Name	Monte Carlo
Settlement type	Quarter and ward
Official name	Monte Carlo
English name	Mount Charles
Map caption	Location in Monaco
Pushpin map	France
Pushpin label position	left
Pushpin map caption	Location in relation to France
Pushpin mapsize	300
Coordinates display	inline,title
Coordinates region	MC
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name
Government type	Monarchy
Leader title1
Population total	15,200 in Quarter and 3,500 in ward
Elevation footnotes
Postal code type
Footnotes	}}

Monte Carlo (French: ''Monte-Carlo'', Occitan: ''Montcarles'', Monégasque: ''Monte-Carlu'') is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco.

Monte Carlo is widely known for its casino and its prominence. The permanent population is about 15,000 in Quarter. Monte Carlo quarter includes not only Monte Carlo proper where the Le Grand Casino is located, it also includes the neighbourhoods of Saint-Michel, Saint-Roman/Tenao, and the beach community of Larvotto. It is also one of Monaco's 10 wards with a population of 3,500. It borders the French town of Beausoleil (sometimes referred to as Monte-Carlo-Supérieur).

Etymology

Monte Carlo is of Italian origin meaning "Mount of Charles" named after the Prince Charles III of Monaco during the time of his reign.

History

Founded in 1866, Monte Carlo has a name of Italian origin meaning "Mount Charles", in honor of the then-reigning prince, Charles III of Monaco. The specific mountain is the escarpment at the foot of the Maritime Alps on which the town stands.

The history of the area and the ruling Grimaldi family, however, dates back centuries. The port of Monaco is first mentioned in historical records as early as 43 BC, when Julius Caesar concentrated his fleet there while waiting in vain for Pompey. In the 12th century, the area fell under the sovereignty of Genoa, which was granted the entire coastline from Porto Venere to Monaco. After much conflict, the Grimaldis regained the rock in 1295, but suffered a significant amount of opposition in the ensuing years. In 1506 the Monegasques, under Lucien, Lord of Monaco, were under siege for some four months by the Genoan army, which had ten times the number of men. Monaco officially received full autonomy in 1524, but experienced difficulty retaining power, and on occasions briefly fell under the domination of Spain, Sardinia, and France.

By the 1850s, Monaco’s reigning family was almost bankrupt; this was a result of the loss of two towns, Menton and Roquebrune, which had provided most of the principality’s revenues with their lemon, orange and olive crops. At the time, a number of small towns in Europe were growing prosperous from the establishment of casinos, notably in German towns such as Baden-Baden and Homburg. In 1856, Charles III of Monaco granted a concession to Napoleon Langlois and Albert Aubert to establish a sea-bathing facility for the treatment of various diseases, and to build a German-style casino in Monaco. The initial casino was opened in La Condamine in 1862, but was not a success; its present location in the area called "Les Spelugues" (The Caves) of Monte Carlo, came only after several relocations in the years that followed. The success of the casino grew slowly, largely due to the area's inaccessibility from much of Europe. The installation of the railway in 1868, however, brought with it an influx of people into Monte Carlo and saw it grow in wealth.

In 1911, when the Constitution divided the principality of Monaco in 3 municipalities, the municipality of Monte Carlo was created covering the existing neighborhoods of La Rousse / Saint Roman, Larvotto / Bas Moulins and Saint Michel. The municipalities were merged into one in 1917, after accusations that the government was acting according to the motto "divide and conquer" and they were accorded the status of wards (quartiers) thereafter. Today, Monaco is divided into 10 wards, with an eleventh ward planned (but currently postponed) to encompass land reclaimed from the sea (see the "Administrative Divisions" section of Monaco for additional details).

The quarter of Monte Carlo was served by tramways from 1900 to 1953, linking all parts of Monaco (see transportation in Monaco). In 2003, a new cruise ship pier was completed in the harbour at Monte Carlo.

Climate

Sport and leisure

Monte Carlo is host to most of the Circuit de Monaco, on which the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix takes place. It also hosts world championship boxing bouts, the European Poker Tour Grand Final and the World Backgammon Championship as well as fashion shows and other events. Although the Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament is billed as taking place in the community, its actual location is in the adjacent French commune of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. Monte Carlo has been visited by royalty as well as the general public and movie stars for decades. The Monte Carlo Rally is one of the longest running and most respected car rallies; from 1973 to 2008, it marked the start of each rally season as the first event on the World Rally Championship calendar, but is now part of the second-tier Intercontinental Rally Challenge. However, the rally takes place outside the Monte Carlo quarter.

Monte Carlo is one of Europe's leading tourist resorts, although many of the key tourist destinations are located in other parts of Monaco, including such attractions as Monaco Cathedral, the Napoleon Museum, the Oceanographic Museum and aquarium, and the Prince's Palace, all of which are located in Monaco-Ville.

Salle Garnier

The Opéra de Monte-Carlo or Salle Garnier was built by the architect Charles Garnier as an exact replica in miniature of the Paris Opera House. The auditorium of the opera house is decorated in red and gold and has frescoes and sculptures all around the auditorium. It was inaugurated on January 25, 1879 with a performance by Sarah Bernhardt dressed as a nymph. The first opera performed there was Robert Planquette's ''Le Chevalier Gaston'' on 8 February 1879, and that was followed by three more in the first season.

With the influence of the first director, Jules Cohen (who was instrumental in bringing Adelina Patti) and the fortunate combination of Raoul Gunsbourg, the new director from 1883, and Princess Alice, the opera-loving American wife of Charles III's successor, Albert I, the company was thrust onto the world's opera community stage. Gunsbourg remained for sixty years overseeing such premiere productions as Berlioz's ''La damnation de Faust'' in 1893 and the first appearances in January 1894 of the heroic Italian tenor, Francesco Tamagno in Verdi's ''Otello,'' the title role of which he had created for the opera's premiere in Italy.

By the early years of the twentieth century, the Salle Garnier was to see such great performers as Nellie Melba and Enrico Caruso in ''La Bohème'' and ''Rigoletto'' (in 1902), and Feodor Chaliapin in the premiere of Jules Massenet's ''Don Quichotte'' (1910). This production formed part of a long association between the company and Massenet and his operas, two of which were presented there posthumously.

Other famous twentieth-century singers to appear at Monte Carlo included Titta Ruffo, Geraldine Farrar, Mary Garden, Tito Schipa, Beniamino Gigli, Claudia Muzio, Georges Thill and Lily Pons.

Apart from Massenet, composers whose works had their first performances at Monte Carlo included: Saint-Saëns (''Hélène'', 1904); Mascagni ''(Amica,'' 1905); and Puccini ''(La rondine'', 1917). Indeed, since its inauguration, the theatre has hosted 45 world premiere productions of operas. René Blum was retained to found the Ballet de l'Opéra. The "Golden Age" of the Salle Garnier is gone, as small companies with small houses are not able to mount productions that cost astronomical sums. Nonetheless, the present day company still presents a season containing five or six operas.

Hôtel de Paris

The Hôtel de Paris was established in 1864 by Charles III of Monaco adjacent to the casino. It is a hotel in the heart of Monte Carlo. It belongs to the Société des bains de mer de Monaco (SBM), and is part of the elite Palace Grand Hotels in Monaco with the Hotel Hermitage, the Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel on Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, the Metropole Hotel and Fairmont hotel.

The hotel has 106 rooms divided into four groups based on type of view, decoration and luxury. The Exclusive City View offers 20 rooms, the Superior Courtyard has 29 large rooms, the Exclusive Sea View 59 and the Exclusive Casino has six.

