CHARLIE CHAN IN PRINT & IN FILM
That's it



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A reprint of the first Charlie Chan novel by Earl Derr Biggers.
The House Without A Key (1925)

 

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In 1926, Earl Derr Bigger's novel was serialized on film. The ten silent episodes starred GEORGE KUWA as the first on-screen CHARLIE CHAN.....


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One of the poor quality screen captures from The HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY.

The film was not preserved and has been totally lost.


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Publicity still of GEORGE KUWA, the Japanese actor who first played the Chinese detective, CHARLIE CHAN in 1926


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CHARLIE CHAN does not appear in HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY for the first 6 chapters, and throughout the remainder of the novel, his role is small, although he solves the case in the denouement. The first time reader would not even know that he was a detective until the very end of the book.

 

EARL DERR BIGGERS based the character of CHARLIE CHAN on Hawaiian detective CHAN APANA, whom he heard the prowess of during a trip to the islands with his mother in 1919.

Biggers, who disliked the trend in stereotyping orientals as sly, cunning and/or evil, wanted to create an Asian character of honor, intelligence and bravery. The result was CHARLIE CHAN.

 

I absolutely loved Charlie Chan movies. I just couldn't keep his kids straight.

 

That's easy. It was #1 Daughter (Ling), #1 Son (Lee), #2 Son Jimmy, #2 Daughter (Iris), #3 Son Henry, #3 Daughter (Frances), #4 Son Eddie, #5 Son Tommy, #4 Daughter (?), #6 Son Oswald, #7 Son Willie, #8 Son Charlie, Jr., #5 Daughter (?)

Of Charlie's 13 children, all 8 sons are named at one time or another and appear in either the books or the films. Only 3 of the five daughters are named (since, I suppose, girls are less important).

As we will see later, the three most important Sons (as assistants) are Lee, Jimmy and Tommy (who at various times is called #5 Son, #3 Son and #2 Son......I guess Charlie has so many children, he sometimes mixes them up.....)

 

I have a silent film accompanist (professional) who may know more about this title. There have been a number of interesting discoveries in vaults recently, so don't give up hope!

 

It would be really cool if any of the "lost" Warner Oland films were recovered!

 

The second of the Chan films, the silent CHINESE PARROT was released in 1927, with Japanese actor Sojin Kamayama as Charlie Chan.....




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Cover of Earl Derr Biggers' first edition

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Anna May Wong had a small part in The Chinese Parrot as a dancer


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EARL DERR BIGGERS (left) VISITING THE SET of THE CHINESE PARROT


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Still from The CHINESE PARROT with Sojin Kamayama, as Chan, in disguise at center


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The CHINESE PARROT, like The HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY is a "lost" film, no copies known to exist. There are also very few publicity or screen shots in existence


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Marion Nixon

 

I love this thread.

Chang Apana (December 26, 1871 – December 8, 1933; Chinese name: 鄭阿平) was a Chinese-Hawaiian member of the Honolulu Police Department first as an officer, then as a detective. He is the officially acknowledged inspiration for the fictional Asian detective character, Charlie Chan. He served in the police department for 34 years.