Le Cafe Singe Bleu Serving generous portions of history and mystery from our monthly menu Volume 1, Issue 2: February 1, 2003

BOOK REVIEWS

The Chinese Parrot Earl Derr Biggers 1926 Detective: Charlie Chan Location: San Francisco/California Time: 1926 (Contemporary) Should you read this book? Oui.

Warner Oland as Chan in Charlie Chan's Courage Adapted from The Chinese Parrot Buy Charlie Chan books from used book sellers at www.abe.com

Reviewed by Dot Emm The Detective Charlie Chan (who assumes the guise of Ah Kim) The Young Man Bob Eden - young and frivolous, or so his father thinks him The Young Woman Paula Wendell - a location finder for the movies. A week ago Madden had agreed her people could use his ranch to film, now he's changed his mind... Victim(s) The Unknown - the parrot Tony screams ''help, help, murder!'' Who is he quoting? Louie Wong - Madden's Chinese servant, he had gone to San Francisco for a vacation, and should not have returned. Interested Parties P.J. Madden - known as 'The Plunger' on Wall Street, a self made man always willing to take a gamble Evelyn Madden - his daughter Martin Thorn - Madden's secretary, an ingratiating individual Will Holley - newspaper publisher. Yearns for an interview with P.J. Madden Henry McCallum/Shaky Phil Maydorf - a friend of Martin Thorn's Doctor Whitcomb - she also rents out cottages to summer visitors, like Shaky Phil Maydorf Thaddeus Gamble - an unexpected visitor William I. Cherry - a prospector, he sees a lot in the desert, including murder Jerry Delaney - a mystery man, the only man P. J. Madden fears Sally Jordan - willing to do anything for her son Victor Jordan - willing to take everything from his mother The Police and Other Officials Constable Brackett Doctor Simms - coroner Captain Bliss - 'a big noisy bluff with a fatal facility for getting the wrong man' - in this case, he has his eyes set on Ah Kim. Opening lines Alexander Eden stepped from the misty street into the great, marble-pillared room where the firm of Meek and Eden offered its wares. Immediately behind show-cases gorgeous with precious stones or bright with silver, platinum and gold, forty resplendant clerks stood at attention. Their morning coats were impeccable, lacking the slightest suspicion of a wrinkle, and in the left lapel of each was a pink carnation, as fresh and perfect as if it had grown there. Eden nodded affably to right and left and went on his way, his heels clicking cheerily onthe spotless tile floor. He was a small man, gray-haired and immaculate, with a quick keen eye and the imperious manner that so well became his position. For the clan of Meek, having duly inherited the earth, had relinquished that inheritance and passed to the great beyond, leaving Alexander Eden the sole owner of the best-known jewelry store west of the Rockies. Alexander Eden is back in the past, remembering a visit to Hawaii forty years ago and his dance with Sally Phillimore. She's Sally Jordan now. ''All the Phillimore ships - the Phillimore acres - vanished into thin air. The big house on the beach - mortgaged to the hilt. You see - Victor - he's made some unfortunate investments-'' Poor Sally Jordan. Once one of the richest women in Hawaii, she is reduced to selling her last and most valuable possession, the Phillimore pearls, in order to help out her son who has drained her to the last drop of mother's tears. She has come to an old friend in San Francisco, Alexander Eden, to broker the deal for her. And Eden has a buyer. Two hundred and twenty thousand dollars, that's what a millionaire by the name of P. J. Madden is willing to pay. He's not too happy that he'll have to wait six days for the pearls, but even a hard-headed businessman like Madden won't carp at how long it takes for a ship to cruise between Hawaii and San Francisco. He wants the pearls delivered to him in New York, holding firm despite the suggestions of his daughter and secretary. ''In New York, remember, and nowhere else.'' The pearls arrive. They've been brought by Charlie Chan, once, long ago, Sally Jordan's house boy in the big house on the beach, now a Detective-Sergeant in the Honolulu police department. ''He's always wanted to come to the mainland, so I've had it all arranged - his leave of absence, his status as a