Additionally there are 74 suites and junior suites which are grouped similarly, offering more luxury than the rooms. There are Single and Double suites as well as Courtyard Junior suites and Sea/Casino Junior suites. There is also one Presidential suite.

In popular culture

Monte Carlo has featured in numerous films and television series. The 1968 Princess Grace of Monaco documentary ''Monte Carlo: C'est La Rose'' starring Grace Kelly, Prince Rainier of Monaco, a musical cast of international celebrities and David Winters dancers was designed to show off the beauty and the wonders of Monte Carlo to the world. The Stephen Flaherty/Lynn Ahrens musical Lucky Stiff takes place in Monte Carlo. The 1930 American film ''Monte Carlo'' starring Jack Buchanan and Jeanette MacDonald was set in Monte Carlo. The casino featured in the James Bond films ''Never Say Never Again'' (1983), ''GoldenEye'' (1995), and ''Casino Royale'' (2006). ''To Catch a Thief'' (1954) was an Alfred Hitchcock film with Monte Carlo and its famous casino as the setting and featured Cary Grant and the future Princess Grace of Monaco as the stars. There is a scene in the movie where the-then Grace Kelly drives a car very quickly - and dangerously - along the steep winding roads of Monaco that surround the heights of Monte Carlo; an interesting coincidence to her actual fate in 1982. Monte Carlo was even a location for the late 1960s British London based series ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'' where in the eleventh episode of the series, "The Ghost who Saved the Bank at Monte Carlo", Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre went to Monte Carlo to accompany a highly talented elderly woman to gamble inside the casino and waylay a group of thugs (amongst them Brian Blessed). In 1970, Chevrolet introduced a car called the Chevrolet Monte Carlo which went through six generations of production until 2007. The motor race Monaco World Prix 1 in Monte Carlo also featured in the 2010 film ''Iron Man 2''. Other films such as ''I Spy'' and ''Monte Carlo'' use the city as a setting. The video game series ''Gran Turismo'' often features Monte Carlo as a location.

See also

Geography of Monaco#Suburbs and features

Monte Carlo Casino

Monte Carlo International Heliport

Opéra de Monte-Carlo

Radio Monte Carlo

References

External links

The portal to the Principality in 5 languages

Travel guide for Monte Carlo and Monaco

Official site about Monte Carlo thermae

Monte Carlo - Fullscreen 360 degree Quicktime VR Panorama

Monaco Portal

Monaco Hotels reservation

Category:Quarters of Monaco Category:IOC Session Host Cities

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birth date	April 09, 1986
birth place	Forth Worth, Texas, U.S.
birthname	Leighton Marissa Meester
occupation	Actress, singer, model
yearsactive	1999–present
website	leightonmeestermusic.com }}

Leighton Marissa Meester (born April 9, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Meester first garnered attention for playing Blair Waldorf in the CW television series ''Gossip Girl''. She most recently appeared in the 2010 country drama film ''Country Strong'', the 2011 thriller ''The Roommate'', and the 2011 romantic-comedy ''Monte Carlo''.

Early life and personal life

Meester was born in Fort Worth, Texas, to Constance (née Haas) and Douglas Meester and lived most of her life in New York City and Los Angeles. Meester's last name means "master" or "teacher" in Dutch.

At the time, her mother was serving time in a federal prison for her involvement in a drug ring that smuggled marijuana from Jamaica to the United States. She was able to give birth to Leighton in a hospital and nurse her for three months in a halfway house, before returning to prison to complete her sentence, after which Leighton's grandmother cared for her.

Meester has maintained that her parents gave her a normal upbringing and, despite their criminal past, are good people with experience that has only made Meester more open-minded and non-judgmental, "It made me realize that you can't judge anyone — especially your parents — for what they've done in their past, because people change." Meester has joked, "Look, I could've turned out a lot worse." She has cited her mother as her style icon.

Meester grew up in Marco Island, Florida, where she participated in productions at a local playhouse. When she was 11 years old, Meester and her mother moved to New York City. Meester attended the Professional Children's School and also began working as a model with Wilhelmina, booking a Ralph Lauren campaign shot by Bruce Weber and working with then photographer (now film maker) Sofia Coppola as well as many commercials including Tamagotchi toys and Clearasil. Meester made her television acting debut as a murder victim's friend on an episode of ''Law & Order''. At 14, Meester moved to Los Angeles, California, wanting more stable work, and attended Hollywood High School and Beverly Hills High School. She then transferred to a small private school and graduated a year early.

In July 2011, she and her mother filed lawsuits against each other regarding Meester's financial support of her younger brother, who has multiple health problems. Meester's suit claims the money she sent was misused by her mother; her mother's suit makes a cross-claim alleging breach of contract and physical abuse.

Career

Acting

After her television debut in 1999 playing Alyssa Turner in ''Law & Order'', Meester appeared as a guest in two more series before landing her big role in the movie ''Hangman's Curse'', based on the best-selling book by Frank Peretti. She appeared in ''Tarzan'', which ran for only eight episodes. Meester then started to land guest roles in other series such as ''Crossing Jordan'', ''8 Simple Rules'', ''7th Heaven'', ''Veronica Mars'', ''24'', and ''Entourage''.

In 2005, Meester began a regular role in the series ''Surface'' as Savannah Bennet. Meester appeared in two more 2006 movies, ''Flourish'' and ''Inside''. She also guest appeared in ''Numb3rs'' and in three episodes of ''House M.D.'' as Ali, a young girl who has a crush on House. She had guest roles on ''CSI: Miami'' and ''Shark'', and played the female lead in the horror film ''Drive-Thru''.

In 2007, Meester was cast in the CW's teen drama series ''Gossip Girl'' as Blair Waldorf. The show is based on the book series by Cecily von Ziegesar about the lives of New York's privileged Upper East Side young adults. Her performance is the most critically acclaimed of the show, with Blair being cited as the series' breakout character, and also garnering much media recognition due to her wardrobe.

Meester appeared on the television film ''The Haunting of Sorority Row'', and played a part in the ensemble comedy/drama ''Remember the Daze''. She also appeared in the horror/thriller film ''Killer Movie'' in 2008.

Meester had small roles in the 2010 comedies ''Date Night'' and ''Going The Distance''. She starred in Screen Gems' 2010 country drama ''Country Strong'' and the 2011 thriller ''The Roommate''. In 2011 she starred alongside Selena Gomez and Katie Cassidy in the young femme comedy ''Monte Carlo'', loosely based on Jules Bass's young-adult book ''Headhunters''. She is set to star in ''The Uncatchable Cowgirl Bandits of Nottingham, Texas'' alongside Amber Heard; in the indie dramatic comedy ''The Oranges'' opposite Hugh Laurie; and she also joined the cast of the comedy ''I Hate You, Dad'', alongside Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, and Milo Ventimiglia.

Music

In April 2009, Meester signed a recording contract with Universal Republic. Meester's first official single, "Somebody To Love", featuring R&B singer Robin Thicke, was released for airplay on October 13, 2009 and became available for digital download on October 14, 2009. Her second single, "Your Love's a Drug", was digitally released on March 30, 2010.

