Charlie Chan: The Famous Chinese Movie Detective

Several message boards are available for Charlie Chan fans:

CharlieChan.net Message Board

Charlie Chan Family Message Board

In addition, there are a number of Yahoo Groups related to Charlie Chan.

Also, consider becoming a fan of Charlie Chan on Facebook. You can post items on the Wall, start a discussion, or see who else is a fan.

Hyperlinks in the list below will take you to the International Movie Database (IMDB) where you can view the writers, actors and plot summary for each movie.

After selecting your favorites, find Charlie Chan movies on Netflix to add to your queue, order a Chan DVD set through Amazon, or see what your local library (USA) has available for check out.

• The House Without a Key (1925)
  
• The Chinese Parrot (1927)
  
• Behind That Curtain (1929)
  
• Charlie Chan Carries On (1931)
  
• The Black Camel (1931)
  
• Charlie Chan's Chance (1932)
  
• Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (1933)
  
• Charlie Chan's Courage (1934)
  
• Charlie Chan in London (1934)
  
• Charlie Chan in Paris (1935)
  
• Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935)
  
• Charlie Chan in Shanghai (1935)
  
• Charlie Chan's Secret (1936)
  
• "Charlie Chan at the Circus (1936)
  
• Charlie Chan at the Race Track (1936)
  
• Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936)
  
• Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937)
  
• Charlie Chan on Broadway (1937)
  
• Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (1937)
  
• Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938)
  
• Charlie Chan in Reno (1939)
  
• Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939)
  
• City in Darkness (1939)
  
• Charlie Chan in Panama (1940)
  
• Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise (1940)
  
• Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (1940)
  
• Murder Over New York (1940)
  
• Dead Men Tell (1941)
  
• Charlie Chan in Rio (1941)
  
• Castle in the Desert (1942)
  
• Charlie Chan in the Secret Service (1944)
  
• The Chinese Cat (1944)
  
• Black Magic, also known as Meeting at Midnight (1944)
  
• The Jade Mask (1945)
  
• The Scarlet Clue (1945)
  
• The Shanghai Cobra (1945)
  
• The Red Dragon (1945)
  
• Dark Alibi (1946)
  
• Shadows Over Chinatown (1946)
  
• Dangerous Money (1946)
  
• The Trap (1947)
  
• The Chinese Ring (1947)
  
• Docks of New Orleans (1948)
  
• The Shanghai Chest (1948)
  
• The Golden Eye (1948)
  
• The Feathered Serpent (1948)
  
• The Sky Dragon (1949)
  

Some portrayls of African Americans and Asians in Charlie Chan movies from the 1930s and 40s are frowned upon in today's culture, as well they should be. Noteably, the Chan character was never actually played by an ethnic Chinese actor, although the varous Chan children did provide early opportunites for a number of aspiring Asian actors.

Several points are worthy of consideration as one reviews Charlie Chan movies from a cultural perspective. First, as journalist by Burl Burlingame stated in a recent article for the Honolulu Star Bulletin, "Is Chan a racist stereotype? Maybe. But he'll track down whoever killed you and solve the case." Secondly, with three dozen movies and a multitude of spin-offs in radio, comics and print, the character of Charlie Chan has made an indelible mark on our culture, well apart from the smaller number of negative ethnic portrayls in the movie seres. In fact, one must understand Charlie Chan to understand a wide range of references in television shows, commercials and parodies from the 1960s through today.

Hopefully, an upcoming revival of Charlie Chan on the big screen will help rehabilitate the Chan legend and allow movie goers to appreciate the deduction, wisdom and humor of Charlie Chan apart from these cultural issues of the past.

Author Earl Derr Biggers loosely based the character of Charlie Chan on a real Chinese policeman, Chang Apana (Wikipedia entry) of the Honolulu Police Force, whom he had read about in press reports.

Apana was a colorful character who carried a horse whip instead of a gun. He joined the Police Force in 1898 and became a detective in 1916. He worked to combat opium smuggling and illegal gambling with particular success due to his fluency in multiple languages and ability to develop informers.

The first Chan novel was published in 1925. Derr Biggers acknowledged Chang as the inspiration for his character in a letter to the Honolulu Advertiser in 1932, the year Apana retired from the police force. He died a year later.

A video biography of Chang Apana is included on some DVD editions of Charlie Chan movies.

A new Chan movie (IMDB entry) tentatively is scheduled for release in 2011 based on a screenplay by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris. The granddaughter of a renown detective makes a name for herself in the world of crime-busting.

The review site Rotten Tomatos explains Lucy Liu will play Chan.