Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan was conceived as an alternative to Yellow Peril stereotypes and villains like Fu Manchu. Many stories feature Chan traveling the world beyond Hawaii as he investigates mysteries and solves crimes.
Alice is a 1990 American fantasy romantic comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen and starring Mia Farrow, Joe Mantegna, and William Hurt. The film is a loose reworking of Federico Fellini's 1965 film Juliet of the Spirits.
William Lawrence Boyd was an American film actor who is known for portraying the cowboy hero Hopalong Cassidy.
Warner Oland was a Swedish-American actor. His career included time on Broadway and numerous film appearances. He is most remembered for playing several Chinese and Chinese-American characters: Dr. Fu Manchu, Henry Chang in Shanghai Express, and, most notably, Honolulu Police detective Lieutenant Charlie Chan in 16 films.
Go into Your Dance is a 1935 American musical drama film starring Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, and Glenda Farrell. The film was directed by Archie Mayo and is based on the novel of the same name by Bradford Ropes. It was released by Warner Bros. on April 20, 1935. An irresponsible Broadway star gets mixed up with gambling and gangsters.
A Million Bid is a 1927 silent drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Dolores Costello. It is based on the 1908 play, Agnes, by Gladys Rankin Drew writing under the pseudonym "George Cameron".
The Avalanche is a 1919 American silent drama film about gambling directed by George Fitzmaurice who also served as the film's art director. William Scully was the assistant director to Fitzmaurice. The film stars Elsie Ferguson and Warner Oland.
The Black Camel is a 1931 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Hamilton MacFadden and starring Warner Oland, Sally Eilers, Bela Lugosi, and Dorothy Revier. It is based on the 1929 novel of the same name by Earl Derr Biggers. It is the second film to star Oland as detective Charlie Chan, and the sole surviving title of the first five Chan films starring Oland. The Black Camel marked the film debut of Robert Young.
Charlie Chan's Courage (1934) is the fifth film in which Warner Oland played detective Charlie Chan. It is a remake of the 1927 silent film The Chinese Parrot, based upon the novel by Earl Derr Biggers. Both are considered lost films.
The Reckless Hour is a 1931 pre-Code film directed by John Francis Dillon and produced and distributed by First National Pictures.
Laugh and Get Rich is a 1931 pre-Code American comedy film, directed by Gregory La Cava, from a screenplay he also wrote with contributions from Douglas MacLean, who also was the associate producer, and Ralph Spence. The film stars Dorothy Lee, Edna May Oliver, Hugh Herbert, and Russell Gleason, and revolves around the antics in a boarding house in the early 1930s, run by Oliver, and the complications caused by her husband.
Beyond Victory is a 1931 American pre-Code war film starring Bill Boyd, James Gleason, Lew Cody, and ZaSu Pitts. While John Robertson received directing credit, Edward H. Griffith supposedly took extensive re-takes after production ended and the film was deemed not audience ready. Two actresses with major roles in the original version were completely cut from the final release, Helen Twelvetrees and June Collyer. The original screenplay was written by Horace Jackson and James Gleason. While the film might not have made a profit at the box office, it was well received by critics.
Suicide Fleet is a 1931 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Albert S. Rogell, written by Lew Lipton and F. McGrew Willis, and starring William Boyd, Robert Armstrong, James Gleason, and Ginger Rogers. It was released on November 20, 1931, by RKO Pictures.
Men of America is a 1932 American pre-Code Western film directed by Ralph Ince and written by Samuel Ornitz and Jack Jungmeyer. The film stars William Boyd, Charles "Chic" Sale, Dorothy Wilson, Ralph Ince, and Henry Armetta. The film was released on November 25, 1932, by RKO Pictures.
Before Dawn is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Irving Pichel and written by Garrett Fort. The film stars Stuart Erwin, Dorothy Wilson, Warner Oland, Dudley Digges and Gertrude Hoffman. It is one of the few Warner Oland films from this period in which he does not play an Asian character. The film was released on August 4, 1933, by RKO Pictures.
The Big Game is a 1936 American sports drama film directed by George Nicholls, Jr. and produced by RKO Radio Pictures, which released the film on October 9, 1936. The screenplay was written by Irwin Shaw, adapted from the 1936 novel of the same name by Francis Wallace. The film stars Philip Huston, James Gleason, June Travis, Bruce Cabot and Andy Devine. Huston (1908-1980) was a respected New York stage actor, who also had prominent roles in a number of motion pictures and, later, acted in television productions, as well.
The Mighty is a 1929 American action film directed by John Cromwell and written by Grover Jones, Robert N. Lee, Herman J. Mankiewicz, William Slavens McNutt and Nellie Revell. The film stars George Bancroft, Esther Ralston, Warner Oland, Raymond Hatton, Dorothy Revier, Morgan Farley and O.P. Heggie. The film was released on November 16, 1929, by Paramount Pictures.
Nice Women is a 1931 American pre-Code romance film written and directed by Edwin H. Knopf. The film stars Sidney Fox, Frances Dee, Alan Mowbray, Lucile Gleason, Russell Gleason and James Durkin. It was released by Universal Pictures on November 28, 1931.
William Stack was an American actor who began his acting career in Great Britain. Over the course of his career he appeared in over 50 films in the U.S. and the U.K, including such notable films as Mary of Scotland, Captains Courageous, and Gone with the Wind.
Officer O'Brien is a 1930 American comedy crime film directed by Tay Garnett and starring William Boyd, Ernest Torrence and Dorothy Sebastian. The film's sets were designed by the art director Edward C. Jewell. It was one of the last films produced by Pathé Exchange before it was fully merged into RKO Pictures.