Meester is featured on Cobra Starship's song "Good Girls Go Bad", which reached the Top 10 on Billboard Hot 100 peaking at #7, and on Stephen Jerzak's song "She Said". She recorded a cover of the song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" for the compilation album ''A Very Special Christmas 7''. For her 2010 country drama film ''Country Strong'', she recorded a cover of the song "Words I Couldn't Say" by Rascal Flatts as well as "A Little Bit Stronger" by Sara Evans featured on the film's soundtrack; a promotional single titled "Summer Girl"; and a duet with Garrett Hedlund titled "Give In To Me".

Endorsements

Meester has fronted many charity as well as advertising campaigns. In 2008, she was a spokesperson for Sunsilk's "Life Can't Wait" campaign to motivate women to pursue their dreams and collaborated with Safe Horizon to raise awareness about and prevent domestic violence. Early in 2009, Meester partnered with Reebok to model their new Top Down sneakers. Outside of ''Gossip Girl'', Meester has worked with co-star Ed Westwick in a Nikon Coolpix series camera advertisement and both were faces for a Korean clothing line called ASK Enquired. Most recently, in 2010, Meester has signed on to be the current spokesperson for Herbal Essences hair products. In the same year, Meester took part in Bulgari's humanitarian efforts for the Save the Children organization with Isabella Rossellini and Maribel Verdútaken. Vera Wang has also chosen Meester to be the face of her newest scent ''Lovestruck'', breaking in summer of 2011, stating that the actress's "beauty, talent and spirit will inspire all the young women that I hope will enjoy this passionate, new young fragrance." In 2011, Italian fashion house Missoni revealed they have tapped Meester to be part of their Spring/Summer 2011 campaign. She fronts another South Korean brand, this time a beauty campaign, called eSpoir. Leighton is additionally the new face of Vera Wang's scent "Lovestruck" which was first sold in Harrods on the 9th June with many adoring fans queueing to get the world famous designer's and actress's signature.

Filmography

+ List of film credits
! Year	! Film	! Role	Notes
2003	''The Big Wide World of Carl Laemke''	Tanni
2003	''The Jackalope''	Lorraine
2003		Elisha Springfield
2004	''Hollywood Division''	Michelle	TV film
2006		Lucille "Lucy" Covner
2006	''Inside''	Josie
2007		Mackenzie Carpenter
2007	''Remember the Daze''	Tori
2007	''The Haunting of Sorority Row''	Samantha Willows	TV film
2008	''Killer Movie''	Jaynie Hansen
2010	''Date Night''	Katy
2010		Amy
2010	''Country Strong''	Chiles Stanton
2011	''The Roommate''	Rebecca
2011		Meg
2011		Nina Ostroff	''Post-production''
2012	''I Hate You, Dad''	TBA	''Filming''

+ List of television credits
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1999	''Law & Order''	Alyssa Turner
2001	''Boston Public''	Sarah Breen
2002	''Once And Again''	Amanda	Episode "Gardenia"
2002	''Family Affair''	Irene	Episode "No Small Parts"
2003		Nicki Porter	5 episodes
2004	''Crossing Jordan''	Marie Strand
2004	''7th Heaven''	Kendall	2 episodes
2004		Veronica Farrell	Episode "Pilot"
2004–2008		Justine Chapin	3 episodes
2005		Debbie Pendleton	4 episodes
2005	''8 Simple Rules''	Nikki Alcott
2005	''Veronica Mars''	Carrie Bishop	2 episodes
2005–2006		Savannah Barnett	12 episodes (Recurring role)
2006		Poppy
2006	''Secrets of a Small Town''	Kayla Rhodes	Episode "Pilot"
2006	''Numb3rs''	Karen Camden
2006	''House M.D.''	Ali	2 episodes
2007	''CSI: Miami''	Heather Crowley
2007		Megan	3 episodes
2007–present	''Gossip Girl''	Blair Waldorf	Main role

Discography

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions			Album
		! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	iTunes Chart
2009	style="text-align:left;"	—	13	—
2010		—	—	45

Featured singles

Year	Single	Artist	Peak chart positions									Album
			! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"
2009		Cobra Starship	7	5	37	4	7	13	61	2	17	style="text-align:left;"
2010		Stephen Jerzak	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Awards

! Year	! Award	! Category	! Nominated work	! Result
2008	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Actress Drama
2008	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Breakout Star Female	''Gossip Girl''
2009	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Actress Drama	''Gossip Girl''
2009			"Good Girls Go Bad" (with Cobra Starship)
2010	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Actress Drama	''Gossip Girl''
2010	Hollywood Awards	Spotlight Award	''Country Strong''
2011			''The Roommate''
2011	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie Actress Drama	''Country Strong''
2011	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie Villain	''The Roommate''

References

External links

Official website

Category:1986 births Category:Actors from Texas Category:Actors from Florida Category:American child actors Category:American child models Category:American female models Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American people of Dutch descent Category:American pop singers Category:American television actors Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Florida Category:Musicians from Texas Category:People from Collier County, Florida Category:People from the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex Category:Songwriters from Texas

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Charlie Chan is a fictional Chinese-American detective created by Earl Derr Biggers in 1923. Loosely based on Honolulu detective Chang Apana, Biggers conceived of the benevolent and heroic Chan as an alternative to Yellow Peril stereotypes, such as villains like Fu Manchu. Chan is a detective of the Honolulu police, though many stories feature Chan traveling the world as he investigates mysteries and solves crimes.

Chan first appeared in Biggers' novels, but went on to be featured in a number of media. Over four dozen films featuring Charlie Chan have been made, beginning in 1926. The character was at first portrayed by Asian actors, and the films met with little success. In 1931, the Fox Film Corporation cast Swedish actor Warner Oland as Chan in ''Charlie Chan Carries On''; the film was a success, and Fox went on to produce 15 more Chan films with Oland in the title role. After Oland's death, American actor Sidney Toler was cast as Chan; Toler made 22 Chan films, first for Fox and then for Monogram Studios. After Toler's death, six more films were made, starring Roland Winters.

In addition, a number of Spanish- and Chinese-language Chan films were made during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. American-made Chan films were shown in China to much success, where the character was popular and respected. More recent film adaptations in the 1990s have been unsuccessful. The character has also been featured in several radio programs, two television shows, and a number of comics.

Interpretations of Chan by critics are split, especially as relates to his ethnicity. Positive assessors of Chan argue that he is portrayed as intelligent, benevolent and honorable — in contrast to the adverse depictions of evil or conniving Chinese then current on page and screen. Others state that Chan, despite his good qualities, reinforces certain Asian stereotypes, such as an alleged incapacity to speak fluent English and the possession of an overly tradition-bound and subservient nature.

Books

The character of Charlie Chan was created by Earl Derr Biggers. In 1919, while on vacation in Hawaii, Biggers planned a detective novel to be called ''The House Without a Key''. He did not begin to write the novel until four years later, however, when he was inspired to add a Chinese American police officer to the plot after reading in a newspaper of Chang Apana (鄭阿平) and Lee Fook, two Chinese-American detectives on the Honolulu police force. Biggers, who disliked the Yellow Peril stereotypes he found when he came to California, explicitly conceived of the character as an alternative to them: "Sinister and wicked Chinese are old stuff, but an amiable Chinese on the side of law and order has never been used."

The "amiable Chinese" made his first appearance in ''The House Without a Key'' (1925). The character was not central to the novel and was not mentioned by name on the dustjacket of the first edition. In the novel, Chan is described as walking with "the light dainty step of a woman" and as being "very fat indeed ... an undistinguished figure in his Western clothes." According to critic Sandra Hawley, this description of Chan allows Biggers to portray the character as non-threatening, the opposite of such evil Chinese characters as Fu Manchu, while simultaneously emphasizing supposedly Chinese characteristics such as impassivity and stoicism.

