The Fox Movie Channel starting showing all the Charlie Chan movies Mondays at 8. The first week, we missed it because I forgot that we're in the west and that means Mondays at 5. Then there were one or more weeks of not being home at 5. (I do have to work sometimes).
Today, both the Calblog husband and I got home early and settled in. No movie. A search of the web resulted in this pop-up window message on the Fox Movie Channel website:
Fox Movie Channel will discontinue the broadcast of the Charlie Chan mystery films.
Originally restored to meet the requests of mystery fans and film preservation buffs, Fox Movie Channel scheduled these films in a showcase intended to illustrate the positive aspects of these movies such as the complex story lines/ characters and Charlie Chan's great intellect. Additionally, numerous subscribers to Fox Movie Channel, as well as film historians, have long requested that Fox Movie Channel broadcast these films.
However, Fox Movie Channel has been made aware that the Charlie Chan films may contain situations or depictions that are sensitive to some viewers. Fox Movie Channel realizes that these historic films were produced at a time where racial sensitivities were not as they are today. As a result of the public response to the airing of these films, Fox Movie Channel will remove them from the schedule.
In the hope that this action will evoke discussion about the progress made in our modern, multicultural society, we invite you to please click CONTACT US to send us your thoughts on the matter.
Argh. Complex storylines, Chan's intellect. They were great movies. Yes, I know the accent was overdone but it was so overdone, it was cartoonish. It's not like I'm going to show it to the kids and they will suddenly think differently of Chinese people or any particular Chinese person.
We're headed to Blockbuster to rent one. You can all think what you want of me.
Posted by Justene Adamec at June 30, 2003 05:27 PM | TrackBackActually, there was a protest of the films. According to the tv column of The Daily News, "A letter to Fox Movie Channel from the Organization of Chinese-Americans called the Chan films "a painful reminder of Hollywood's racist refusal to hire minorities for roles that were designated for them."
And, "The complaints mainly targeted the films' use of Caucasian actors who portrayed Asians as "bucktoothed, subservient and non-English speaking."
The link: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ent_radio/story/96963p-87844c.html
I guess the story is elsewhere too.
Well, it's been about 10 years since I have seen a Charlie Chan movie and Blockbuster has done away with their classics section where I discovered not only Charlie Chan but Nick and Nora Charles.
My recollection is that while Charlie himself was not played by an Asian, his sons were and they were always handsome and personable. I don't recall bucktoothed, subservient and non-English speaking. Charlie of course was always brilliant.
Now I read somewhere that the portrayal of blacks in a few of the movies was abominable but I never saw all of them (only a portion are available on video at all) and don't recall seeing one with that problem.
Posted by: Justene at July 1, 2003 12:58 PM (Permalink)Didn't Keye Luke get his start playing "Number One Son"?
Posted by: McGehee at July 2, 2003 07:42 AM (Permalink)Movie stars always play some other person anyway. Why not an American actor playing Chinese dectective in full makeup." Roar of the greese paint." American and other forgein actors play Russians who are always trying to blow up the US. Italians are being played by actors of all backgrounds and are always killing someone. In the God Father James Chan who is jewish played Sonny. I didn't mind. He is a great actor playing a great part. People are going to complain about something offending them... Guess what, everyone in America is an immigrant except the Indians and they have a problem with the intertainment business too. What about the fun and the educational value of these films no matter who depicts the character. I am Italian only once removed from immigration status. I loved the God Father. Those Italians are not who "I" am. Nor is Charlie Chan and his great old black and white movies who the Chinese are.... Shame on FOX......This is the Land of the Free and they should feel free to turn it off. If you think that your station will go under because every Chinese person in America will tune Fox out then you are not seeing the big picture...EVERYONE ELSE WILL WATCH IT... IF YOU THINK THAT EVERY BLACK PERSON WILL TUNE OUT AMOS AND ANDI AND EVERY ITALIAN WILL TUNE OUR THE GOD FATHER AND EVERY INDIAN WILL TUNE OUT EVERY MOVIE ABOUT SITTING BULL ETC AND EVERY MOVIE ABOUT MURDERING ETHNIC GROUPS IN EUROPE AND EVERY MOVIE ABOUT A FAT PERSON OR EVERY MOVIE ABOUT A GAY PERSON... HEAVEN HELP YOU GUYS, MIGHT AS WELL CLOSE YOUR STATION NOW. FOR THIS COULD BE ONLY THE BEGINNING OF YOUR ETHNIC CLEANSING..
Posted by: celeste at January 10, 2004 10:37 AM (Permalink)I loved the God Father. Those Italians are not who "I" am. Nor is Charlie Chan and his great old black and white movies who the Chinese are.... Shame on FOX......This is the Land of the Free and they should feel free to turn it off. How much work Charlie Chan actually got done for his employer, the Honolulu Police Department, is open to conjecture, since he was seemingly always on the road-- "in Rio," "in Panama," "at Treasure Island," "in Paris".
Posted by: Chilton at October 8, 2004 12:03 AM (Permalink)I too agree shame on Fox for deleting such entertainting old movies. If we get to this point then there is no reason to watch anything on TV and I for one know on the remote where the off switch is.
Posted by: Maggie at January 26, 2005 07:19 AM (Permalink)