Charlie ChanBy Earl Derr BiggersOrigin
Charlie Chan appeared in only six novels by Earl Derr Biggers. When Biggers wrote the first novel, it was an instant hit. The other books maintained the popularity that the first achieved. The character became immensely popular and inspired more than forty-five films about him. But it wasn't always so. In an era when many Americans were ethnocentric, understanding of cultures and sensitivity were lacking. The unknown sometimes inspires fear or discomfort, and the imagination can easily come into play. When creating plots for fiction, or characters, writers often relied much on the imagination and little on research or real knowledge. Earl Derr Biggers had already been exposed to the literary archetype of "the sinister Oriental" or, even worse, "the Yellow peril." (Today, these phrases are offensive; during the time, ethnocentrically-centered people were unaware of the offensive nature of these ideas.) The Fu Manchu character created by Sax Rohmer was first presented to the public in the novel The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu in 1913, which was followed by a number of other books about the character. But then Biggers came across an article in a newspaper about a detective in Hololulu named Chang Apana. Thinking in terms of plot construction and characters, and not in terms of cultural reality, he reasoned, "Sinister and wicked Chinese are old stuff...but an amiable Chinese on the side of law and order had never been used." That was the germination of an idea that began his developing Charlie Chan. The Great Detective's Appearance in BooksThe first time we meet Chan, in The House Without a Key, his superior, Captain Hallet is introducing him to others during the investigation of a crime scene:
And later in the book another passage shows his relationship with Captain Hallet.
Appearance in FilmsSince the books were successful, Chan was a likely candidate to appear in films. But Hollywood was not sure how this "amiable Chinese on the side of law and order" would be accepted by audiences (again an ethnocentric judgment!). Afraid to give him a large role in early films, Behind That Curtain had a very brief appearance in the early part of the film and a slightly longer appearance near the end of the film. (Note: Behind That Curtain was the third film; the first two are lost so I cannot comment on them.) Other than the detective's minor appearance, the film was faithful to the book. Caucasian actor E. L. Parks played Chan; Boris Karloff appeared in the film, as well. Then Earl Derr Biggers was called upon to create a script. He wrote the screenplay for The Black Camel and expanded Chan's appearance in the film. Swedish actor Warner Oland played the detective and the rest is history. The character was extremely popular, Oland went on to appear as Chan in many more films. Keye Luke made his first appearance in Charlie Chan in Paris, as Charlie's "Number One Son." (Charlie had a large family.) Luke was so well received in the role that he continued for many for films. When Warner Oland died of pneumonia Sidney Toler took over the role. Toler appeared in many more films. During his career, the property went from the more lavish 20th-Century Fox studios to the lower-budget Monogram studios. But the character maintained his popularity. When "Number One Son" Keye Luke left the series, Victor Sen appeared as the "Number Two Son," and also achieved popularity. When Keye Luke, who was Chinese, was asked later in his career if he were offended by the idea of a Chinese detective being played by a succession of Caucasian actors, he basically said, "We weren't conscious of any problem at the time. We were just actors looking for a part. We just wanted to be working actors" [ paraphrased because I read this years ago and don't have the exact quote at hand]. When Sidney Toler died, Roland Winter took up the mantle. Occasionally Chan was to appear in other individual films, made-for-television films, television series, an animated series, and comics. J. Carroll Naish (on television), Peter Ustinov (in film), and Keye Luke (whose voice was used in the animated series) played Chan.
Books by Earl Derr Biggers
The House Without a Key
Books by other authorsCharlie Chan Returns (1974) by Dennis Lynds, a novelization of the TV film
FILMSEarly Films:The House Without a Key (1926) lost (featuring George Kuwa as Chan)The Chinese Parrot (1927) lost (with Japanese actor Sojin) Behind That Curtain (1929) (E. L. Parks appeared in two brief scenes as the great detective; Boris Karloff also appeared in this film). With Warner OlandThe Black Camel (1931)Charlie Chan Carries On (1931) - lost (?) -- A Spanish version named Eran Trece with a may be available. Charlie Chan's Chance (1932) lost Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (1933) lost Charlie Chan's Courage (1934) lost Charlie Chan...
Charlie Chan...
With Sidney TolerCharlie Chan...
With Roland Winters
Classic Film CollectionsCollection 1 (DVDs) includes Charlie Chan...:
Collection 2 (DVDs)
Collection 3 (DVDs)
Collection 4 (DVDs) includes Charlie Chan:
Chanthology DVD includes:
Other appearances:J. Carroll Naish (1950s TV series):A 1981 film with Peter Ustinov as the famous detective:
On RadioWalter Connolly and, later, Ed Begley played the great detective on radio.
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(1925)
