How Does A Detective Find the Missing Fans of Charlie Chan?

[OldMovieFan]

Hi I'm new to the site and I see no posts in many many many Months......I know Charlie has MANY Fans and I know there is much to discuss concerning Charlie, #1,#2, Birmingham Brown. But sadly I see nothing.....So I use the limited detective skills I have(and it's not many) to search and find Ya'll(yea it's a Texas saying). So the 1st way is to Post a Question to see if anyone KNOWS. Now It's your Turn whats another way?   

Thanks Old Movie Fan

"Biggest mysteries are not always crimes" 

[Chris Ellis]

Hi: I do not know how to find fans or more fans...this used to be a very active site but the continuing problems are: many who used to visit this site regularly are no longer with us or are infirm; younger people do not have as much interest in these old films and doubly so because they are considered often to be politically incorrect; those who are still around and still check in have discussed almost every imaginable aspect of these films over the years so began to find some discussions very repetitive. In sum the short answer may be that fewer people actually watch these films so the aficionados are harder to discover. Anyway, I still love the films, at least the Twentieth Century-Fox entries and wish there was a more active community with new perspectives on these films. Chris.

[rodb]

glad to see new activity on the site. I have tried in the past to list when old mysteries are playing on TCM, since it is rare for them to show an actually chan movie. It was a little more common when fans were requesting these showings

 

[OldMovieFan]

Tysm for the replies...... I gave it  several days as I know work, personal, and just age cause folks to not attend sites.  Chris thanks for the image and comment, and insight.Rodb for your thoughts, it's hard to think a classic movie channel has devided to show things not focused on films of the "Golden Age".  I love the B & W films, and mystery,crime, and spooky is all in the Chan films. Never stop talking about them... and others always see things even years after I first saw them (for me the 60's).  I still watch my films each week, even if it running in the background while I do the "honey do list" around the house. I KNOW that others are out there lurking I know. As Charlie would say "long journey always start with one short step". Hopefully this will stir the pot and we will discuss a Chan film this weekend. I'm watching Dead Men
Tell tonight.....love the spooky friday night feel of it.

OLD MOVIE FAN

[John Cucinotta]

I log into this site about once a week to see if there is any new activity.  I started a new thread, and I am happy to see activity on this thread.   I would like to see a discussion about a Chan film, even if it is repetitive for us "old timers".  It might be a way to get some new people interested in this site, and help rekindle a few old friendships from past participants.

[Chris Ellis]

Hi Old Movie Fan: am glad you liked the Chan lobby card post. I figure to get some more action here I would start to provide images of cards from Oland films that I have...several of these cards used to be shown on the Charlie Chan Family page but they have been cropped out. Most of these, but by no means all, are images of cards I used to own but sadly I have divested myself of most over the last year or two...starting at the beginning.....Chris.

[rodb]

very nice to to see these cards again

thank you

[Chris Ellis]

Here is another

[John Cucinotta]

Hi, Chris.  Thanks for sharing the images of the lobby cards.  Did you have original lobby cards from these films?  Years ago, when the Internet was young and I found this site, I decided to try to obtain a lobby card from each Chan film.  I visited all of the antique dealers in my area, and I went to many regional antique sales and old garage sales.  I was fortunately able to obtain original lobby cards for about 15 Chan films, mostly Toler and Winters movies.  The Oland lobby cards, of course, are older and harder to find, and probably fewer of them are still in existence.  I have tried eBay and other Internet retail sources, but the prices are sky-high.  Lobby card reproductions, of course, are much cheaper, and are a collection alternative, but do you have any other suggestions about where original Chan lobby cards might be available? 

[Chris Ellis]

Hi John:
I used to be a major collector of lobby cards from all mystery/thriller/detective/spy series films (including Chans, which were my favourites) and had several thousand cards overall that I amassed over about 25 years.  I still have a few Chan cards I keep for old times sake in what I am calling my "permanent collection" but I have auctioned off many of my cards or sold cards to dealers and other collectors that I know privately or generally via ebay.

I sold and continue to sell cards via consignment to Bruce Hershenson's online site at emovieposter.com. I have always found him the most trustworthy auction outlet with accurate descriptions, great packing, etc. Some of the Olands I consigned, notably title cards and cards from the lost films, made what must be considered record prices. I thought I had overpaid for those via major auction houses, dealers, ebay sellers, etc. (I have never found any in antique malls, local collectibles shows and such although I keep trying even now) but the prices many sell for now are astounding -- I tell people if they were that expensive when I collected I would never have been able to buy any! On the other hand, recently I have seen several cards listed in Bruce's and various other auctions from the later films, notably the Monograms, and the prices seem to be coming down on those...I guess many collectors are getting older and realizing it is time to sell.

Old habits do die hard and depending upon price, I will buy the odd card for my permanent collection, notably ones I have looked for and usually never seen in my many years of collecting. I would love to find any card from The Case of the Howling Dog (Perry Mason Series) or Murder on the Blackboard (Hildegarde Withers series), two films for which I have never seen a lobby card and indeed, no posters other than I think one mini-lobby card for Howling Dog. I might be tempted to bid by a decent Chan Black Camel card as I have always been outbid -- Black Camel cards are also rare but they are not the rarest Fox Chan title -- I think Charlie Chan's Greatest Case cards are the rarest of all Oland titles.
Chris.

[Chris Ellis]

Hi: I have never seen in person or an image of the Title Card for Charlie Chan's Chance (1932) -- gives idea of rarity -- so have no idea what it looks like...but I include here an image of one of the other lobbies, a nice portrait card, which to date I have never seen illustrated anywhere -- not a great quality image but it is a great card. Chris.

[Chris Ellis]

I do not have an image of the title card for Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (1933) based on the Bigger's first Chan novel House Without a Key, although I once saw one pictured in a very small digital image about 20 years ago from I believe an ebay listing -- it is a bit mundane in design as I recall. Regardless, beyond that example I had never seen any actual scene cards or images until about four years ago. As I indicated above, I believe cards from this title are the rarest of all Olands. Bruce Hershenson at emovieposter.com notes that this lobby set was issued by Fox as part of an experiment with using very thin paper and as a result the cards are easily damaged -- so that may account for their rarity. Anyway, I attach here an image of one of the scenes I have images of from a card that came from the famous Morris Everett lobby collection auctioned by Profiles in History, California. He had many rare Chan cards. Chris.

[John Cucinotta]

Chris, thanks for posting these images.  They have renewed my interest in trying to collect more lobby cards.  The card for "CC's Greatest Case" is very colorful, and Oland looks a bit slimmer than in his later Chan films !

[Chris Ellis]

Glad you are enjoying the posts John...here is my next contribution, a Title Card from Charlie Chan's Courage (1934). Cards from this film are rare but they seem to show up more often than from any other "lost" Chan film. I have actually seen all the scene cards for this title, unlike some of the earlier films. This film was based on the Biggers novel "The Chinese Parrot" and there is one scene card in which the parrot appears!

[OldMovieFan]

John & Chris,

Wonderful  thread going on...I also was collecting at one point in my life.  Had pressbooks, lobby cards, posters,  etc... from the series (and many others). Was  holding  17 of them on 16mm film too. But I was informed years ago by the other half  to "thin out " my amassed luxuries.  I  have some stuff I couldn't  let go of, but  sold the rest. My  Moto collection went to those who restored and made the  DVDS for the public. Love  the Chan series,  I watch them weekly.