Film, radio, and television adaptations

Films

The first Charlie Chan film was ''The House without a Key'' (1926), a 10-chapter serial produced by Pathé Studios, starring George Kuwa, a Japanese actor, as Chan. A year later Universal Pictures followed the film with ''The Chinese Parrot'', starring another Japanese actor, Kamiyama Sojin, in the starring role. In both productions, Charlie Chan's role was minimized. Contemporary reviews were unfavorable; in the words of one reviewer, speaking of ''The Chinese Parrot'', Sojin plays "the Chink sleuth as a Lon Chaney cook-waiter ... because Chaney can't stoop that low."

In 1929, the Fox Film Corporation acquired the rights to Charlie Chan and produced ''Behind That Curtain'', starring Korean actor E.L. Park. Again, Chan's role was minimized, with Chan appearing only in the last 10 minutes of the film. Not until a white actor was cast in the title role did a Chan film meet with success, beginning with 1931's ''Charlie Chan Carries On'', starring Swedish actor Warner Oland as Chan. Oland, who claimed some Mongolian ancestry, played the character as much more gentle and self-effacing than he had been in the books, perhaps in "a deliberate attempt by the studio to downplay such an uppity attitude in a Chinese detective." Oland starred in 15 more Chan films for Fox, often with Keye Luke, who played Chan's "Number One Son", Lee Chan. Oland's "warmth and gentle humor" helped make the character and films quite popular; the Oland Chan films were among Fox's most successful of the period, attracting "major audiences and box-office grosses on a par with A's" and "[keeping] Fox afloat" during the Great Depression.

Oland died in 1938, and the Chan film he had been working on, ''Charlie Chan at the Ringside'', was transformed at the last minute into ''Mr. Moto's Gamble'', an entry in the Mr. Moto series, another contemporary series featuring an Asian protagonist; Luke still appeared as Lee Chan, not only in already shot footage but also in scenes with Moto actor Peter Lorre. Fox hired another white actor, Sidney Toler, to play Charlie Chan, and produced 11 more Chan films through 1942. Toler's Chan was less mild-mannered than Oland's, a "switch in attitude that did much to add some of the vigor of the original books to the films." He is frequently accompanied, and irritated, by his Number Two Son, Jimmy Chan, played by Sen Yung.

When Fox decided not to produce any further Chan films, Sidney Toler purchased the film rights. Producers Philip N. Krasne and James S. Burkett of Monogram Pictures decided to release further Chan films, starring Toler. The budget for each film was reduced from Fox's average of $200,000 to $75,000. For the first time, Chan was portrayed on occasion as "openly contemptuous of his suspects and superiors." African-American actor Mantan Moreland was hired as regular character Birmingham Brown, a fact which led to criticism of the Monogram films in the forties and since; some call these performances "brilliant comic turns", while others describe Moreland's roles as an offensive and embarrassing stereotype. Toler died in 1947 and was succeeded by Roland Winters for a final six films. Keye Luke, missing from the series after 1938's Mr.Moto rework, returned as Charlie's son in the last two entries.

Spanish-language adaptations

Three Spanish-language Charlie Chan films were made in the 1930s and 1950s. The first of these, ''Eran Trece (There Were Thirteen)'' (1931), is a Spanish-language version of ''Charlie Chan Carries On'' (1931). The two films were made concurrently and followed the same production schedule, with each scene being filmed twice the same day, once in English and once in Spanish. The film followed essentially the same script as the English-language version, with minor additions such as short songs and skits and some changes to characters' names (for example, the character Elmer Benbow was re-named Frank Benbow). A Cuban production, ''La Serpiente Roja'', followed in 1937. In 1955, Producciones Cub-Mex produced a Mexican version of Charlie Chan called ''El Monstruo en la Sombra'' (Monster in the Shadow), starring Orlando Rodriguez as "Chan Li Po" (Charlie Chan in the original script). The film was inspired by ''La Serpiente Roja'' (The red serpent) as well as the American Warner Oland films.

Chinese-language adaptations

During the 1930s and 1940s, at least five Chan films were produced in Shanghai and Hong Kong. In these films, Chan owns his own detective agency and is aided, not by a son, but by a daughter, Manna, played first by Gu Meijun (顾梅君) in the Shanghai productions and then by Bai Yan (白燕) in post-war Hong Kong.

Chinese audiences also watched the original American Charlie Chan films. They were by far the most popular American films in 1930s China and among overseas Chinese; "one of the reasons for this acceptance was this was the first time Chinese audiences saw a positive Chinese character in an American film, a sharp departure from the sinister Oriental stereotypes in earlier movies like ''Thief of Baghdad'' and ''Welcome Danger'', which incited riots that shut down the Shanghai theater showing it." Oland's visit to China was reported extensively in Chinese newspapers, and the actor was respectfully called "Mr. Chan".

Modern adaptations

In 1980, Jerry Shylock proposed a multi-million dollar comedy film, to be called ''Charlie Chan and the Dragon Lady''. A group calling itself C.A.N. (Coalition of Asians to Nix) was formed, protesting the fact that non-Chinese actors, Peter Ustinov and Angie Dickinson, had been cast in the primary roles. Others protested that the film itself contained a number of stereotypes; Shylock responded that the film was not a documentary. The film was released the following year as ''Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen'' and was an "abysmal failure." An updated film version of the character was planned in the 1990s by Miramax; this new Charlie Chan was to be "hip, slim, cerebral, sexy and ... a martial-arts master", but the film did not come to fruition. Actress Lucy Liu is slated to star in and executive-produce a new Charlie Chan film for Fox. The film has been in pre-production since 2000; as of 2009 it is still slated to be produced.

===Radio=== On radio, Charlie Chan was heard in different series on four networks (Blue, NBC, ABC, MBS) between 1932 and 1948. Walter Connolly initially portrayed Chan as part of Esso Oil's ''Five Star Theater'', which serialized adaptations of Biggers novels. Ed Begley, Sr. had the title role in NBC's ''The Adventures of Charlie Chan'' (1944–45), followed by Santos Ortega (1947–48). Leon Janney and Rodney Jacobs were heard as Lee Chan, Number One Son, and Dorian St. George was the program's announcer. ''Radio Life'' magazine described Begley's Chan as "a good radio match for Sidney Toler's beloved film enactment."

Television adaptations

From 1956-57, ''The New Adventures of Charlie Chan'', starring J. Carrol Naish in the title role, were made independently for TV syndication in a series of 39 episodes, by Television Programs of America. The series was filmed in England. In this series, Chan is based in London rather than the United States. Ratings were poor, and the series was quickly canceled.

In the 1960s, Joey Forman played an obvious parody of Chan named "Harry Hoo" in two episodes of ''Get Smart''.

In the 1970s, Hanna-Barbera produced an animated series called ''The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan''. Keye Luke, who had played Chan's son in many Chan films of the 1930s and 40s, lent his voice to Charlie...who had a much-expanded vocabulary this time around. The series focused, however, on Chan's children...played mostly by Asian-American child actors. Jodie Foster alternated with Leslie Kumamota in voicing Chan's daughter Anne.

''The Return of Charlie Chan'', a television film starring Ross Martin as Chan, was made in 1971 but was not aired until 1979.

