Charlie Chan fans check in!

[Fenris]

Racist?

You bet!

It's funny that Lon Chaney ever passed for an Asian. He looks like his entire face is being supported by his incredibly agile eyebrows. See kids, in the early part of the 20th Century, it was too offensive to Americans to have anyone but white actors on the screen, unless they were in a domestic role and said "Massa" a lot. So what did we agree to? A white guy who could make his eyes looked more Asian and could sport a fu manchu with the best of 'em. It's sad to think that the thought of a nonwhite person on screen in a role that was halfway intelligent was forbidden not too long ago.

[GOPisEvil]

1. God, how horribly racist that was...

Ahhh...Numbah 1 one son...Good Lord...

What's strange is: I think I've watched every Charlie Chan movie made at least once.

[Fenris]

3. I've seen a lot of them

They occasionally would play them on AMC a long time ago.

[GOPisEvil]

4. I think that's where I saw them too.

I think they played them late on Friday or Saturday nights...something like that.

[Fenris]

5. Right. They never really announced that they were playing them.

I think they tried to make it as low-key as possible. I can't imagine an Asian audience being very entertained by them.

[GOPisEvil]

6. Didn't Warner Oland play Chan frequently too?

:shrug:

[NightTrain]

2. The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan!

n/t

[Westegg]

7. Chaney Sr. did play Asians, but not Chan, as far as I know...

Warner Oland, a Swede, played Charlie Chan in the '30s and after he died, Sidney Toler, a white American, took over the role. There were a couple of actual Asian actors in this series, including Keye Luke (best known these days from re-runs of "Kung Fu"), who played "Number One Son."

[Fenris]

8. Good to know; I remember the Asian actors

They were much better, even if they were saying things that were horribly demeaning.

[fudge stripe cookays]

9. Ever see "Murder By Death?"

Neil Simon comedy with parodies of famous detectives all invited to Truman Capote's spooky house for the weekend.

Peter Sellers was hysterical as Sidney Wang, the Chan double.

My favorite line:

(howling dog in the distance) Awwwoooooooooo!
Wang: Stop car, please.
Number 2 son: What?
Wang: Stop car, PLEASE.
Number 2 son: I don't hear nothin. Whadda you hear?
Wang: Double negative and dog.

Truman Capote kept going nuts telling Wang to say his prepositions and pronouns.

4 fudge-striped stars!