Customer Reviews
The real deal 
2008-05-28
I cannot add anymore to the praise that others have heaped on this series.
On a personal note, I was brought up thinking that Sidney Toler was the definitive Charlie Chan, because that's what I see on Saturday afternoon TV. I wasn't sure that I would like Warner Oland. No problem. Each actor brings something slightly different to the role, and despite my first preferring Sidney Toler, I think that I now prefer Warner Oland.
The movies each come in their own pack: this isn't one of those turn-it-over-for-the-next-movie deals.
I'm not a big one for special features, but for those that like that sort of thing this has plenty of extras.
In fact, one of the pleasures of this set is that when I select "play movie" the next thing that happens is the original black-and-white FOX logo from the original movie and off we go. No annoying messages, disclaimers, and additional logos that so distract me with most of the recently released videos. These are done by someone who obviously loves Charlie Chan and wants nothing to interfere with the audiences' pleasure.
Love Charlie Chan 2008-04-05
Good quality DVD's. If you like Charlie Chan you must have the entire set. Would recommend to a friend.
Charlie Chan on Three Continents 
2008-03-31
Charlie Chan in London is one my favorite movies in the series. The opening grips you when you discover that a young man is about to be executed for a murder he claims he didn't commit. Only his sister believes in his innocence, and all avenues of escape seem closed after the Home Secretary turns down her appeal. But she begs Charlie Chan to see what can be done in the remaining three days.
Charlie is about to leave London but changes his plans to help the young people. Arriving at an English country manor, Charlie must examine the setting to find out what really happened. Only by finding the real killer can the young man be saved.
It all looks pretty bleak until Charlie re-creates the crime and begins to pick up clues. A rattled murderer soon begins making mistakes.
The mystery is a hard one to solve, and you won't identify the killer much before Charlie does. The continual tolling of time adds real suspense and drama to the investigation.
One of the strengths of this movie is that excellent character actors are allowed to steal scenes, in the best tradition of 30's movies: A supercilious and suspicious butler wants to keep Charlie out of the house; a drunk and his wife provide humorous by plays making fun of English pretentiousness; and a not-too-bright police detective has trouble with Charlie's name and following what Charlie tells him.
Drue Leyton is solid in the role of Pamela Gray, sister of the accused man. Her leading man, Ray Milland, is somewhat weak in his role . . . not yet having developed into the suave, assured actor he later became. But it's fun to see Milland as a young actor.
The setting is well done. With one exception (driving in a car with the steering wheel on the left), all the settings ring true for being in England. Especially good for local color is a fox hunt complete with full kit, dogs, and a fox.
If you watched this movie as a youngster as I did, I'm sure it will also provide some nostalgia by helping you remember how you reacted to the movie the first time you saw it.
Charlie Chan movies are an acquired taste. I'm assuming that you have that taste or you wouldn't be looking at this review of the video of Charlie Chan in Paris.
I hadn't seen this movie in over 30 years, and I was curious to see if my obsession with Charlie Chan had survived. I must report that I'm still hooked.
Why? The plot is extremely compact, complex, and well developed. Even knowing who did what to whom, I was fascinated to see the story unfold.
I expected to be bothered by the treatment of Charlie as a Chinese American, but that was handled with reasonable aplomb. Charlie is obviously the smartest guy in the room, and everyone figures that out pretty quickly. Once they know him, they all love Charlie. There's one scene early on where Charlie is patronized by a new acquaintance, but he handles it all with grace. The rest of the time, Charlie receives the kind of treatment that a detective king might command. Warner Oland graciously takes it all as his due.
Those who love Keye Luke who played Lee Chan in the series will be pleased to see that he has a good sized role in Charlie Chan in Paris.
Those who love Apache dancing will enjoy that scene.
What really shocked me was how poorly the film represented Paris. Aside from some French names and a pair of Apache dancers, no one in the film seems to be French. The effort is most amateurish except for an interesting trip through the Paris sewers which is rigged with an unexpected gag.
Charlie Chan in Egypt is based on an original screen play so don't look back into any of the Earl Derr Biggers' novels for insights into this plot. This film is one of the last ones done by Warner Oland, the original actor who portrayed Charlie Chan. In this movie, the studio was obviously trying to tell a good story without spending much money. The result is surprisingly good.
Having not seen this movie for many years, I was concerned when I saw that Stepin Fetchit was in the cast. Although the role certainly plays on stereotypes about African-Americans (laziness, fearfulness, and drunkenness), the effect wasn't nearly as bad as I feared from some of the other movies in the series where Chinese stereotypes are much too deeply reinforced. Stepin Fetchit comes across more like a reasonable man who is put upon by foolish employers than as an ex-slave who cringes at the sight of a white man.
