earl Derr Biggers

Producer: James S. Burkett
Director: Terry Morse
Assistant Director: William Callahan, Jr.
Original Screenplay: Raymond Scrock
Photography: William Sickner
Technical Director: Dave Milton
Supervising Film Editor: Richard Currier
Editor: Ralph Dixon
Musical Director: Edward J. Kay
Technical Director: Dave Asilton
Recording: Tom Lambert
Makeup: Harry Ross
Production Manager: Glenn Cook

CAST:

Sidney Toler: Charlie Chan
Mantan Moreland: Birmingham Brown
Victor Sen Young: Jimmy Chan
Tanis Chandler: Mary Conover (alias Mary McCoy)
John Gallaudet: Jeff Hay (alias for Craig Winfield)
Paul Bryar: Mike Rogan
Bruce Kellogg: [Corporal] Jack Tilford (alias Joe Thomas; Corporal Joe Thompson)
Alan Bridge: Captain Allen
Mary Gordon: Mrs. Conover
Dorothy Granger: Joan Mercer
Jack Norton: Cosgrove
George Eldredge: Lannigan
Tyra Vaughn: Miss Chalmers
Lyle Latell: Police Clerk
Myra McKinney: Kate Johnson
Harry Depp: Dr. Denby
Gladys Blake: Myrtle
Jack Mower: Hobart (not credited)
Jack Hamilton: Pronnet (not credited)
Charlie Jordan: Jenkins (not credited)
Louise Franklin: Maid (not credited)
Frank Mayo: Police Lieutenant (not credited)
Kit Carson: Hotel Clerk (not credited)
Doris Fulton: Angie (not credited)
Jimmy Dugan: Police driver (not credited)
James B. Leong: Chinese Curio Shop Owner (not credited)
George Chan (not credited)

Notes: This film's working titles were “Corpus Delecti” and “The Mandarin's Secret.” “Shadows Over Chinatown” featured the return of Sen Yung (Victor Sen Young) as Charlie Chan's Number Two Son, whose previous appearance had been in “Castle in the Desert” (1942).

Where: Our Charlie Chan family Chat Room, located at charliechan.info.

When: Monday evening, September 21, 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: (Sorry, no copy could be found online…)

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, time allowing, this will be finished "soon."

As always: take care, have a happy, safe Monday, and let’s gather for yet another Chan-filled night of a fine movie, sharing…and LOTS of FUN!

Sincerely,
Rush Glick