FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Eye easily deceived.”

GREETINGS! The next two weeks provide us with two very different film viewing experiences! First, for June 14, we celebrate the birthday of our Number One Son, KEYE LUKE, with “Phantom of Chinatown.” This is the ONLY film where Keye Luke received top billing! On June 21, we will be sharing “Murder Over New York,” starring Sidney Toler.

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

OUR PRESENTATIONS:

June 14 - “Phantom of Chinatown” (1940; 62 minutes); along with our “extra,” a Charlie Chan radio mystery, “The Landini Murder Case: The Gun”. (1936; 15 minutes).

June 21 - “Murder Over New York” (1937; 65 minutes); along with our “extra,” a Charlie Chan radio mystery, “The Landini Murder Case: The Play is the Thing”. (1936; 15 minutes).

FEATURE INTRODUCTION: “Phantom of Chinatown” - In the middle of a pictorial lecture on his recent expedition to the Mongolian Desert, Dr. John Benton the famous explorer, drinks from the water bottle on his lecture table, collapses and dies. His last words "Eternal Fire" are the only clue Chinese detective Jimmy Wong and Captain Street of the police department have to work on. Win Lee, Benton's secretary, reveals the doctor's dying words refer to a scroll which tells the location of rich oil deposits. Wong and Street then begin the search for the killer among Benton's associates. (Les Adams [From: IMDb])

FEATURE NOTES: “Phantom of Chinatown” - This film was the sixth entry in the Detective Wong film series from Monogram Pictures. The first five starred Boris Karloff as detective James Lee Wong. In “Phantom of Chinatown,” Keye Luke portrays a young Mr. Wong. As noted already, this was the only film that featured Keye Luke in the starring role.

CAST (as credited):

Keye Luke: James Lee 'Jimmy' Wong

Lotus Long: Win Len

Grant Withers: Police Captain Street

Charles Miller: Dr. John Benton

Huntley Gordon: Dr. Norman Wilkes

Virginia Carpenter: Louise Benton

John Dilson: Charlie Frasier(as John H. Dilson)

Paul McVey: Detective Grady

John Holland: Mason

Dick Terry: Toreno

Robert Kellard: Tommy Dean

Willy Castello: Jonas(as William Castello)

Lee Tung Foo: Foo


UNCREDITED CAST (alphabetical):

Lynton Brent: Radio News Broadcaster

Morgan Brown: Lecture Guest

Jack Cheatham: Hospital Stakeout Officer

Heinie Conklin: Detective in Refrigerator

William Gould: Hospital Stakeout Officer

TRIVIA: Possibly the first instance where Hollywood produced a 'prequel,' because this last entry in the series depicts the first meeting between Mr. Wong and Capt. Street. (IMDb)

IF YOU LACK A COPY OF THIS FILM, it CAN be found online. You may access it above at “THIS WEEK’S PRESENTATION” and also at our Chat Room as a link.

FEATURE INTRODUCTION: “Murder Over New York” - Charlie Chan arrives in New York City for a policeman's convention, only to find that Number Two Son Jimmy, in that city to visit the World's Fair, is there to greet him! Following the convention, Chan's old friend, Inspector Hugh Drake, a British intelligence officer, is found dead. The killing is tied in with a gang of enemy saboteurs who are responsible for the crash of an experimental bomber. Chan must proceed through a complex web of suspects in order to capture the killer and break up the saboteur ring before another bomber and its crew meets the same fate as the first.

FEATURE NOTES: “Murder Over New York” - The working title of this film was “Charlie Chan in New York.” According to Fox publicity material contained in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Library files, the studio changed the title in order to prevent the public from confusing this film with other Chan features.

CAST (as credited):

Sidney Toler: Charlie Chan

Marjorie Weaver: Patricia Shaw (also known as Patricia West, Mrs. Paul Narvo)

Robert Lowrey: David Elliott

Ricardo Cortez: George Kirby

Donald MacBride: Inspector Vance

Melville Cooper: Herbert Fenton

Joan Valerie: June Preston

Kane Richmond: Ralph Percy

Sen Yung: Jimmy Chan

John Sutton: Keith Jeffrey

Leyland Hodgson: [Robert] Boggs

Clarence Muse: Butler

Frederick Worlock: Hugh Drake

Lal Chand Mehra: Ramullah (also known as Aga Singh


UNCREDITED CAST (alphabetical):

Trevor Bardette: Hindu Businessman

Stanley Blystone: Fingerprint Expert

Nick Borgani: Hindu Businessman

Eddy Chandler Police Officer [Lefty]

Frank Coghlan, Jr.: Frankie O'Shaunessy

Catherine Craig: Stewardess

Alan Davis: Pilot [Lt. Cooper]

Dorothy Dearing: Mrs. Percy

Jimmie Dundee: Police Officer [Bill]

Ralph Dunn: Second Police Officer

Frank Fanning: Police Officer

Carl Faulkner: Police Officer

Bud Geary: Second Mechanic

Shemp Howard: "Shorty" McCoy (also known as

"The Canarsie Kid," "The Great Rashid")

Paul Kruger: Guard

Jack "Tiny" Lipson: Hindu in Police Lineup

Eric Mayne: Suspicious-looking Man

Paul Palmer: Police Officer

Lee Phelps: First Police Officer

Nick Shaid: Hindu Businessman

Bhogwan Singh: Hindu Businessman

Brick Sullivan: Police Officer

Charles Tannen: Voice of Radio Announcer

George Walcott: First Mechanic

Shirley Warde: Mrs. Felton

FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION ON THIS FEATURE: Please go to http://www.charliechan.info/id50.html

TERM: fifth column - A clandestine subversive organization working within a country to further an invading enemy's military and political aims.

Kieth Jeffery: "Probably some more of that fifth column work."

AN IMAGE FROM “MURDER OVER NEW YORK”: Charlie Chan, accompanied by son, Jimmy and Inspector Vance, questions June Preston.



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

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

OUR MAY POLL RESULT:

QUESTION: Have you ever attended a Charlie Chan-related public event such as a tour, speaking event, etc., at a venue such as a library, hotel, convention center, or another public gathering?

Yes 22%

No 78%

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

OUR FEATURE FOR JUNE 28: “Dead Men Tell”

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 our features for the next two weeks, “Phantom of Chinatown” and “Murder Over New York.”

THANK YOU SO MUCH…

Sincerely,

Rush Glick