“Cannot tell where path lead until reach end of road.” (Charlie Chan - “Charlie Chan at the Circus”)

As we reach the conclusion our 2015 journey through the entire Charlie Chan series, we can look back to all the good times we shared as we viewed all of the available pictures from the Charlie Chan film series proper, as well as a goodly number of “extras” along the way! We can look forward to our next trip together as we enter the new year of 2016. But, to wrap up the present year, we will watch one more Charlie Chan movie…

Our final Monday Evening Chat and Film Viewing for this year will feature “The Return of Charlie Chan,” starring Ross Martin as Charlie Chan in a made-for-television movie in which a retired Detective Chan is coaxed back into service to solve one more mystery!

So, 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).

SUMMARY:
The patriarch of the ultra-wealthy Hadrachi family, Alex Hadrachi, shipping magnate and fifth-richest man in the world, is shot at aboard his luxury boat one evening as he is talking with Richard Lovell, one of his guests. Refusing to report the incident to the nearby Vancouver police, writer Andrew Kidder, a friend of Charlie Chan, suggests that Hadrachi call on the famous detective for assistance.

Charlie Chan is now retired to a large pineapple farm which is run by his now-grown children. He is now busy teaching his grandchildren how to observe and make deductions when Andrew Kidder arrives. The writer convinces Charlie Chan to take the case, and the Chan family decides to assign Number Eight Son Peter to accompany him as bodyguard, along with his daughter, Doreen.

NOTES:
“The Return of Charlie Chan” was produced in 1972 but was not aired until 1979. It was also titled “Happiness is a Warm Clue” reflecting the “Happiness is…” undercurrent of the time as can be noted in the title of the Beatles’ song from 1968, “Happiness is a Warm Gun.” Much of the film was shot in and around Vancouver, British Columbia. As a bit of trivia, Leslie Nielsen, known for his later comedic roles, appears in this picture as Alex Hadrachi, the wealthy shipping magnate whose life is in jeopardy.

THE FACTS:
Universal Pictures Corporation (Television)
Released: 1972
Aired on U.S. television: July 17, 1979
Copyright: Universal Pictures Corporation
Sound
Film: Color
Running Time: 91 minutes

Producer: Jack Laird
Director: Daryl Duke
Associate Director: Leslie H. Martinson
Art Director: Frank Arrigo
Writer: Gene R. Kearney
Story: Simon Last
Photographer: Richard C. Glouner
Film Editor: Frank Morris
Music: Robert Prince

CAST:
Ross Martin: Charlie Chan
Rocky Gunn: Peter Chan
Virginia Ann Lee: Doreen Chan
Leslie Nielsen: Alex Hadrachi
Richard Haydn: Andrew Kidder
Louise Sorel: Ariane Hadrashi
Joseph Hindy: Paul Hadrashi
Kathleen Widdoes: Irene Hadrashi
Don Gordon: Lambert
Peter Donat: Noel Adamson
Soon-Taik Oh: Stephen Chan
Ernest Harada: Oliver Chan
Pearl Hong: Jan Chan
Adele Yoshioka: Mai-Ling Chan
Otto Lowy: Anton Grombach
Pat Gage: Sylvia Grombach
William Nunn: Fielding
Ted Greenhalgh: Dr. Howard Jamison
Graeme Campbell: McKenzie
Neil Dainard: Richard Lowell
John Juliani: Gian Carlo Tui

EVEN IF you cannot access a copy of the above-noted films, 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.

UNFORTUNATELY…this week’s film, “The Return of Charlie Chan,” is NOT available online…

NEXT WEEK (Monday, January 4) we will be sharing “Behind That Curtain,” the earliest surviving adventure based on a Charlie Chan novel, with E.L. Park briefly appearing as Chan and Boris Karloff in a very early talking role.

So, let’s gather again for another evening of Charlie Chan as we close out the year!

Sincerely,
Rush Glick

Gaaaahh!! A fine time to have a power outage!!

I hope you all have a super fun New Year's Eve and I'm really looking forward to watching next week's movie with you all.

Take care and have a great week, everyone!!