In considering the detectives on the golden age of movies, one notices they dripped with class and style. Refinement was present {in the clothing as well} as men wore suits, hats, and tuxedos. The women were garbed in ball gowns, stylish hats and jewelry galore. They sipped wine and champagne, and never worked at mundane ordinary jobs. The settings were very lavish and upscale. The mysteries were set in exotic locations, except for those occuring in old dark haunted houses. Mystery and murder cases were committed on board cruise ships, in grand hotels, gambling casinos, fancy restaurants--- high-toned murder!

Hawaii was the perfect locale for the home and workplace of the enigmatic and inscrutable Chinese master detective Charlie Chan! This Oriental gumshoe , created by Earl Derr Biggers, became an icon in movie crime detection. Charlie Chan was expertly played on film first by Warner Oland, then by Sidney Toler. Surprisingly, neither man was Oriental. Warner Oland was in fact born in Ulmea, Sweden in 1880, and had a most distinguished career. He translated Swedish plays into English, and in movies was often cast as a villain. He didn't look Swedish, with his dark hair, dark brown eyes and moustache. As the first Lieutenant Chan, he was unbeatable. He achieved worldwide fame in about 20 en"chan"ting Charlie movies. He made Chan a phenomenon for years. Twentieth-Century Fox produced the Chan movies, and they made millions! Charlie often solved his cases with his #1 son {he had 13 children}, Lee Chan, always with humor blended in. Keye Luke, veteran actor, played this role to perfection. His brother Edwin Luke also did some #1 acting in this series in the 1940's.

Warner Oland's portrayal of the great Chan was magnificent. He was absolutely made for this role, in which he achieved his greatest recognition. In 1938 Oland died of bronchial pneumonia at the young age of 58. He was a fine actor and a most honorable man.

Charlie Chan--starring Warner Oland:

Charlie Chan's Greatest Case 1933

Charlie Chan in London 1934

Charlie Chan's Courage 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 Racetrack 1936

Charlie Chan at the Opera 1936

Charlie Chan at the Olympics 1937

Charlie Chan on Broadway 1937

Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo 1937

SIDNEY TOLER AS CHARLIE CHAN

In 1938 upon the untimely demise of #1 Chan, Warner Oland, Twentieth-Century Fox now had to come up with a replacement. Would audiences accept a new Charlie Chan? The studio auditioned hundreds of hopefuls, selecting 35 prospects. The problem was, they all appeared as Warner Oland "look-alikes", imitating his hairstyle, accent, and looks. The man who was chosen to be the new Chan was Sidney Toler. He was the only one who did not copy or duplicate Oland's style. This actor also had no Oriental blood whatsoever, but played a plethora of Chinese villains, such as in "King of Chinatown". Born in Warrensburg, Missouri in 1874, Toler was Scottish! He died at the age of 73 in 1947.

Sidney Toler's Chan was my favorite of the two, for one very good reason: he had a fabulous smile! He was adorable, more like a Chinese panda bear. His smile makes me melt, and my goose bumps get goose bumps. It takes me three days to smooth down. Sidney's exploits in Chan's crime-solving were with his #2 son, Jimmy Chan. The #1 son Lee {with Warner Oland} was by now ostensibly gone off to art school, so Jimmy was next in line with "Pop" {Toler}. Talented actor Victor Sen Yung {not Egg Fu} was often listed as Sen Yung in the credits. Inscrutable observations make one notice strange casting: in Charlie Chan in Honolulu, attention is paid to his #2 daughter. The SAME girl {Iris Wong} played a Chinese maid named Choy Wong in Charlie Chan in Reno. In this movie, she was Jimmy Chan's love interest!

Mystery, suspense, comedy, brilliant logic, surprise endings abound! Charlie Chan, as played by both Warner Oland and Sidney Toler, will be remembered as #1 in detective movies. The era in which they were made was perfect, and both men were "chansome" as Chan!

Charlie Chan--starring Sidney Toler:

Charlie Chan in Honolulu 1938

Charlie Chan in Reno 1939

Charlie Chan at Treasure Island 1939

Charlie Chan in the City of 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

Charlie Chan in Rio 1941

Castle in the Desert 1942

Charlie Chan in the Secret Service 1944

Meeting at Midnight 1944

The Chinese Cat 1944

The Jade Mask 1945

The Scarlet Clue 1945

The Shanghai Cobra 1945

Here's a trivia question for the true #1 Chan fan: Which actor was in Charlie Chan and the Galloping Ghost of Mystery Gulch?

If you must have the answer E-mail me at:

''THANK YOU SO MUCH"