FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “So many fish in fish market, even flower smell same.”

GREETINGS, as we follow Charlie Chan and company who are hot on the trail of a hidden killer who terrorizes a radio and television center!

OUR CHAT ROOM: Our Chat Room can be accessed the same way that we accessed by going to our “Chat Room” link at charliechan.info, or use this direct link: http://www.charliechan.info/id17.html

THIS WEEK’S PRESENTATIONS: “The Scarlet Clue” (1945; 65 minutes) along with our “extra,” the SEVENTH episode of “Secret Agent X-9” with Keye Luke! (1945; 20 minutes).

FEATURE SUMMARY: Charlie Chan of the Secret Service is searching for the killer of an enemy agent. The trail leads to a radio and television broadcast center, where Number Three Son, Tommy and assistant Birmingham Brown accompany the detective as he winds his way through a host of suspects and hidden dangers.

FEATURE NOTES: The working title of this film was Robot Murder. The title card reads: “Charlie Chan in ‘The Scarlet Clue’.” ‘Hollywood Reporter’ production charts include Harry Bradley and William Gould in the cast, but their participation in the released film has not been confirmed. ‘Hollywood Reporter’ production charts also note that director of photography William Sickner was borrowed by Monogram from Universal to work on this film. The minor role of actor "Horace Carlos" is obviously based on film actor Boris Karloff, while the film's killer wears a mask modeled on actor Rondo Hatton. Modern sources add the following actors to the cast: Charles Jordan (Nelson) and Kernan Cripps (Detective).

TRIVIA: During the 1940s, Mantan Moreland teamed up with Ben Carter as his straight man, touring America in vaudeville and making personal appearances in the nation's movie theaters. Moreland and Carter performed comedy routines the former learned when he became Flournoy Miller's understudy in the 1930s, including the famous "indefinite talk" routine, in which they would speak to one another, start a sentence only to be interrupted by the other, yet they understand each other perfectly. They had developed an excellent rapport and impeccable timing. (Wikipedia)

As a BONUS this week, here is the text of one of the “indefinite talk” dialogues between Birmingham Brown and Ben carter as seen in “The Scarlet Clue”:

"Well...if it ain't, uhhh..."

Ben Carter: "Ben Carter's my name."

"Benjamin Carter, yeah! Boy, it's been a long time! I haven't seen you since-"

Ben Carter: "Longer than that!"

"Yeah?"

Ben Carter: "The last time I saw you, you was living-"

"Well, I moved from there."

Ben Carter: "Yeah?"

"Sure! Well, I moved over to-"

Ben Carter: "How can you live in that neighborhood?"

"I don't know."

Ben Carter: "Now, where I'm living, I only pay-"

"It ain't that cheap, is it?"

Ben Carter: "Sure it is."

"Hey, look here."

Ben Carter: "What?"

"Is you still married?"

Ben Carter: "No, I divorced her."

"Yeah? (Laughing) I know you got a lot of-"

Ben Carter: "No, you got me wrong, you got me wrong. I got married again."

"No kiddin'!"

Ben Carter: "I sure did."

"Yeah?"

Ben Carter: "Say, I'm not changing the subject-"

"Yeah"

Ben Carter: "Have you got any-"

"No, I don't smoke."

Ben Carter: "No?"

"Hey, look here; wasn't you in the-"

Ben Carter: "Yeah, but I got a honorable discharge."

"You did?"

Ben Carter: "Sure did."

"What was the matter?"

Ben Carter: "Well, I developed a kind of-"

"Well, that's a terrible pain!"

Ben Carter: "Yeah."

"Yeah, it starts right along-"

Ben Carter: "No, more in the back."

"Yeah?"

Ben Carter: "Mm-hm."

"What are you doin' for it?"

Ben Carter: "Well, I was takin' some-"

"Don't take 'em, man, they'll make you sleep!"

Ben Carter: "Yeah?"

