Charlie Chan films
Charlie Chan films feature the character of a wise and resourceful detective, first created by Earl Derr Biggers in a series of novels. The character made his film debut in 1926 and rose to prominence in the early 1930s, particularly through portrayals by Warner Oland, who played Chan until 1937. Set in various international locations, the films often showcased Chan's large Hawaiian family, with humorous dynamics between his children, and included notable actors of the time. Initially celebrated for their higher production values and engaging narratives, the series began to decline after the death of Oland, transitioning to a more comedic tone under Sidney Toler’s portrayal. Eventually, the films were taken over by Monogram Pictures, leading to a drop in quality and an increase in stereotypical humor. Despite these changes, the Charlie Chan films were culturally significant, offering a more favorable representation of Asians in cinema during a time of widespread stereotypes. The character's legacy endures through various adaptations and international productions, reflecting his lasting appeal.
Charlie Chan films
Identification Series of films based on a fictional Chinese American detective from Honolulu
Dates 1926-1949
Although depicted as a rather stereotypical Chinese American who spouted pseudo-Confucian wisdom, the Charlie Chan character was the first ethnic Asian to be featured in a long series of films. Prior to and during his screen appearances Asian characters were most typically portrayed as villains (a result of the “yellow peril” campaign) or mocked as figures of fun. In contrast, Chan was usually depicted as a dignified and benevolent presence.
The character of the sagacious detective Charlie Chan was first developed in a series of novels by author Earl Derr Biggers. Transferred to film in 1926, the Chan character was initially seen in supporting roles in three silent films and was portrayed by one Korean and two Japanese actors. The first appearance of the detective in a starring role came in 1931 with Charlie Chan Carries On. He was played through 1937 by the distinguished Swedish actorWarner Oland, who already had had a lengthy career in silent cinema, and who brought a natural gravitas to the role. He had a slight Asian cast to his features and often played “Oriental” roles, usually villainous ones. His light and pleasant accent was neutral enough to be acceptable as that of an Asian to the undiscriminating ear.
One of the running jokes of the series was Charlie Chan’s large family in Hawaii. A detective in Honolulu, he had so many children that his sons were usually designated as “number one,” “number two,” and so on. The actor playing his oldest son and bumbling, sometime assistant was Chinese actor Keye Luke. The production values of the initial films made by Twentieth Century-Fox were unusually high for a “B” series, and the stories often placed Chan in foreign settings such as Panama, Shanghai, London, Egypt, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, and Monte Carlo. The initial series, which had settings such as the Olympics, the racetrack, the circus, and the opera, was also buoyed by the casting of some well-known actors such as Boris Karloff and Leo G. Carroll. Even an unknown Rita Hayworth made an appearance.
Chan had a penchant for quoting what he called Confucian adages, such as “Mind like parachute, only function when open,” “Suspicion often the father of truth,” and “One grain of luck sometimes worth more than whole rice field of wisdom.” In 1939, after Oland’s death, the role of the series’ title character was assumed by veteran character actor Sidney Toler. Toler, of Scottish ancestry, also had a naturally Asian cast to his features, and at first, the series retained its good production values and often superior stories. The casting of Victor Sen Yung (Number Two Son) as his father’s primary assistant began to give the series a more comedic tone. In fact, the increasing comedy elements probably began a slide in the films’ overall quality.
After Twentieth Century-Fox discontinued the series in the early 1940’s, it was picked up by the low-rent Monogram Pictures Corporation. What were once excellent production values deteriorated into a melange of comedy and sometimes incoherent story lines that reflected the low budgets afforded to the series. The supposedly sagacious quotations became even more stereotypical and the dialogue ever more ridiculous, employing lines such as “You a chip off the old chopstick.” The addition of broadly mugging comedy sidekicks—Mantan Moreland, who had started in the Toler-Fox series, and later Willie Best—did not improve matters. Following Toler’s death, the series petered out with a few Roland Winters efforts; the last film in the almost continuous run beginning in 1931 was 1949’s, The Sky Dragon. At least one television series was produced during the 1950’s and later attempts at filming the character, including Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen (1981), served only to parody and cheapen the memory of the first memorable series during the 1930’s.
Impact
Although other Asian detectives appeared in brief film series—for example, Karloff as Mr. Wong and Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto—the most popular and imitated were the Charlie Chan films. The character, although hardly true to life, became beloved by film audiences and perhaps helped to bring a more positive image of Asians to the screen. During the Great Depression and World War II, the Chan films provided audiences with much needed escapism. The enduring worldwide popularity of Charlie Chan has been demonstrated by film productions in Spanish and Chinese, several radio series, a comic strip, and an animated television show.
Bibliography
Berlin, Howard. The Charlie Chan Film Encyclopedia. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2005.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. Charlie Chan’s Words of Wisdom. New York: Wildside Press, 2003.
Hanke, Ken. Charlie Chan at the Movies: History, Filmography and Criticism. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1989.
Mitchell, Charles P. A Guide to Charlie Chan Films. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1999.