Our Memorial Day Chat/Film Viewing: "Charlie Chan in Panama"
FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Truth win more friendship than lies.”
As we commemorate Memorial Day, we continue together along the meandering path which is our CHARLIE CHAN FILM TOUR 2016 as we visit the Panama Canal Zone with Charlie Chan and Number Two son, Jimmy, as they seek to stop an international plot to destroy the Panama Canal as the U.S. Navy passes through! “Charlie Chan in Panama” thrusts us into the world condition as it was in 1940: war has already ignited in Europe, and there are distinct rumblings over the western horizon across the Pacific…
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 Case of the Talking Doll” which can be found on the Internet at this address: http://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/crime/charlie-chan/charlie-chan-case-of-the-talking-doll
OUR PRESENTATIONS:
1. “The Case of the Talking Doll” (Australian production, Circa 1950; Runtime: 24:56)
2. “Charlie Chan in Panama” (1940; Runtime: 69 minutes)
SUMMARIES:
“The Case of the Talking Doll” – In San Francisco, two crooks rig a trap for Charlie Chan: a deadly chemical bomb that has been placed within a harmless looking doll.
“Charlie Chan in City in Panama” – Charlie Chan, working with the U.S. government, poses as a maker of Panama hats. Amidst a backdrop of suspicion, espionage, and murder, Chan seeks to thwart a plot which would destroy part of the Panama Canal, thus trapping the Navy fleet on its way to the Pacific.
NOTES: “Charlie Chan in Panama” provides a glimpse at the stresses experienced by the United States in the stages that led to the eventual entry of our nation into World War II. At this point, the United States was "neutral" in the war which had already begun in both Europe and in the Far East. We note the hints throughout the movie as to the identities of the hostile nations, although no definite references are provided in the interest of appearing neutral. Film footage showing U.S. Navy warships including the USS ‘Arizona’ and the USS ‘Lexington’ passing through the Panama Canal, appears in this picture.
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 Panama.”
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, this week's feature IS presently available online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QjeFYd_Jc4
PLEASE have an enjoyable, safe, and meaningful Memorial Day Monday, and let’s gather together once again at our Chat Room for yet another evening of fun and discussion as we share this week’s feature film, “Charlie Chan in Panama.”
