Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This eagerly-awaited CHARLIE CHAN: COLLECTION (2013) includes four of the last Monogram titles in the classic mystery-comedy series, never before issued on home video: SHADOWS OVER CHINATOWN (starring Sidney Toler) and DOCKS OF NEW ORLEANS, THE SHANGHAI CHEST and THE GOLDEN EYE (with Roland Winters). These are beautiful, restored transfers from pristine sources that render the low-budget B-classics brighter and clearer than ever before. This leaves only three Charlie Chan entries remaining to be issued on DVD. Rating: 9/10 ****½ EXCELLENT ----------------------------------------- To set the record straight for new fans and late-arrivals: Earl Derr Biggers, author of the classic thriller "Seven Keys to Baldpate", created the heroic character Charlie Chan of the Honolulu Police in a series of six best-selling mystery novels beginning with "The House without a Key". Charlie Chan: Five Complete Novels: The House Without a Key; The Chinese Parrot; Behind That Curtain; The Black Camel; Keeper of the Keys Trade-paperback facsimiles and Kindle editions of these books, including the sixth ("Charlie Chan Carries On"), are now available separately on Amazon. All but one of the original books ("The Keeper of the Keys") were filmed -- some more than once -- leading to an enormously popular and memorable movie series featuring the beloved Chinese-American detective character which ran for two decades. The silent versions of Biggers' THE HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY and THE CHINESE PARROT evidently no longer exist. Four of the earliest Fox classics starring Warner Oland (CHARLIE CHAN CARRIES ON, CHARLIE CHAN'S CHANCE, CHARLIE CHAN'S GREATEST CASE and CHARLIE CHAN'S COURAGE) are considered to be lost films. Aside from the absence of Oland's initial performance and character development, the pity is that these are among the few accurate film versions of the Biggers novels. (I'm unaware of any record of these priceless films having been destroyed, so hope remains that they may eventually emerge from the vaults in which they have been misplaced. These things do happen.) All of the remaining 23 entries in the Fox series starring Oland or Sidney Toler as Chan are currently available on DVD: Charlie Chan Collection, Vol. 1 (Charlie Chan in London / Charlie Chan in Paris / Charlie Chan in Egypt / Charlie Chan in Shanghai / Eran Trece) VOL. 1, the first collected round of Fox films starring Warner Oland, finds the "Charlie Chan" series liberated from the Biggers novels and coming into its own as an original movie phenomenon. The outstanding CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS introduces the great Keye Luke as his iconic character Number One Son, Lee Chan. Like THE BLACK CAMEL, EGYPT is an interface with the Hollywood Classic Horror Film -- one of several which stand among the most popular entries. With the first-class SHANGHAI the series moves into high-gear. ERAN TRECE is the alternate version of the missing CHARLIE CHAN CARRIES ON, filmed in Spanish with a different cast. It allows us a glimpse of what the first film in the "official" series was like. All the current Fox "Chan" issues have been painstakingly restored, using digital technology, to remove scratches, blemishes and other damage. For their vintage, the films look good as new. Charlie Chan Collection, Vol. 2 (Charlie Chan at the Circus / Charlie Chan at the Olympics / Charlie Chan at the Opera / Charlie Chan at the Race Track) In VOL. 2, the Fox series reaches its peak with OLYMPICS and RACE TRACK among the best of the Oland films. CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA, co-starring Boris Karloff, is often cited as the zenith of the entire series. Charlie Chan Collection, Volume 3 (Charlie Chan's Secret / Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo / Charlie Chan on Broadway / The Black Camel) VOL. 3 of the Fox collections rounds out the Chan films of the great Warner Oland in top form. THE BLACK CAMEL (1931), the sole survivor of the first five Warner Oland Charlie Chan films, is now the single "official" Chan film to be authentically adapted from an Earl Derr Biggers novel. Co-starring Bela Lugosi, fresh from DRACULA (also 1931) at the peak of his Hollywood career, it is one of the finest and most potent films in the series. Continuing the "spooky" mood is the ghostly SECRET, while ON BROADWAY is a strong entry with a genuinely surprising outcome. The previously rare "talkie" film BEHIND THAT CURTAIN, loosely based on the Biggers novel of the same title, is included as a valuable extra (despite the leading character of Charlie Chan being reduced to a bit part). Charlie Chan Collection, Vol. 4 (Charlie Chan in Honolulu / Charlie Chan in Reno / Charlie Chan at Treasure Island / City in Darkness) Beginning with HONOLULU, character actor Sidney Toler successfully takes over the role of Charlie Chan upon the death of Warner Oland and eventually comes to rival Oland in popularity. RENO is a solid entry that demonstrates Toler's mastery of the role and the streamlined tone adopted to accomodate his more earthy portrayal. CHARLIE CHAN AT TREASURE ISLAND is often cited as the very best of Toler's films and a landmark for the entire series. Charlie Chan Collection, Vol. 5 (Charlie Chan At The Wax Museum / Murder Over New York / Dead Men Tell / Charlie Chan In Rio / Charlie Chan In Panama / Murder Cruise / Castle in the Desert) VOL. 5 concludes the prime Toler entries