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OUR CCF MONDAY EVENING CHAT AND FILM VIEWING FOR November 9: “Docks of New Orleans”

FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “He who takes whatever gods send with smile has learned life's hardest lesson.”

GREETINGS! We now move on to the city of New Orleans as we join Charlie Chan, Number Two Son, Tommy, and Birmingham Brown as they become involved in a case of a business partnership gone sour and…MURDER!

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 PRESENTATION: “Docks of New Orleans’ (PART !) (PART 2) (1947; 68 minutes) along with our “extra,” the SIXTH episode of “The Adventures of Smilin’ Jack” with Keye Luke…and Sidney Toler! (1943; 20 minutes).

FEATURE SUMMARY: Simon Lafontanne, head of a chemical company, goes to consult Charlie Chan who is staying in New Orleans along with his number two son, Tommy, and his chauffeur and assistant, Birmingham Brown. Lafontanne suspects that he has an enemy who is having him followed everywhere he goes. Chan agrees to investigate further just before Lafontanne is nearly kidnapped in front of the detective's residence. The next morning, a pair of Lafontanne's business partners pressure him to sign a clause that has been added to their business agreement whereby, in the event of the death of any of the principals, his share of the profits will go to the remaining partners. A short time later, Lafontanne is found dead in his office, apparently of a heart attack, but Charlie Chan believes otherwise.

FEATURE NOTES: The film's title card reads: “Charlie Chan in ‘Docks of New Orleans’.” Despite the title, the docks are seen only briefly during the credit titles, and, during the opening scene of the film, they are suggested as the ship Presidente is being loaded through a cargo door with chemicals from the Lafontanne Chemical Company. The working title for this movie was “Charlie Chan in New Orleans.”

CAST (as credited):

Roland Winters: Charlie Chan
Virginia Dale: Rene Blanchette
Mantan Moreland: Birmingham Brown
John Gallaudet: Captain Pete McNally
Victor Sen Young: Tommy Chan
Carol Forman: Nita Aguirre (alias Countess Allemand)
Douglas Fowley: Grock
Harry Hayden: Oscar Swendstrom
Howard Negley: Andre Pareaux (alias Mr. Fernand)
Stanley Andrews: Theodore Von Scherbe
Emmett Vogan: Henri Castanaro
Boyd Irwin: Simon Lafontanne
Rory Mallinson: Thompson
George J. Lewis: Sergeant Dansiger

UNCREDITED CAST (alphabetical):

Paul Conrad: Man from D.A.'s Office
Dian Fauntelle: Mrs. Swendstrom
Haywood Jones: Mobile Jones
Charlie Jordan: Fingerprint Expert
Forrest Matthews: Detective
Matthew McCue: Records Clerk
Fred Miller: Armed Guard
Cap Somers: Gangway Security Guard
Larry Steers: Doctor
Frank Stephens: Police Sergeant
Ferris Taylor: Dr. Dooble, Coroner
Jack Tornek: Sidewalk Passerby
Wally Walker: Chauffeur
Eric Wilton: Watkins

FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION ON OUR FEATURE: Please go to http://www.charliechan.info/id57.html

TRIVIA: Our film's plot was derived from Monogram's 1938 picture, “Mr. Wong, Detective.”

TERM OF THE WEEK: confab - (Informal) To engage in casual talk.

Pete McNally: "We ought to have a very interesting confab."

THIS WEEK’S IMAGE: Overcome by gang members who have taken over Charlie Chan's New Orleans apartment, Tommy Chan is carried to a closet for safe keeping.



For a viewing of more than 500 images from ALL films in the Charlie Chan series, please visit our Gallery: http://www.charliechan.info/id448.html

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. Happily, OUR FEATURE IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, but in TWO PARTS! (SOMETIMES there are occasional 5-second commercial intrusions. If so, after the 5 seconds, click on “Skip Ad”.)

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

OUR OCTOBER POLL RESULT:

QUESTION: Which is your favorite of Jimmy Chan's "case crush" girlfriends?

Choy Wong (Charlie Chan in Reno) 27%

Lili Wong (Charlie Chan in Rio) 53%

San Toy (The Trap) 20%

Please cast your vote in our NOVEMBER 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: Let’s compare this week’s film, “Docks of New Orleans” with the film that provided the plot, “Mr. Wong, Detective,” starring Boris Karloff, whose BIRTHDAY well will be celebrating!

AND… DON’T MISS THIS GREAT CHARLIE CHAN BLOG!: Continuing strongly in 2020, a great blog site, The Postman on Holiday, is 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, it can be found at this address: www.thepostmanonholiday.com.

SO, REMEMBER, PLEASE JOIN US for this week’s feature, “Docks of New Orleans.”

THANK YOU SO MUCH…

Sincerely,

Rush Glick