Monogram Charlie Chans (boxset still planned?) (1 Viewer)

[Marcel H.]

One of the few upcoming projects mentioned during this year's Warner chat was a Charlie Chan retail set containing the Monogram titles Warner owns:

We are evaluating many different opportunies..however we can confirm a retail set of
MONOGRAM CHARLIE CHANS coming early 2010 restored from orig nitrate negatives. They will look great!

Is this set still planned? This statement sounds very definitive but you know, things can change. So, anyone out there who can give an status update?


But back to the movies. There are 11 Monogram titles out there, is this correct? And how do they compare with, e.g. the Fox Chans? I started buying the Fox titles and right now, I have only watched the ones provided in the first box and they are quite enjoyable.

 

[JeffT.]

Wow! I never saw that statement before but it sure sounds great!

At least you've got it in writing and if Warner Brothers backs down on this promise we can always take them to court.

Seriously though I personally like the Mongram Pictures Charlie Chans (which are entertainingly cute) but why are these being offered before The Bowery Boys?!

Anyhow it's a lot better than nothing at all to be sure.


But my understanding of the term "retail" is general DVD retail store and online distribution NOT the exclusive U.S. shipment only Warner Brothers Online Shop.


And this goes especially for the similarly promised The Bowery Boys film series DVD release. I haven't worked my tail off lobbying for this long anticipated film property and fired up my anxious anticipations only to have it finally made available on the exclusive U.S. only Warner Brothers Online Shop which I have grown to detest.

And we darn well better get this "understanding" straightened out now.

Back to Charlie Chan nothing but nothing beats the original 20th Century-Fox Studios produced Charlie Chan films with Warner Oland but that shouldn't deter you from the subsequent Sidney Toler and Roland Winters films.


Jeff T.

 

[ahollis]

Monogram made 17 Charlie Chan films from 1944-1949 starring first Sidney Toler and ending with Roland Winters, The first six of those films have been released on DVD from MGM. The remaining eleven starting with THE RED DRAGON belong to Warners through their ownership of most of the Monogram library.

Since they are Monogram films, the budget was about a third of what Fox was spending (if that). So, there is more emphasis on conversation than action and you will see several sets used as different locations through out the individual films. An interesting note in that Monogram paired Chan with Mantan Mooreland as his taxi driver, chauffeur, or man Friday in all but one of the films as Birmingham Brown (Willie Best was in the two that Mr. Mooreland was not in and played Chattanooga Brown). This added a broader element of comedy to the films and also allowed Monogram to release the films in Black Theatres of the day as Charlie Chan in The Docks of New Orleans starring Mantan Mooreland. They had the best of both worlds as for as the release patterns were concerned.

While they are very cheap films, I have found them very enjoyable and look forward to a pressed set of these films. It would be great if a documentary on Mantan Moorland would be included. He was a very talented actor and his talent was way under used and abused by Hollywood.

 

[Tim Tucker]

I'm optimistic that this will still happen. We've already gotten six Chan boxsets over the past few years, so there must still be a market for these films.

 

[ahollis]

I understand Fox was very happy with the first four Chan volumes and the last one sold well. They were also happy with the Mr. Moto series. The one that did them in on series was Mike Shayne, which are very entertaining films. Warners always said they were happy with the two Tarzan sets, but put the Lex Baxter Tarzan's into the Archive, these films are ones of about a two dozen that I wished had a pressed DVD release. I will say it right now again, that I hope that the Chan's will be a couple of pressed DVD sets with extras and not sold through the Warner Archive. And as Charlie would say “Journey of life like feather in stream - must go with current."

 

[Marcel H.]

Originally Posted by ahollis

Monogram made 17 Charlie Chan films from 1944-1949 starring first Sidney Toler and ending with Roland Winters, The first six of those films have been released on DVD from MGM. The remaining eleven starting with THE RED DRAGON belong to Warners through their ownership of most of the Monogram library.

....

Thanks for your very informative post. Had no idea that the movies in MGM's Chantolegy set are Monogram titles. Just saw the MGM sign and didn't check the company credits in the imdb. So, off to a nice Chan set in 2010 then.

 

[paddy9]

Dear sir, I can think of at least two Monogram Chans with Willie Best instead of Mantan Moreland: Red Dragon and Dangerous Money.