and completes the high-grade Fox Chan series. Although somewhat dated by its then-topical focus, PANAMA is the stand-out here, sporting an especially good cast. RIO and MURDER CRUISE are reworkings of BLACK CAMEL and CARRIES ON/ERAN TRECE, respectively. WAX MUSEUM returns Chan to the realm of the Hollywood Horror film, as does the superior Gothic CASTLE IN THE DESERT, one of Toler's best, which sends off the classic Fox Charlie Chan series with panache. (Fox's CHARLIE CHAN COLLECTION Vol. 1-5 are also available as a single order on Amazon.) The long movie saga of Charlie Chan was far from over when Sidney Toler and the continuing series migrated to low-budget Monogram studios, whose seventeen entries have a charm, mood and humor of their own. Eleven of these starred Toler, with Roland Winters stepping into the part for the final six films. Most of the Monogram Chans benefit enormously from the addition of comedian Mantan Moreland to the leading cast. The Charlie Chan Chanthology (The Secret Service / The Chinese Cat / The Jade Mask / Meeting at Midnight / The Scarlet Clue / The Shanghai Cobra) The first group of Monogram Chans, all starring Toler, were initially released to DVD by MGM in as a 6-disc boxed set. CHINESE CAT shows the new series at its best, while SCARLET CLUE is a particularly lively entry redolent of old-time serials. BLACK MAGIC/MEETING AT MIDNIGHT and JADE MASK are popular due to their spooky atmosphere. SHANGHAI COBRA, shot by cult director Phil Karlson, is a notable little film noir that transcends its meager resources. Charlie Chan 5 Movie Gift Box Set (Limited Series) Five of the Monogram/Toler films (excluding BLACK MAGIC/MEETING AT MIDNIGHT) were reissued to DVD in 2011 on a 2-disc set at a very reasonable price. Ardent fans will prefer the comparatively deluxe CHANTHOLOGY but this high-quality bargain edition will serve as a good introduction to the Monogram series. TCM Spotlight: Charlie Chan Collection (Dark Alibi / Dangerous Money / The Trap / The Chinese Ring) After an agonizingly long wait, TCM/Warner's TCM SPOTLIGHT: CHARLIE CHAN COLLECTION fulfilled the wishes of legions of Chan fans with a set of 4 of the 7 remaining Monogram films. Toler stars in DARK ALIBI, DANGEROUS MONEY and THE TRAP while THE CHINESE RING features the debut of Roland Winters in the role. DARK ALIBI, Phil Karlson's second and most fully realized Chan film noir (after SHANGHAI COBRA), is in itself a valuable addition to any Chan library. CHARLIE CHAN: COLLECTION (2013) The present four-film set features Sidney Toler in SHADOWS OVER CHINATOWN and Roland Winters in DOCKS OF NEW ORLEANS, THE SHANGHAI CHEST and THE GOLDEN EYE. Only 3 official entries now remain unissued on home video: Toler's THE RED DRAGON (1945), Winters' THE FEATHERED SERPENT (1948) and THE SKY DRAGON (1949). Their eventual release will at last complete the full DVD collection of all 40 extant films in the official "Charlie Chan" series. ---------------------------------------- Addenda: The New Adventures of Charlie Chan-Complete TV Series on 5 DVD Boxed Set-In Chronological Order One of the rarest Chan dramatizations, the complete NEW ADVENTURES OF CHARLIE CHAN television series, starring J. Carrol Naish, is currently available on DVD in 5 boxed sets. (There was also a CHARLIE CHAN radio series to be sought out.) An otherwise mediocre Saturday Morning cartoon show from Hanna-Barbera, THE AMAZING CHAN AND THE CHAN CLAN, was significant for its use of the voice of former Number One Son Keye Luke as Charlie Chan. The campy comedy CHARLIE CHAN AND THE CURSE OF THE DRAGON QUEEN, starring Peter Ustinov, is available used and new from Amazon Marketplace sellers. Lastly, for the completist: The made-for-TV movie, CHARLIE CHAN OR HAPPINESS IS A WARM CLUE, starring Ross Martin, has not yet been announced for release. ------------------------------------- THE OFFICIAL CHARLIE CHAN FILM SERIES WARNER OLAND AT FOX -1. The Black Camel (1931) -2. Charlie Chan in London (1934) -3. Charlie Chan in Paris (1935) -4. Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935) -5. Charlie Chan in Shanghai (1935) -6. Charlie Chan's Secret (1936) -7. Charlie Chan at the Circus (1936) -8. Charlie Chan at the Race Track (1936) -9. Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936) 10. Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937) 11. Charlie Chan on Broadway (1937) 12. Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (1938) SIDNEY TOLER AT FOX 13. Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938) 14. Charlie Chan in Reno (1939) 15. Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939) 16. [Charlie Chan in] City in Darkness (1939) 17. Charlie Chan in Panama (1940) 18. Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise (1940) 19. Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (1940) 20. Murder Over New York (1940) 21. Dead Men Tell (1941) 22. Charlie Chan in Rio (1941) 23. Castle in the Desert (1942) SIDNEY TOLER AT MONOGRAM 24. Charlie Chan in the Secret Service (1944) 25. The Chinese Cat (1944) 26. Meeting at Midnight/Black Magic (1944) 27. The Jade Mask (1945) 28. The Scarlet Clue (1945) 29. The Shanghai Cobra (1945) 30. The Red Dragon (1945) 31. Dark Alibi (1946) 32. Shadows Over Chinatown (1946) 33. Dangerous Money (1946) 34. The Trap (1947) ROLAND WINTERS AT MONOGRAM 35. The Chinese Ring (1947) 36. Docks of New Orleans (1948) 37. The Shanghai Chest (1948) 38. The Golden Eye (1948) 39. The Feathered Serpent (1948) 40. The Sky Dragon (1949)