citizen, everything. And he's coming with the pearls.'' But when Charlie arrives, it's to see a worried Alexander Eden, for P. J. Madden has wired a change of plan. He wants the necklace delivered to his ranch in the California desert. Such a change of mind is extremely unusual in this multi-millionaire, and has aroused all of Eden' suspicions. Also, his son Bob, who had gone to the dock to meet Chan, reports being trailed by suspicious characters. Eden decides, therefore, to send his son down and Charlie Chan down to the ranch together. Only if they are totally satisfied that all is well will they hand over the pearls. Charlie goes him one better, he will travel in disguise, as a 'desert rat,' an immigrant Chinese looking for work, so that no one will suspect that he carries a fortune in his moneybelt. ''When this young man and I encounter proper person, pearls will be delivered. Until then, I guard them well.'' When Bob Eden arrives at El Dorado, it's to find that all seems well. Madden is there, his secretary is there, and Madden's parrot Tony is there as well. Even Charlie Chan is there, having obtained a job as a houseboy and calling himself Ah Kim. It's a role he doesn't relish but performs to perfection. ''All my life I study to speak fine English words. Now I must strangle all such in my throat, lest suspicion rouse up. Not a happy situation for me.'' Eden is prepared to hand over the pearls, but Chan urges caution. Especially since the parrot, among many other phrases, has screamed ''Help, murder! Put down that gun!'' Eden scoffs - they are words he heard in a bar-room, or on the radio. But Chan remains firm. Especially when the next day the parrot is found murdered. Although Charlie once again has a subordinate role to the detecting and dalliancing of Bob Eden, it is his wisdom that carries the day in the end. In this book, Chan comes the closest he ever has to getting arrested, as the police officials in the California country have no great respect for the Chinese. The constable turned to Madden. ''Who else is on the place?'' he wanted to know. ''Nobody but Ah Kim here. He's all right.'' The officer shook his head. ''Can't always tell,'' he averred. ''All these tong wars, you know.'' He raised his voicve to a terrific bellow. ''Come here, you,'' he cried. Ah Kim, lately Detective-Sergeant Chan of the Honolulu Police, came with expressionless face and stood before the constable. How often he had played the opposite role in such a scene - played it far better than this mainland officer ever would. In the early 1900s, stories were often serialized in magazines such as Collier's and The Saturday Evening Post before being gathered together and published as a novel. Such was the case with The Chinese Parrot, (and indeed, all of the Charlie Chan books) and the story shows its origins clearly. Not a chapter goes by without another character and another complication introduced. But Biggers manages to tie it all together at the end, and come to a satisfactory, if highly improbable, conclusion. Dated Death: The Western connection P. J. Madden has a collection of firearms... ''Nearly every one of these guns has a history... presented to P. J. Madden by Til Taylor - Taylor was one of the best sheriffs Oregon ever had.... given to Madden by Bill Tilghman. That gun, my boy, saw action on Front Street in the old Dodge City days.'' ''What's the one with all the notches?'' ''Used to belong to Billy the Kid.'' And here's one Bat Masterson used to tote... one of the first Colts made, a forty-five, it was presented to Madden by Bill Hart, whose staged a lot of pictures around here.'' Bill Tilghman has a co-starring role in the period mystery The Arabian Pearl, reviewed in our February issue. External sites www.eastoregonian.com/top10/taylor.html:Til Taylor Retrospective http://members.tripod.com/ecv45/tilghman.html: Bill Tilgman americanhistory.about.com/library/ prm/blmastersonnyc1.htm: Bat Masterson http://www.aboutbillythekid.com/: Billy the Kid http://www.hartmuseum.org/: William S. Hart Museum http://www.wilder-westen-web.de/index.htm: The Wild West, from a German perspective! Go to next book review in series, Behind That Curtain, 1928 This review uploaded January 5, 2003.

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