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OUR CCF MONDAY EVENING CHAT AND FILM VIEWING FOR March 15: “Charlie Chan at the Race Track”

FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Rabbit run very fast, but sometime turtle win race.”

GREETINGS! Our adventure for this week begins at the Melbourne Cup race in Australia, passes through Honolulu where it is joined by Charlie Chan, and crosses over to the mainland where Chan and son, Lee, take on a ruthless gambling ring that is involved in fixing horse races 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: “Charlie Chan at the Race Track” (1936; 70 minutes); along with our “extra,” a Charlie Chan radio mystery, “The Landini Murder Case: Too Many Lies”. (15 minutes).

FEATURE INTRODUCTION: Following the suspicious disqualification of his horse, Avalanche, in the Melbourne Cup, Major Kent, a friend of Charlie Chan, returning to the United States with the thoroughbred via steamship, is found kicked to death in the horse's stall. Chan investigates when the liner stops off in Honolulu. He discovers evidence of foul play, and when the detective uncovers fraud involving another race in Los Angeles, he, along with Number One Son, Lee, seeks to expose an international gambling ring as well as the murderer.

FEATURE NOTES: The Roxy Theatre in New York billed this film as “At the Race Track with Charlie Chan.” Variety reviewed the movie as “Chan at the Race Track.” According to ‘Motion Picture Herald’ and ‘Liberty,’ some scenes in the film were shot at Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia, California, and the film contained footage of "some of the most spectacular events of the recent racing season." ‘Motion Picture Herald’ also notes that the film "has a semi-topical significance in as much as a great antipodean horse, Pharlap, brought to this country a few years ago [from Australia], died under circumstances that have never been fully explained." ‘Liberty’ notes that Technical Director Monroe Liebergold had been a jockey for the well-known horse breeder H. P. Whitney. Although ‘Hollywood Reporter’ production charts list Neil Fitzgerald and John Mooney as additional actors, and only Neil Fitzgerald's participation in the final film has been confirmed.

CAST (as credited):

Warner Oland: Charlie Chan
Keye Luke: Lee Chan
Helen Wood: Alice Fenton
Thomas Beck: Bruce Rogers
Alan Dinehart: George Chester
Gavin Muir: Bagley
Gloria Roy: Catherine Chester
Jonathan Hale: Warren Fenton
G.P. Huntley, Jr.: Denny Barton
George Irving: Major [Gordon] Kent
Frank Coghlan, Jr.: Eddie Brill
Frankie Darro: "Tip" Collins
John Rogers: Mooney
John H. Allen: "Streamline" Jones
Harry Jans: Al Meers

UNCREDITED CAST (alphabetical):

Sidney Bracey: Waiter
James Eagles: Chick Patton
Bob Ellsworth: Police Officer
Eddie Fetherston: Reporter #2
James Flavin: Detective
Sammy Finn: Gangster
Neil Fitzgerald
Paul Fix: Lefty
Sam Flint: Ship's Captain [Captain Blake]
Jack Green: "Blackton" Man
Bobby Hale: Race Track Patron
Ed Hart: Detective
Holmes Herbert: Melbourne Cup Chief Steward
Lew Hicks: Police Officer
Ray Hanson: Third Officer
Sam Hayes: Track Announcer
Robert E. Homans: Judge
Boothe Howard: Ship's Doctor [Dr. Johnson]
H. Bruce Humberstone: Gambler
Selmer Jackson: J.L. Lansing
Jerry Jerome: Chuck
Josephine the monkey: Lollipop
Colin Kenny: Judge
Al Kikume: Detective
Wilbur Mack: Gangster
George Magrill: Detective
Clyde McAtee: "Blackton" Man
Tom McGuire: Track Official
Ivan "Dusty" Miller: Captain Wade
Lucille Miller: Secretary
Bruce Mitchell: Gateman
Jack Mulhall: Second Purser
Billie Oakley: Seaman
Pat O'Malley: Track Official
Cyril Ring: Race Track Extra
Les Srechley: Seaman
Harry Strang: Detective
Larry Steers: Railbird
Bobby Tanzel: Gilroy
Forrest Taylor: Photo Booth Worker
David Thursby: Steward
Harlan Tucker: Gangster
Max Wagner: Joe
Robert Warwick: Honolulu Police Chief Inspector
Billy Wayne: Smithers
William Wayne: Seaman
Charles Williams: Reporter #1
Norman Willis: Gangster
David Worth: Detective
FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION ON OUR FEATURE: Please go to http://www.charliechan.info/id30.html

TRIVIA: Horses are, by their nature, not loners. It has long been a common practice for thoroughbred racehorses to be paired with a horse known as a companion pony which provides both a source of friendship and support. However, as we see in the case in Charlie Chan at the Race Track of Streamline’s pet monkey, Lollipop, these companion animals are not limited to horses. Other animals, such as dogs, goats, sheep, and, yes, monkeys, have been known to provide companionship to racehorses. In her article What is a Companion Pony? Jill Pellettieri notes that the famous horse Seabiscuit had a number of different companion animals and a horse named Pumpkin enjoyed the company of a dog named Pocatell and a spider monkey named Jo-Jo.

THIS WEEK’S TERM: two bits - (Idiom) Twenty-five cents.

Detective: "Hey, Mack, loan me two bits and I'll owe you a dollar."

THIS WEEK’S IMAGE: Lee, posing as a laundry worker with his delivery truck, listens as his Pop gives him quick instructions just before the race.



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

IF YOU LACK A COPY OF OUR FILM: Often our features can be found online. CONTINUED HAPPINESS! “Charlie Chan at the Race Track” IS AVAILABLE online! You may access it above at “THIS WEEK’S PRESENTATION” and also at our Chat Room as a link.

OUR MONTHLY POLL: Please take a moment to cast your vote in our MARCH 2021 POLL, right here: MARCH 2021 Poll

OUR FEBRUARY POLL RESULT:

QUESTION: Which of these police officials was the most antagonistic to Charlie Chan?

Lt. Macy (“Charlie Chan at the Circus”) 14%
Sgt. Kelly (“Charlie Chan at the Opera”) 43%
Sheriff “Tombstone” Fletcher (“Charlie Chan in Reno”) 43%

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/id830.html

NEXT WEEK: “Charlie Chan at the Opera”

OUR CHARLIE CHAN FAMILY NEWSLETTER for this year!

This is our third annual Charlie Chan Family Newsletter! It contains the work of a number of Charlie Chan Family members and friends. Thank you so much to Lou Armagno, aka, HonoluLou, who has put together and published yet another masterpiece! Please use this link to access this year's newsletter which covers the year 2020. Please enjoy!

AND… DON’T MISS THIS GREAT CHARLIE CHAN BLOG!: AND… DON’T MISS THIS GREAT CHARLIE CHAN BLOG!: 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, “Charlie Chan at the Race Track.”

THANK YOU SO MUCH…

Sincerely,

Rush Glick