The strength of the movie comes in the excellent atmosphere created by visiting an Egyptian crypt and a professor's laboratory inside a darkness-shrouded house. There's a heavy mood of danger and dread that infects the actors and the story. You'll get hints of curses, crooks, and obsession. The atmosphere is superbly set in context by having Charlie arrive by plane and taking a barn-storming tour over the Sphinx and major pyramids.
Like the best of the Charlie Chan stories, this film has some excellent science involved to help explain the mysteries and murders.
An unexpected treat is to have the young Rita Hayworth (playing under the name of Rita Cansino) decoratively walking across the rooms in an attractive native costume. Although no one will mistake her for an Egyptian, she certainly adds to the scenery.
The film's main weakness is that the identity of the murderer is pretty easy to figure out.
The DVD also has a short feature on an exemplary Chinese-Hawaiian detective in Honolulu who was operating there when Earl Derr Biggers visited the islands. Biggers probably got the idea for having a Chinese detective from this man, but little else seems to have been based on the real detective who mostly worked on drug and gambling cases in the Chinese community and was famous for carrying a bull whip to enforce the law.
Charlie Chan in Shanghai has one of my favorite opening scenes in the series. A group of young children are playing leapfrog on a liner deck. The camera slow pans back to reveal that Charlie Chan is folded over on the deck waiting for the youngsters to leap over him.
From that playful interlude, the mood soon darkens as a stranger slips a note into Charlie's pocket warning him not to get off the ship in Shanghai. Naturally, Charlie isn't perturbed . . . until threatened by the thought of having to make a speech at a welcoming dinner in his honor that night.
At the dinner, his local contact leans over to tell Charlie that he has important news to share. They agree to meet after the event. But death intrudes. Charlie doesn't know where to go next because his contact had not alerted him to what the issue was that summon Charlie to Shanghai.
Charlie begins investigating the murder on his own and seems to have ruffled more feathers. With quick wits he escapes from a kidnapping.
Much humor is supplied by the presence of eldest son, Lee Chan, played by Keye Luke, who repeatedly slows down progress by hogging the telephone with his girl friend. The other gags involve Lee dressing as a beggar and conducting surveillance on Charlie's behalf.
Eventually, Charlie realizes that he's up against an opium-smuggling ring and starts to track the ring down through the men who kidnapped him.
The ending is full of suspense and action.
Part of the fun of this story is that Charlie gets a chance to speak Chinese and to be on home turf compared to the Europeans and Americans who are doing business in China. It would be great fun to see a remake of this movie, updated for today's China. Presumably, the smuggling would involve pirated copies of Microsoft programs instead of opium.
The plot is a little on the light side, and the mystery isn't quite mysterious enough to be completely satisfying. But all Charlie Chan buffs will be glad to see this movie.
good stuff. 2008-03-24
i have enjoyed these four discs.the episodes move well and are fun.they represent the period well.there are some themes and scenes that might offend some,but one has to remember that these films were made in another time.the chan character is well played and one quickly becomes endeared to him.he is cool,smart,funny and clever.it is clear to see that many of the modern day detectives have taken a cue or two from charlie chan. the interplay between chan and his son is excellant.it adds comic relief and a human quality to the series.the stories are simple and paced nicely.in my opinion,the characters are the key.the cast works well together and seem to enjoy each other.the reproduction is good.i enjoy movies from this era and this collection did not disappoint me.
YUK!!! 
2008-03-10
Yuk!. I thought this compilation was several features on one disc. But it's not. One movie pper disc. The video quality on some is atrocious. Overpriced and unworthy. I have all but discarded most of the volume. Would never purchase this company or perhaps Amazon again.