Comics and games

A ''Charlie Chan'' comic strip, drawn by Alfred Andriola, was distributed by the McNaught Syndicate beginning October 24, 1938. Andriola was chosen by Biggers to draw the character. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the strip was dropped at the end of May 1942.

Over decades, several other Charlie Chan comic books have been published: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created Prize Comics' ''Charlie Chan'' (1948) which ran for five issues. It was followed by a Charlton Comics title (four issues, 1955). DC Comics published ''The New Adventures of Charlie Chan'', a 1958 tie-in with the TV series; the DC series lasted for six issues. Dell Comics did the title for two issues in 1965. In the 1970s, Gold Key Comics published a short-lived series of Chan comics based directly on the Hanna-Barbera animated series.

In addition, a board game, ''The Great Charlie Chan Detective Mystery Game'' (1937), and a ''Charlie Chan Card Game'' (1939), have been released.

Modern interpretations and criticism

The character of Charlie Chan has been the subject of much controversy. Some find the character to be a positive role model, while others argue that Chan is an offensive stereotype. Critic John Soister argues that Charlie Chan is both; when Biggers created the character, he offered a unique alternative to stereotypical evil Chinamen who was at the same time "sufficiently accommodating in personality... unthreatening in demeanor... and removed from his Asian homeland... to quell any underlying xenophobia."

Critic Michael Brodhead argues that "Biggers's sympathetic treatment of the Charlie Chan novels convinces the reader that their author consciously and forthrightly spoke out for the Chinese - a people to be not only accepted but admired. Biggers's sympathetic treatment of the Chinese both reflected and contributed to the greater acceptance of the Chinese in America in the first third of [the twentieth] century." S. T. Karnick writes in the ''National Review'' that Chan is "a brilliant detective with understandably limited facility in the English language [whose] powers of observation, logic, and personal rectitude and humility made him an exemplary, entirely honorable character." Ellery Queen called Biggers's characterization of Charlie Chan "a service to humanity and to inter-racial relations." Luke agreed; when asked if he thought that the character was demeaning to the race, he responded, "Demeaning to the race? My God! You've got a ''Chinese hero!''" and "[W]e were making the best damn murder mysteries in Hollywood."

Other critics, such as Yen Le Espiratu and Huang Guiyou, argue that Chan, while portrayed positively in some ways, is not on a par with white characters, but a "benevolent Other" who is "one-dimensional." The films' extensive use of white actors to portray Asian characters indicates the character's "absolute Oriental Otherness;" the films were only successful when they were "the domain of white actors who impersonated slant-eyed, heavily-accented masters of murder mysteries as well as purveyors of cryptic proverbs in what Eugene Wong calls a 'racist cosmetology.'" Chan's character "embodies the stereotypes and stigmas of Chinese Americans, particularly of males: smart, subservient, effeminate." Chan is representative of a model minority, the good stereotype that counters a bad stereotype: "Each stereotypical image is filled with contradictions: the bloodthirsty Indian is tempered with the image of the noble savage; the ''bandido'' exists along with the loyal sidekick; and Fu Manchu is offset by Charlie Chan." However, Fu Manchu's evil qualities are presented as inherently Chinese, while Charlie Chan's good qualities are exceptional; "Fu represents his race; his counterpart stands away from the other Asian Hawaiians."

Recent opinion has been largely against the character. In 2003, the Fox Movie Channel discontinued a planned Charlie Chan Festival, soon after beginning restoration for special cablecasting, after a special interest group protested. Fox began releasing these restored versions on DVD in 2006; as of mid-2008, Fox has released all of the extant Warner Oland titles and has begun issuing the Sidney Toler series. The first six Monogram productions, all starring Sidney Toler, were released by MGM in 2004. The films, when broadcast on the Fox Movie Channel, were followed by round table discussions by prominent Asian-Americans in the entertainment industry, led by George Takei, most of whom were against the films. Collections such as Frank Chin's ''Aiiieeee! An Anthology of Asian-American Writers'' and Jessica Hagedorn's ''Charlie Chan is Dead'' are put forth as alternatives to the Charlie Chan stereotype and "[articulate] cultural anger and exclusion as their animating force."

Some modern critics, particularly Asian-Americans, dismiss the Charlie Chan character as "bovine" and "asexual", allowing "white America ... [to be] securely indifferent about us as men." Charlie Chan's good qualities are the product of what Frank Chin and Jeffery Chan call "racist love", arguing that Chan is a model minority and "kissass". Fletcher Chan, however, argues that the Chan of Biggers's novels is not subservient to whites, citing ''The Chinese Parrot'' as an example; in this novel, Chan's eyes blaze with anger at racist remarks and in the end, after exposing the murderer, Chan remarks "Perhaps listening to a 'Chinaman' is no disgrace." In the films, both ''Charlie Chan in London'' (1934) and ''Charlie Chan in Paris'' (1935) "contain scenes in which Chan coolly and wittily dispatches other characters' racist remarks."

Bibliography

Biggers, Earl Derr. ''The House Without a Key''. New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1925.

—. ''The Chinese Parrot''. New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1926.

—. ''Behind That Curtain''. New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1928.

—. ''The Black Camel''. New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1929.

—. ''Charlie Chan Carries On''. New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1930.

—. ''Keeper of the Keys''. New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1932.

Davis, Robert Hart. ''Charlie Chan in The Temple of the Golden Horde''. 1974. ''Charlie Chan's Mystery Magazine''. Reprinted by Wildside Press, 2003. ISBN 1592240143.

Lynds, Dennis. ''Charlie Chan Returns''. New York: Bantam Books, 1974. ASIN B000CD3I22.

Pronzini, Bill, and Jeffrey M. Wallman. ''Charlie Chan in the Pawns of Death''. 1974. ''Charlie Chan's Mystery Magazine''. Reprinted by Borgo Press, 2003. ISBN 9781592240104.

Avallone, Michael. ''Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen''. New York: Pinnacle, 1981. ISBN 0523415052.

Filmography

Unless otherwise noted, information is taken from Charles P. Mitchell's ''A Guide to Charlie Chan Films'' (1999).

