The Charlie Chan Collection, Vol.1 DVDRip VOSEWolfman en [url=http://www.fileheaven.org]FH[/url] escribió:I so much hoped, I could release them myself this time - but the guys from Fragment beat me again.
Many critics feel the Charlie Chan films did not truly hit their stride until 1936 and 1937, when the release of four particularly lively titles set a new standard for the series. THE CHARLIE CHAN COLLECTION, VOL. 2 not only presents those four films, it restores them as well; after years of neglect, Warner Oland, Keye Luke, and company look better than ever.
Charlie was original created by novelist Earl Derr Biggers (1884-1933), who very loosely based the character on Hawaii's legendary police officer Chang Apana (1887-1933.) Biggers wrote six novels in all, and after several false starts 20th Century Fox (then simply known as Fox) hit on the right combination of actors, mystery, and comedy, and the result was perhaps the single most popular film series Hollywood ever created. Although contemporary audiences tend to view the films as politically incorrect, the fact remains that Chan and his family--most often personified by Keye Luke as son Jimmy--were among the very few positive Asian characters on American movie screens at the time; as such they were particularly popular with Asian-American audiences of the day.
The four Chan films in this collection are actually the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th releases in the series, all starring Warner Oland as Chan, all featuring Keye Luke as son Jimmy Chan, and all but one directed by the capable and exacting H. Bruce Humberstone. The most celebrated title is CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA, which co-stars Oland with Boris Karloff in what many consider to be the single finest film in the series. Featuring an operatic score written by Oscar Levant, the story finds Chan called upon to protect diva Lilli Rochelle (Margaret Irving), who has received a death threat. It soon transpires, however, that Madame Rochelle is no blushing innocent: she has a past that includes "an escaped maniac" in the form of Boris Karloff, and no sooner does the overture begin than murder is afoot. The film is unexpectedly stylish; the noteworthy cast includes William Demarest and Nedda Harrigan; and the script very distinctly works to undercut racist notions of the day, with Demarest at first offensively derrisive but ultimately impressed with Chan's skill.
Although not as highly budgeted as OPERA, AT THE RACE TRACK and AT THE OLYMPICS also bear Humberstone's distinct touch. RACE TRACK finds Chan matching wits with a gambling ring determined to turn otherwise honest horse races to their advantage. John Henry Allen's portrayal of "Streamline," a Stepin Fetchit-like character, is perhaps most charitably viewed as a measure of how far African-American actors have come since the 1930s; this aside, however, the cast is solid and the story entertaining. AT THE OLYMPICS is remarkably disconcerting from a historic point of view. Opening in Hawaii and making references to Pearl Harbor, the film concerns the theft of an aircraft device which has military application. Chan is soon on his way to Berlin via The Hindenberg, no less, and finds himself confronting a host of spies and counterspies at the 1936 Olympics. Interestingly, the film makers work hard to avoid mention of the Nazis; although stock footage abounds--including footage of Jessie Owens--the inevitable swatiskas are kept out of focus or more obviously simply blotted out.
While the three Humberstone films in this set tend to receive the bulk of critical favor, my own favorite in this collection is CHARLIE CHAN AT THE CIRCUS. Directed by Harry Lachman, who would go on to direct other Chan films somewhat later, the film is long on charm in its tale of murder under the big top, complete with sultry trapeze artists (Maxine Reiner), dancing little people (George and Olive Brasno), slinky contortionists (Shai Jung), and even one of those bad 1930s ape costumes. Chan films seldom trouble themselves too much with plot detail, and AT THE CIRCUS is a particularly flyweight entry; even so, it is tremendously amusing, unexpectedly atmospheric, and George and Olive Brasno are standouts among the supporting cast.
The remasters are not flawless, but they are very good indeed. I must, however, sound a slightly sour note re the bonus features, which are interesting in themselves but which slight in comparison with what might have been done if the studio had really put its heart into it. Still, the Keye Luke biography is particularly welcome (moderns tend to overlook the truly groundbreaking nature of his career) and the "Charlie Chan at the Movies" featurette is quite nice. Overall, I strongly recommend this collection to Chan fans everywhere.
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The Charlie Chan Collection, Vol.3 DVDRip VOSE