"Sure! Now, what you should have taken-"

Ben Carter: "I did."

"You know, that's why I like to talk to you!"

Ben Carter: "Yeah?"

"Because me and you seem to agree with each other."

Ben Carter: "We certainly do!"

"Yeah!"

(Both laugh)

"I wonder..."

Ben Carter: "Oh, it's about, uh-"

"Is it that late?"

Ben Carter: "It sure is."

"Well, thank you."

Ben Carter: "I'll be seein' you."

"Au revoir."

Ben Carter: "Au revoir."

"Bon soir."

Ben Carter: "Hasta manana."

"Comment t'allez-vous!"

Tommy: "Who's your friend?"

"Uh, he didn't say."

Tommy: "Huh?"

"No, he didn't say." (Laughs)

TERM OF THE WEEK: battle-ax (or battle-axe) - (Slang) A woman held to be antagonistic or overbearing.

Willie Rand: "Oh-oh. the battle-ax."

THIS WEEK’S IMAGE: (Attached) Charlie Chan reveals a secret elevator death-trap control.


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 online. Fortunately, OUR FEATURE IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, so please use the link provided at our Chat Room.

CAST (as credited):

Sidney Toler: Charlie Chan
Mantan Moreland: Birmingham Brown
Ben Carter: Ben Carter
Benson Fong: Tommy Chan
Virginia Brissac: Mrs. Marsh
Robert E. Homans: Captain Flynn
Jack Norton: Willie Rand
Janet Shaw: Gloria Bayne
Helen Devereaux: Diane Hall
Victoria Faust: Hulda Swenson (alias Janet Carter)

UNCREDITED CAST (alphabetical):

Kernan Cripps: Detective
I. Stanford Jolley: Ralph Brett (alias Rolf Brott and Britt)
Charles Jordan: Nelson
Kenner G. Kemp: Police Radio Expert
Milt Kibbee: Herbert Sinclair
Reid Kilpatrick: Wilbur Chester
Frank Mayo: Hodge
Leonard Mudie: Horace Karlos
Tom Quinn: Chemist
Charles Sherlock: Sergeant McGraw
Emmett Vogan: Hamilton
Charles Wagenheim: Rausch
Crane Whitley: Cooper (alias Carper and Cauper)
FOR DETAILED INFORMATION on this week’s feature, please visit: http://www.charliechan.info/id52.html

OUR MONTHLY POLL: Please take a moment to cast your vote in our August 2020 POLL, found as you scroll down our Entrance Page (http://www.charliechan.info/index.html)!

OUR JULY POLL RESULT:

QUESTION: Which would you choose as the better "prison movie" in the Charlie Chan series?

Charlie Chan in London 59%

Dark Alibi 41%

Please cast your vote in our AUGUST Poll!

DO YOU HAVE A POLL QUESTION? Please feel free to suggest a Monthly Poll question! Send your ideas to: charliechanfamily@lyahoo.com.

OUR CCF CHAT ARCHIVE: Please take a look at our growing collection of CCF Chat Texts from previous years and this year: http://www.charliechan.info/id630.html

NEXT WEEK: Please join us on Monday, August 24 as we watch “The Shanghai Cobra” while we celebrate the birthday of Charlie Chan’s “Poppa,” Earl Derr Biggers!

AND… DON’T MISS THIS GREAT CHARLIE CHAN BLOG!: Continuing strongly in 2020, great blog site, The Postman on Holiday, offered by our own Charlie Chan and Earl Derr Biggers expert, Lou Armagno which is: "A place to explore all things surrounding Detective Charlie Chan, his creator Earl Derr Biggers, and their connection with Hawaii, Cleveland, and mystery fiction." Updated each month, the August issue can be found at this address: https://thepostmanonholiday.com/

SO, REMEMBER, PLEASE JOIN US for this week’s feature: “The Scarlet Clue.”

THANK YOU SO MUCH…

Sincerely,
Rush Glick