{|class="sortable wikitable" |- !Film title !Starring !Directed by !Released !class="unsortable"|Notes |- |''The House Without a Key'' |George Kuwa |Spencer G. Bennet |1926 |Lost film |- |''The Chinese Parrot'' |Kamayama Sojin |Paul Leni |1927 |Lost film |- |''Behind That Curtain'' |E.L. Park |Irving Cummings |1929 | |- |''Charlie Chan Carries On'' |Warner Oland |Hamilton MacFadden |1931 |Lost film |- |''Eran Trece'' (in Spanish) |Manuel Arbó |David Howard (uncredited) |1931 | |- |''The Black Camel'' |Warner Oland |Hamilton MacFadden |1931 | |- |''Charlie Chan's Chance'' |Warner Oland |John Blystone |1932 |Lost film |- |''Charlie Chan's Greatest Case'' |Warner Oland |Hamilton MacFadden |1933 |Lost film |- |''Charlie Chan's Courage'' |Warner Oland |George Hadden and Eugene Forde |1934 |Lost film |- |''Charlie Chan in London'' |Warner Oland |Eugene Forde |1934 | |- |''Charlie Chan in Paris'' |Warner Oland |Lewis Seiler |1935 | |- |''Charlie Chan in Egypt'' |Warner Oland |Louis King |1935 | |- |''Charlie Chan in Shanghai'' |Warner Oland |James Tinling |1935 | |- |''Charlie Chan's Secret'' |Warner Oland |Gordon Wiles |1936 |Public domain due to the omission of a valid copyright notice on original prints. |- |''Charlie Chan at the Circus'' |Warner Oland |Harry Lachman |1936 | |- |''Charlie Chan at the Race Track'' |Warner Oland |H. Bruce Humberstone |1936 | |- |''Charlie Chan at the Opera'' |Warner Oland |H. Bruce Humberstone |1936 | |- |''Charlie Chan at the Olympics'' |Warner Oland |H. Bruce Humberstone |1937 | |- |''Charlie Chan on Broadway'' |Warner Oland |Eugene Forde |1937 | |- |''The Disappearing Corpse'' (in Chinese) |? |? |1937 | |- |''La Serpiente Roja'' (in Spanish) |Aníbal de Mar |Ernesto Caparrós |1937 | |- |''Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo'' |Warner Oland |Eugene Forde |1937 | |- |''Charlie Chan in Honolulu'' |Sidney Toler |H. Bruce Humberstone |1938 | |- |''Charlie Chan in Reno'' |Sidney Toler |Norman Foster |1938 | |- |''The Pearl Tunic'' (in Chinese) |? |? |1938 | |- |''Charlie Chan at Treasure Island'' |Sidney Toler |Norman Foster |1939 | |- |''City in Darkness'' |Sidney Toler |Herbert I. Leeds |1939 | |- |''The Radio Station Murder'' (in Chinese) |? |? |1939 | |- |''Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise'' |Sidney Toler |Eugene Forde |1940 | |- |''Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum'' |Sidney Toler |Lynn Shores |1940 | |- |''Charlie Chan in Panama'' |Sidney Toler |Norman Foster |1940 | |- |''Murder Over New York'' |Sidney Toler |Harry Lachman |1940 | |- |''Dead Men Tell'' |Sidney Toler |Harry Lachman |1941 | |- |''Charlie Chan in Rio'' |Sidney Toler |Harry Lachman |1941 | |- |''Charlie Chan Smashes an Evil Plot'' (in Chinese) |徐莘园 (Xu Xinyuan) |徐莘夫 (Xu Xinfu) |1941 | |- |''Castle in the Desert'' |Sidney Toler |Harry Lachman |1942 | |- |''Charlie Chan in the Secret Service'' |Sidney Toler |Phil Rosen |1944 | |- |''The Chinese Cat'' |Sidney Toler |Phil Rosen |1944 | |- |''Black Magic'' |Sidney Toler |Phil Rosen |1944 | |- |''The Shanghai Cobra'' |Sidney Toler |Phil Karlson |1945 | |- |''The Red Dragon'' |Sidney Toler |Phil Rosen |1945 | |- |''The Scarlet Clue'' |Sidney Toler |Phil Rosen |1945 |Public domain due to the omission of a valid copyright notice on original prints. |- |''The Jade Mask'' |Sidney Toler |Phil Rosen |1945 | |- |''Dangerous Money'' |Sidney Toler |Terry O. Morse |1946 |Public domain due to the omission of a valid copyright notice on original prints. |- |''Dark Alibi'' |Sidney Toler |Phil Karlson |1946 |Public domain due to the omission of a valid copyright notice on original prints. |- |''Shadows Over Chinatown'' |Sidney Toler |Terry O. Morse |1946 | |- |''The Trap'' |Sidney Toler |Howard Bretherton |1946 |Public domain due to the omission of a valid copyright notice on original prints. |- |''The Chinese Ring'' |Roland Winters |William Beaudine |1947 |Public domain due to the omission of a valid copyright notice on original prints. |- |''Docks of New Orleans'' |Roland Winters |Derwin Abrahams |1948 | |- |''Shanghai Chest'' |Roland Winters |William Beaudine |1948 | |- |''The Golden Eye'' |Roland Winters |William Beaudine |1948 |Public domain due to the omission of a valid copyright notice on original prints. |- |''The Feathered Serpent'' |Roland Winters |William Beaudine |1955 | |- |''The Return of Charlie Chan'' (aka ''Happiness is a Warm Clue'') |Ross Martin |Daryl Duke |1973 | |- |''Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen'' (This film is a satire and not really part of any Chan series) |Peter Ustinov |Clive Donner |1981 | |}

Notes

See also

Portrayal of East Asians in Hollywood

References

"Creating Charlie Chan" (22 March 1931). In ''Popular Culture'' (1975). Ed. by David Manning White. Ayer Publishing. ISBN 040506649X.

Hawley, Sandra M. (1991). "The Importance of Being Charlie Chan." In ''America views China: American images of China then and now''. Ed. by Jonathan Goldstein, Jerry Israel, and Hilary Conroy. Lehigh University Press. ISBN 0934223130.

Further reading

Huang, Yunte. ''Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History''. New York : Norton, 2010. ISBN 978-0-393-06962-4

External links

The "Charlie Chan" Novels

:The House Without A Key

:The Chinese Parrot

:Behind That Curtain

:The Black Camel

:Charlie Chan Carries On

:Keeper Of The Keys

Charlie Chan fansite

The Charlie Chan Family Home

Charlie Chan Biography

About Charlie Chan

Public-domain Charlie Chan radio programs

Adventures of Charlie Chan, The Adventures of Charlie Chan, The Category:American comic strips Adventures of Charlie Chan, The Category:Charlton Comics titles Category:Comic strips started in the 1930s Category:Crestwood Publications titles Category:DC Comics titles Category:Dell Comics titles Chan, Charlie Chan, Charlie Chan, Charlie Category:Series of books * Category:Asian American issues Category:Ethnic and racial stereotypes

de:Charlie Chan eo:Charlie Chan fr:Charlie Chan it:Charlie Chan hu:Charlie Chan pl:Charlie Chan pt:Charlie Chan ru:Чарли Чен fi:Charlie Chan zh:陈查理

name	Warner Oland
birth name	Johan Verner Ölund
birth date	October 03, 1879
birth place	Nyby, Bjurholm Municipality, Västerbotten County, Sweden
death date	August 06, 1938
death place	Stockholm, Sweden
occupation	Actor
yearsactive	1912–1937
notable role	Charlie Chan }}

Warner Oland (October 3, 1879 – August 6, 1938) was a Swedish American actor most remembered for his screen role as the detective Charlie Chan.

Biography

He was born Johan Verner Ölund in the village of Nyby, Bjurholm Municipality, Västerbotten County, Sweden. He claimed that his vaguely Asian appearance was due to possessing some Mongolian ancestry, though his known ancestry contains no indication that this was so. When he was thirteen, his family emigrated to the United States. Educated in Boston, Massachusetts, he spoke English and his native Swedish, and eventually translated some of the plays of August Strindberg. As a young man he pursued a career in theater, at first working on set design while developing his acting skills. Trained as a dramatic actor, in 1906, he was signed to tour the country with the troupe led by actress Alla Nazimova. The following year he met and married the playwright and portrait painter Edith Gardener Shearn. The brilliant woman made an ideal partner for Oland and she mastered the Swedish language, helping him with the translation of Strindberg's works that they jointly had published in book form in 1912.

