The character of Charlie Chan was created by Ohio-born writer Earl Derr Biggers. Chan worked for the Honolulu Police Force as their crack detective, known worldwide. He happened upon cases of murder in the most exotic locations (Rio, Panama, Treasure Island, Paris. Egypt), usually not Honolulu. One or two of Charlie's sons (usually identified chronologically-- #1 son, #2 son...), detective wanna-be's themselves, offered "Pop" their assistance. They would then spend the rest of the film getting in the way, until Charlie solved the case in spite of them.
The films were made by Twentieth Century Fox (then later by Monogram
Studios) during the 1930s and 1940s. Fox's casting brought in the
big-guns for Chan series: Boris Karloff, Leo G. Carroll and Cesar
Romero to name a few.
When the first Chan, Warner Oland, died in 1938, Sidney Toler stepped in to carry on the role. And #1 Son Lee Chan, played by Keye Luke, was replaced with #2 Son, played by Victor Sen Yung.
Wartime brought an end to Fox's Chan pictures, but after a brief hiatus Charlie returned (again with Toler playing the role) in several films made by the Monogram studio. Monogram introduced black actor Mantan Moreland as taxi driver-turned assistant, Birmingham Brown.
When Toler died in 1947, Roland Winters took Chan through six more films for Monogram, but the magic was gone.
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 (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)
Sky Dragon (1949)
+Silent film *No copies currently known
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