Fabulous 2008-03-09
Charlie Chan In London(1934)Charlie Chan finds himself in England where he must find a murderer before an innocent man hangs. Charlie Chan In Paris (1935)Charlie's visit to Paris ostensibly a vacation is really a mission to investigate a bond-forgery racket. But his agent apache dancer Nardi is killed before she can tell him much. The case complicated by a false murder accusation for banker's daughter Yvette climaxes with a strange journey through the Paris sewers.Charlie Chan In Egypt (1935)An X-ray machine reveals the presence of a corpse in an Egyptian sarcophagus. It is not that of an ancient pharaoh. Instead the body is that of recently murdered archaelogist.Charlie Chan In Shanghai (1935)The Chinese government calls Charlie Chan to Shanghai to investigate a murder involving an opium ring. Ring leaders kidnap Charlie and attempt to have him killed.System Requirements:Features: Disk 1: CHARLIE CHAN IN LONDON (1934) Full Screen Feature The Legacy of Charlie Chan Featurette (15:00) Theatrical Trailer Disk 2: CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS (1935) Full Screen Feature In Search of Charlie Chan Featurette (20:00) Charlie Chan In London Trailer Disk 3: CHARLIE CHAN IN EGYPT (1935) Full Screen Feature The Real Charlie Chan Featurette (20:00) Charlie Chan In London Trailer Disk 4: CHARLIE CHAN IN SHANGHAI (1935) Full Screen Feature ERAN TRECE Fullscreen Feature (79:00) Eran Trece Theatrical Trailer Charlie Chan In London Trailer Running Time: 373 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: Unknown UPC: 024543244899 Manufacturer No: 2234489
Probably the Best Volume of the Oland Chan Collection 2008-02-20
I have all three DVD "Oland Chan" volumes, and they are all great but I think this one is the best. The plots and pace are the most interesting, and we have Charlie in probably his most exotic locations. Oland is at the top of his game here - you can't go wrong with Volume 1.
Charlie Chan 2008-02-15
On an LED TV this looks great and I need the subtitles so it is great to watch. We have the regular Charlie Chan and you can hardly see tem
Charlie Chan Collection Vol. I 2008-02-08
Though Swedish, Warner Oland played the part of Chinese Detective Charlie Chan to perfection. Thse films are fun to watch again and again. I highly recommend this collection of films.
Charlie Chan like cool summer breeze-breath of fresh air! 2008-01-28
After watching these movies,you will be coming up with alot of Chan aphorisms like that one...but probably much,much better!
This box set includes:
CHARLIE CHAN IN LONDON,CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS,CHARLIE CHAN IN EGYPT,CHARLIE CHAN IN SHANGHAI and ERAN TRECE(Spanish w/ English subtitles)/"Charlie Chan Carries On").The latter film does not include Warner Oland in the lead but it is an interesting look at what might have been.Unfortunately the original English version has been lost,along with three other Oland Chans.
I haven't seen any of these films in at least 50 years but they have lost none of their charm and heart and that is in BIG part to Warner Oland himself.I have seen Oland,Toler and Winters each playing the famous detective.In my oppinion the latter two just tried hard to imitate Oland but fell far short of the mark.They didn't have the dignity,heart,warmth nor comportment the way Oland did.In fact I have seen very few actors immerse themselves in their characters as much as he did.I would even dare say that after a time the two almost became inseperable.I know relatively little of Warner Oland's career except that I know he had played Oriental parts in previous years and that there was at one stage a walk off of a film set by the actor and then his eventual return to Sweden.He was having personal problems,alot of it brought on by alcohol.By today's standards one might say he was burned out.In the end he never returned and died in his homeland.Tragic,for his family and the public,as we lost a very talented man that day in 1938.
I recall reading but never finishing a Derr Biggers Charlie Chan novel.The reason? I had watched a couple of Oland Chan's before hand.Big mistake.I found the character in the books to be different than the on screen character fleshed out with such panache by Oland.It is one of the few times I have committed the literary sin of preferring the movie over the book.That is the impact Oland had on me and that impact has only been heightened considerably with the release of this and the other Oland Chan
films by Fox.
Each film has been transferred over to DVD using the best available source material on hand at Fox.There is a definite difference in the quality from one film to the next but the age of one particular film compared to another matters little.As I said it's the quality of the material on hand which makes it or breaks it.Some are very clean and crisp while others are quite grainy.However ALL are visually quite clear.
Fox seems to have done the best they can with what they have.Also,as I mentioned earlier, four versions are seemingly lost so we should be thankful to at least have these films.
Finally all these sets come with many featurettes that are sure to delight even the most casual Chan fan.As is my practice I have not seen them yet but I am looking forward to viewing them all at a later time.
In conclusion I highly recommmend these Warner Oland Charlie Chan box sets to one and all.They are a must have for all Charlie Chan fans and for those who have never seen them I will tell you that you are in for a special treat.And for those curious enough to want to see the later Chan actors to compare I would advise you to rent if you can.If not possible just buy one or two and see how you like them.But I think it will become apparent very quickly that THESE Chans with the magnificent and talented Warner Oland will become,like me,your favourites too!