After several years in theater, including appearances on Broadway as Warner Oland, in 1912 he made his silent film debut in ''Pilgrim's Progress'', a film based on the John Bunyan novel. It would be another three years before he returned to film work with a role in ''The Romance of Elaine'', an adventure film starring the extremely popular Pearl White. As a result of his training as a Shakespearean actor and his easy adaptation to a sinister look, he was much in demand as a villain and in ethnic roles. He made several more films with Pearl White including his first portrayal of an oriental character in her 1919 film, ''The Lightning Raider''. Over the next 15 years he appeared in more than 30 films, including a major role in 1927's ''The Jazz Singer'', one of the first talkies produced.

Oland's facial features allowed him to easily play the part of Asian characters; Keye Luke reported that he needed no makeup except a "little goatee on his chin". Given Hollywood's reluctance to hire Asian actors for substantial roles during that period (with only a few reluctant exceptions, such as Anna May Wong, Sessue Hayakawa, and Philip Ahn), he portrayed a variety of Asian characters in several movies before being offered the leading role in the 1929 film, ''The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu'' as the first onscreen portrayal of the title character. A box office success, the film made Oland a star and during the next two years, he portrayed the evil Dr. Fu Manchu in three more films. Firmly locked into such roles, he was cast as Charlie Chan in the 1931 international detective mystery film ''Charlie Chan Carries On'' and then in director Josef von Sternberg's 1932 classic film ''Shanghai Express'' opposite Marlene Dietrich and Anna May Wong.

Although Oland did act in other films, the enormous worldwide box office success of his Charlie Chan film led to a Charlie Chan industry, with Oland starring in 16 films in total; the series "kept Fox afloat" during the 1930s. The actor—who received $40,000 for each movie—took his role seriously, studying the Chinese language and calligraphy. Oland was also the first actor to play a werewolf in a major Hollywood film, in ''Werewolf of London'' (1935) as the werewolf who bites the protagonist, played by Henry Hull.

Despite his wealth and success, Oland suffered from alcoholism that severely affected his health and his thirty-year marriage. In January 1937 he started filming ''Charlie Chan at the Ringside''. However, a week into shooting his erratic behavior led to his walking off the set and shooting was abandoned. After a spell in hospital, he signed a new three picture deal with Fox to continue playing Chan. At the same time he was involved in a bitter divorce from his wife and his finances were restricted. So too was his ability to go overseas as a legal order prevented him from travelling and moving his assets abroad. About this time he was involved in an incident when, after ordering his chauffeur to drive him to Mexico, he was observed during a rest stop to be sitting on the running board of his car and throwing his shoes at onlookers. The divorce settlement (favouring his wife) was announced to the media on April 2, 1938 and the same day he embarked on a ship out of the country. He turned up in southern Europe, before returning to his native Sweden where he stayed with an architect friend.

In Sweden, Oland contracted bronchial pneumonia, worsened by the apparent onset of emphysema from years of heavy cigarette smoking and he died in a hospital in Stockholm. Oland's last film was the unfinished ''Charlie Chan at the Ringside''. Fox reshot Oland's scenes with Peter Lorre and released the finished picture as ''Mr. Moto's Gamble'' (1938). Warner Oland and his wife had made their primary residence in an historic farmhouse near the town of Southborough, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. Following cremation in Sweden, his ashes were brought back to the United States by his wife for interment in the Southborough Rural Cemetery.

Partial filmography

''Pilgrim's Progress'' (1912)

''The Romance of Elaine'' (1915)

''Sin'' (1915)

''Destruction'' (1915)

''The Eternal Sapho'' (1916)

''The Fatal Ring'' (1917) (serial)

''The Lightning Raider'' (1919) (serial)

''Mandarin's Gold'' (1919)

''The Witness for the Defense'' (1919)

''The Third Eye'' (1920) (serial)

''The Phantom Foe'' (1920) (serial)

''Hurricane Hutch'' (1921) (serial)

''East Is West'' (1922)

''So This Is Marriage?'' (1924)

''The Fighting American'' (1924)

''Riders of the Purple Sage'' (1925)

''Don Q, Son of Zorro'' (1925)

''Don Juan''(1926)

''Tell It to the Marines'' (1926)

''A Million Bid'' (1927)

''Old San Francisco'' (1927)

''The Jazz Singer'' (1927)

''The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu'' (1929)

''Paramount on Parade'' (1930)

''The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu'' (1930)

''The Drums of Jeopardy'' (1931)

''Dishonored'' (1931)

''Charlie Chan Carries On'' (1931)

''The Black Camel'' (1931)

''Daughter of the Dragon'' (1931)

''Charlie Chan's Chance'' (1932)

''Shanghai Express'' (1932)

''Charlie Chan's Greatest Case'' (1933)

''Charlie Chan's Courage'' (1934)

''Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back'' (1934)

''Charlie Chan in London'' (1934)

''The Painted Veil'' (1934)

''Charlie Chan in Paris'' (1935)

''Werewolf of London'' (1935)

''Charlie Chan in Egypt'' (1935)

''Charlie Chan in Shanghai'' (1935)

''Charlie Chan at the Race Track'' (1936)

''Charlie Chan at the Circus'' (1936)

''Charlie Chan's Secret'' (1936)

''Charlie Chan at the Opera'' (1936)

''Charlie Chan at the Olympics'' (1937)

''Charlie Chan on Broadway'' (1937)

''Charlie Chan at the Olympics'' (1937)

''Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo'' (1937)

Footnotes

Additional reading

George A. Katchmer ''Eighty silent film stars, Biographies and filmographies of the obscure to the well known'' (Jefferson, North Carolina, and London, 1991)

Hans J. Wollstein ''Strangers in Hollywood, The History of Scandinavian Actors in American Films from 1910 to World War II'' (Metuchen, N.J., & London, 1994)

External links

(as Translator)

Photographs and literature

Category:1879 births Category:1938 deaths Category:Swedish stage actors Category:Swedish film actors Category:Swedish silent film actors Category:Swedish actors Category:American people of Swedish descent Category:Swedish emigrants to the United States Category:August Strindberg Category:People from Southborough, Massachusetts Category:Swedish–English translators Category:People from Bjurholm Municipality

de:Warner Oland es:Warner Oland fr:Warner Oland it:Warner Oland pt:Warner Oland sv:Warner Oland

name	Keye Luke陸錫麟
birth date	June 18, 1904
birth place	Guangzhou, China
death date	January 12, 1991
death place	Whittier, California, U.S.
occupation	Actor
years active	1934–1990
spouse	Ethel Davis (1942-1979; her death) }}

Keye Luke (, Cantonese: Luk Sek Lam, Pinyin: Lù Xīlín; June 18, 1904 – January 12, 1991) was a Chinese-born American actor. He was the first Chinese-American contract player signed with RKO, Universal and, later, MGM and is generally acknowledged as the leading Asian-American actor of this era of American cinema.

Background

Luke was born in Guangzhou, China to a father who owned an art shop, but grew up in Seattle. He was part of the Luke family, a relative of Wing Luke, namesake of Seattle's Wing Luke Asian American Museum. He had four siblings who all migrated to California during the Depression. His younger brother Edwin Luke also became an actor in the Charlie Chan series. Luke became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1944 - in a moment fictionally recreated in Lisa See's novel "Shanghai Girls".

Before becoming an actor he was a local artist in Seattle and, later, Hollywood, working on several of the murals inside Grauman's Chinese Theater. He did some of the original artwork for the 1933 ''King Kong'' pressbook. Luke also painted the casino's mural in The Shanghai Gesture. He published a limited edition set of pen and ink drawings of "The Rubiyat of Omar Khayyam" in the 1950s. Other art done by Luke included the dust jackets for books published in the 1950s and 1960s. It was through his studio art work that he was recruited for his first movie roles.

