Return to Website

The Charlie Chan Family Message Board

Welcome to our Message Board. Please feel free to post your thoughts, questions, or information.

The Charlie Chan Family Message Board
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
Our Monday Evening Chat Film: "Mr. Moto's Gamble"

FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Death is the reckoning of heaven.”

Moving along on our CHARLIE CHAN FILM TOUR 2016 we have reached the conclusion of the Warner Oland era of the Charlie Chan film series. Following “Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo,” filming had begun on the next Chan picture, “Charlie Chan at the Ringside.” After about two weeks of shooting, Mr. Oland suffered a breakdown and left the set. When his health had improved, the actor took a break and traveled throughout Europe, planning to visit his native Sweden before returning to Hollywood. Sadly, Warner Oland never made that trip, succumbing to bronchial pneumonia while at Stockholm.

Earlier, 20th Century-Fox took what had been shot already of “Charlie Chan at the Ringside,” and re-tooled that film into a Mr. Moto adventure, starring Peter Lorre with Keye Luke remaining as Charlie Chan’s Number One Son, Lee, who is, in the new film, taking a criminology class from the Japanese sleuth!
As is out new custom, arriving at 7:30 Eastern Time, we will be sharing, before our featured presentation, a vintage Charlie Chan radio show. This time it will be “The Landini Murder Case” (Episode 35) which can be found on the Internet at this address: http://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/crime/charlie-chan/charlie-chan-35-landini

OUR PRESENTATIONS:
1. “The Landini Murder Case” (Episode 35; 1936; Runtime: 14:58)
2. “Mr. Moto’s Gamble” (1938; Runtime: 72 minutes)

SUMMARIES:
“The Landini Murder Case” - Inspector Chan continues his investigation of the Landini murder with several interrogations. The bullet was fired from above, Ireland, the pilot comes under suspicion.
“Mr. Moto’s Gamble” – When the #1 heavyweight contender is mysteriously poisoned during a bout, Moto knows that identifying the gambler who placed large bets against him is the key to solving the murder. (From: IMDb)

NOTES: Begun as a Charlie Chan film ("Charlie Chan at the Ringside"), but upon difficulties between 20th Century-Fox and Chan star Warner Oland, the script was hastily rewritten to accommodate Fox's other Asian sleuth, Mr. Moto. The presence of Chan's son Lee is evidence of the grafting of one movie onto another series. Series producer Sol Wurtzel specifically ordered the writers to include Keye Luke's character in the revised screenplay. Though it has been reported that Oland's death was the cause for this change from Chan to Moto, it is not the case. This film was released theatrically on 3/25/38, and Oland did not die until August 6th of that same year. “Mr. Moto’s gamble” is the only non-Chan film to feature Keye Luke's 'Lee Chan' character, and the last at Fox. Luke would play Lee twice more, in Monogram's final two CHANS, The Feathered Serpent (1948) and The Sky Dragon (1949). (From: IMDb)

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: “Mr. Moto’s Gamble.”

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 (although in TWO PARTS) online at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvwht4_mr-moto-s-gamble-1938-peter-lorre-part-1_shortfilms (PART ONE) and http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvxeoc_mr-moto-s-gamble-1938-peter-lorre-part-2_shortfilms (PART TWO)

PLEASE have a happy and safe Monday, and let’s plan to gather together once again at our Chat Room for another evening of fun and discussion as we share this week’s feature film: “Mr. Moto’s Gamble”!

Sincerely,
Rush Glick