FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Ancient ancestor once say, ‘As mind is fed with silent thought, so should body absorb its food.’"

Moving along on our CHARLIE CHAN FILM TOUR 2016 we now move into the Sidney Toler era of the Charlie Chan film series as we watch and share “Charlie Chan in Honolulu.” In this picture we meet the Chan family at dinner and, we are introduced to Number Two Son, Jimmy, and we also see Tommy Chan, played by Layne Tom, Jr. In this adventure Chan is called on to solve a murder that has taken place aboard a passenger-freighter just prior to arrival in Honolulu. Aspiring detective, Jimmy, jumps in even before his famous pop learns of the crime! To add to the mix, Tommy gets involved, and the Chans’ first grandchild is on the way!

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 36) which can be found on the Internet at this address: http://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/crime/charlie-chan/charlie-chan-36-landini

OUR PRESENTATIONS:
1. “The Landini Murder Case” (Episode 36; 1936; Runtime: 14:56)
2. “Charlie Chan in Honolulu” (1938; Runtime: 68 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.

“Charlie Chan in Honolulu” – A murder is committed on the passenger freighter Susan B Jennings, as it reaches Honolulu. After a circuitous route to the docked ship, Charlie Chan learns that the murdered man's identity is a mystery and that secretary Judy Hayes is the only eyewitness to the fatal shooting. The rest of the freighters' passengers include animal keeper Al Hogan, Mrs. Carol Wayne, psychiatrist Dr. Cardigan, criminal Johnny McCoy, and police detective Joe Arnold, who is taking McCoy back to the U.S. from Shanghai. Another person is murdered and $300,000 has gone missing.

NOTES: This film was the first in which Sidney Toler appeared as Charlie Chan. According to a Hollywood Reporter news item, associate producer John Stone had chosen Toler to be the successor to Warner Oland, who had played Chan from 1931 until his death in 1938, after seeing him play a Chinese character in the Paramount film King of Chinatown. Toler was the thirty-fifth actor tested for the role, with Hollywood Reporter noting that others considered for the role included Leo Carillo and Cy Kendal, who had played Chan on the radio. Toler continued to play Chan until his death in 1947. This was also the first film in which Sen Yung played Jimmy Chan. Yung had replaced Keye Luke, who had portrayed Lee Chan in earlier entries in the series. Luke left the series after Oland's death, when he and Twentieth Century-Fox disagreed on his new contract. According to ‘Hollywood Reporter’ news items, the search for Luke's replacement was "frantic," and led to casting director James Ryan seeking applicants among the Los Angeles university students and Chinatown residents. The ‘New York Times’ had speculated that “Charlie Chan in Honolulu” would cost $300,000 to produce, and that Toler would receive $15,000 per Chan film. Many reviewers applauded Toler's and Yung's performances and noted that followers of the series would be satisfied with the new actors. The ‘Motion Picture Herald’ review remarked on the novelty of a Chan film being previewed at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and stated that the December 16, 1938 showing was very well received by the "top ranking executives, the most sought after reviewers and commentators and invited guests" who attended. According to a ‘Hollywood Reporter’ news item, Richard Lane was originally signed to play the "romantic lead" opposite Phyllis Brooks. A tribute to Warner Oland appears in the film Mr. Moto's Last Warning, starring Peter Lorre. During that picture's production in August 1938, cast and crew learned of Oland's passing in his native Sweden while on the final leg of a tour of Europe. Oland was set to resume his role as Charlie Chan upon his return in a film that was to have been “Charlie Chan in Honolulu.” In one scene during a quick passing shot over the title "Charlie Chan in Honolulu," starring Warner Oland, on the bill of the Sultana Theatre of Variety, they placed the banner "Last Day."

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 in Honolulu.”

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=y8okV9a0clY

PLEASE enjoy your 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, “Charlie Chan in Honolulu,” and see Sidney Toler in his first outing as Charlie Chan!

Sincerely,
Rush Glick