Career

Luke made his film debut in ''The Painted Veil'' (1934), and the following year gained his first big role, as Charlie Chan's eldest son in ''Charlie Chan in Paris''. He worked so well with Warner Oland, the actor playing Chan, that "Number One Son" became a regular character in the series, alternately helping and distracting 'Pop' Chan in each of his murder cases.

Keye Luke left the Charlie Chan series in 1938, shortly after Oland died. The unfinished Oland-Luke film ''Charlie Chan at the Ringside'' was completed as ''Mr. Moto's Gamble'', with Luke now opposite Peter Lorre.

Unlike some performers who failed to establish themselves beyond a single role, Keye Luke continued to work prolifically in Hollywood, at several studios. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cast him in a recurring role in its ''Dr. Kildare'' film series, and Monogram Pictures featured him in its Frankie Darro comedies and starred him as Mr. Wong in ''Phantom of Chinatown''. RKO Radio Pictures used him in its popular adventures of ''The Falcon'' and ''Mexican Spitfire''. Luke also worked at Universal Pictures, where he played two-fisted valet/chauffeur Kato in its ''Green Hornet'' serials. In 1946 Universal mounted a low-budget serial consisting largely of action footage from older films; Keye Luke was hired to match old footage of Sabu in the serial ''Lost City of the Jungle''.

In 1948, Keye Luke returned to the Chan mysteries, which were now being produced by Monogram and starred Roland Winters as Chan. "Number One Son" appeared in the last two Chan features, ''The Feathered Serpent'' and ''The Sky Dragon''; in both films, Luke was older than the actor playing his father.

Luke continued to play character parts in motion pictures; he had a featured role in "the Chairman" (1969) starring Gregory Peck. He provided the voice of the evil Mr. Han in ''Enter the Dragon'' (1973) starring Bruce Lee. Luke played the mysterious old Chinatown shopowner Mr. Wing in the two ''Gremlins'' movies, he had a significant role in Woody Allen's 1990 movie ''Alice'', and was the voice of Zoltar and Colonel Cronus in ''Battle of the Planets''.

In 1958, Luke had a featured Broadway role in the Rogers and Hammerstein musical, Flower Drum Song, directed by Gene Kelly. The soundtrack album captures his singing of the part of Mr. Wang, the family patriarch.

Keye Luke also worked in television. In 1955, he played Li Wong, a laundryman and property owner in the episode "Annie and the Chinese Puzzle" of the syndicated western series, ''Annie Oakley''. In 1972, "Number One Son" ascended to the role of Charlie Chan himself, thus becoming the first actor of Chinese descent to play the role: he supplied the voice of "Mr. Chan" in the animated television series ''The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan''. He was also known for his role of Master Po in the television series, ''Kung Fu''. He appeared in a few episodes of ''Dragnet,'' including roles as a restaurant owner in "The Big Amateur" and a jade dealer in "The Jade Story." He appeared also in episodes of ''M*A*S*H''; most memorably "Patent 4077," in which he played Mr Shin, an itinerant metalsmith who made a surgical clamp the surgeons needed for a critical operation. In the mid 1980s, Luke played 'The Ancient One' on the soap opera, ''General Hospital''. In 1986, Luke played the gardener in an episode of The Golden Girls.

Luke voiced Brak on the original 1966 Hanna Barbara series ''Space Ghost'' and all of the villains on the ''Scooby Doo, Where Are You?'' episode "Mystery Mask Mixup". He played Governor Donald Cory in a 1969 episode of ''Star Trek'' entitled "Whom Gods Destroy", and was going to play Doctor Noonien Soong in the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode "Brothers" but illness prevented him from doing so; Brent Spiner ultimately took over the role.

In the ''Fractured Fairy Tales'' episode "The Enchanted Fly," one of the rewards offered to the man who would rescue and marry the princess is "an autographed picture of Keye Luke."

For his contribution to show business, Luke was honored by having a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, on the sidewalk in front of 7000 Hollywood Blvd.

Death

Luke died of a stroke on January 12, 1991. His interment is at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.

Filmography

''The Painted Veil'' (1934) (uncredited)

''Charlie Chan in Paris'' (1935)

''Oil for the Lamps of China'' (1935)

''Mad Love'' (1935)

''Shanghai'' (1935)

''Charlie Chan at the Circus'' (1936)

''Charlie Chan at the Race Track'' (1936)

''Charlie Chan at the Opera'' (1936)

''King of Burlesque'' (1936)

''The Good Earth'' (1937)

''Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo'' (1937)

''International Settlement'' (1938)

''Mr. Moto's Gamble'' (1938)

''Barricade'' (1939)

''The Green Hornet'' (1940 serial)

''Phantom of Chinatown'' (1940)

''The Green Hornet Strikes Again!'' (1941 serial)

''The Gang's All Here'' (1941)

''Bowery Blitzkrieg'' (1941)

''Let's Go Collegiate'' (1941)

''Mr. and Mrs. North'' (1942)

''Across the Pacific'' (1942)

''The Falcon's Brother'' (1942)

''The Adventures of Smilin' Jack'' (1943 serial)

''Salute to the Marines'' (1943)

''Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble'' (1944)

''Secret Agent X-9'' (1945 serial)

''First Yank into Tokyo'' (1945)

''Lost City of the Jungle'' (1946 serial)

''Sleep, My Love'' (1948)

''The Feathered Serpent'' (1948)

''The Sky Dragon'' (1949)

''Fair Wind to Java'' (1953)

''Hell's Half Acre'' (1954)

''Rodan'' (1956) (uncredited narrator)

''Yangtse Incident'' (1957)

''The Chairman'' (1969)

''The Hawaiians'' (1970)

''The Amsterdam Kill'' (1977)

''Just You and Me, Kid'' (1979)

''Gremlins'' (1984)

''Dead Heat'' (1988)

''The Mighty Quinn'' (1989)

''Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990)

''Alice'' (1990)

References

Further reading

Ken Hanke, ''Charlie Chan at the Movies'' Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1989. ISBN 0-7864-1921-0. (Examination of the Charlie Chan feature films, with firsthand commentary by Keye Luke)

Herbie J. Pilato, ''The Kung Fu Book of Caine: The Complete Guide to TV's First Mystical Eastern Western''. Boston: Charles A. Tuttle, 1993. ISBN 0-8048-1826-6

Lisa See, "Shanghai Girls". New York: Random House, 2008 fictionally recreates Keye Luke's, Anna May Wong's LA Chinatown.

Darrell Hamamoto, Monitored Peril: Asian Americans and the Politics of TV Representation, University of Minnesota Press, 1994 has a critical commentary on Luke's cinema.

Allan Luke, Another ethnic autobiography? Childhood and the cultural economy of looking. In: Hammer, R. & Kellner, D. (Eds.) Critical Cultural Studies Reader. Peter Lang, New York, 2008, has a family account of Luke's work.

External links

"Keye Luke: What the Doctor Called For"; Aljean Harmetz, ''The New York Times'' (December 23, 1990)

Obituary in ''the New York Times'' (January 16, 1991)

Category:1904 births Category:1991 deaths Category:American film actors Category:American people of Chinese descent Category:American actors of Chinese descent Category:American voice actors Category:Chinese emigrants to the United States Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Seattle, Washington Category:Actors from Washington (state) Category:Deaths from stroke Category:American actors of Chinese descent

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