Our film for this week's Chat and Film Viewing: "Charlie Chan's Secret"
FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Best place for skeleton is in family closet.”
Moving along on our CHARLIE CHAN FILM TOUR 2016, we will be watching and sharing Charlie Chan’s Secret,” starring Warner Oland. Charlie Chan flies off to San Francisco to help an old friend prove whether or not a family member has perished at sea. The point of his mission soon changes however, as the heir’s body appears during a séance!
Per our newly adopted custom, we will be sharing, before our featured presentation, a vintage Charlie Chan radio show: “The Murder of Deacon Jessop,” which can be found on the Internet at: http://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/crime/charlie-chan/charlie-chan-murder-of-deacon-jessup
OUR PRESENTATIONS:
1. “The Murder of Deacon Jessop” (circa 1930s; Runtime: 13:23)
2. “Charlie Chan's Secret” (1936; Runtime: 71 minutes)
SUMMARIES:
“The Murder of Deacon Jessop” - Inspector Chan has gone on to a small disreputable hotel in response to a frantic telephone call from a man known to the Honolulu underworld as Deacon Jessup but he arrives too late for when he gets there he finds that Jessup has been murdered
“Charlie Chan’s Secret” - An ocean liner sinks near Hawaii and Allen Colby, heir to the family fortune, is presumed dead. However, as his is the only body unaccounted for, Charlie Chan, who is seeking proof of Colby's demise, is not so sure. The detective, working for Henrietta Lowell, the sister of Allen's father flies to San Francisco to investigate further. The missing Colby appears at Colby House ahead of him, but is knifed by a hidden killer in the back before seeing anyone. Further events revolve around spiritualist Mrs. Lowell, her family of suspicious characters, and the spooky Colby House, where the body of Allen Colby dramatically turns up during a séance with Chan in attendance.
NEW TIME: We begin with arrivals and greetings at 7:30 EASTERN TIME. Then, we share our radio program which will be followed at exactly 8:15 when we roll our featured movie: “Charlie Chan’s Secret.”
LOCATION: Our Charlie Chan Family Chat Room, which is accessed at http://www.charliechan.info/id17.html.
IF YOU LACK A COPY OF OUR FILM: Often our features can be found available online. Happily, tonight’s feature IS presently available online at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z20iZTm4zws
OF NOTE: The working title of this film was “Charlie Chan in San Francisco.” In ‘Hollywood Reporter’ production charts, George Schneiderman is listed as photographer and Charles McNaughton as a cast member, but their participation in the final film has not been verified.
PLEASE have a wonderful Monday, and let’s plan to meet together once again at our Chat Room as we share our featured film: “Charlie Chan’s Secret,” shall we?
