Season Greetings! It’s been a tough year for everyone (I know of three Charlie Chan events at Universities or Libraries cancelled.) Still, our favorite detective managed to make his presence known and accumulate some interesting accolades this year! Here’s is what you’ll find inside, The Charlie Chan Family Home 2020 Newsletter:
- As always our newsletter begin with the year’s recap and ends with a look at “2021 A New Year…and Beyond” (Guess who’ll be re-releasing the first Charlie Chan novel, The House Without a Key (1925), as an ebook in January 2021?)
- Webmaster Rush Glick quietly celebrated 20 years (since April 23rd, 2000) of his Chan Family Home website! In this newsletter he writes about Actress Francis Chan, who ironically portrayed Charlie’s daughter Francis Chan in the film Black Magic (1944.)
- We re-visit Mr. Otto Penzler’s 7-page article “Collecting Mystery Fiction,” in The Armchair Detective (1982.)
- And take a walking tour through present-day San Francisco’s, Chinatown with Brenda McNeal, as she retraces our detective’s steps in Behind That Curtain (1928.)
All our hopes for your good health and fortune this Holiday Season and throughout the New Year!
MELE KALIKIMAKA & HAU’OLE MAKAHIKIHO!
The Postman on Holiday 
Hi Lou,
Looking at the collecting column now is embarrassing! I’d love to buy copies of the Chan first editions at those prices now! I don’t know if you saw that my inscribed first edition of THE HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY sold for $40,000 at the recent Heritage auction. Whew!
I very much like your labor of love so I’m going to promote your newsletter in the bookshop’s weekly newsletter.
All best wishes for a very happy Christmas and a great 2021! Otto
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Otto, “kind words will remain on scroll of memory, always!” Thank you SO much. Lou
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At the Heritage Auction sale of the Otto Penzler Mystery Collection, his copy of Earl Derr Biggers’s The House Without A Key, first edition in dust jacket, presentation copy inscribed by the author, sold for $50,000 (including buyer’s premium) (author’s first Charlie Chan book). For context, his copy of Ellery Queen’s The Roman Hat Mystery, first edition in dust jacket, presentation copy inscribed by the author, sold for $40,000 (including buyer’s premium) (author’s first Ellery Queen book). Two great American Golden Age mystery classics.
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Richard…WoW! Thanks so much for that info on Otto’s sale. Just goes to show “you can’t keep a good detective down”…remarkable! Lou
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Wonderful Stuff re these books! I’ve so come to appreciate the novels more than ever, even though it was the Classic 40 films that caught me as a young teenager (along with Basil Rathbone’s magic 14 films as Holmes) on UHF rerun Mystery Theaters. I set up a Facebook Group called The Many Faces of Charlie Chan about 4 years ago and we now number over 1,500 members!! Web link below —
I also have accumulated some Photoplays for sale — Behind that Curtain with Original Dust Jacket, as well as Charlie Chan Carries On with Remastered Dust Jacket — also many other Hardcovers with either Original or Remastered Dust Jackets if anyone is looking to buy.
Perhaps this site could include a Charlie Chan Items for sale???
Happy, Healthy New Year 2021!! Charlie Chan and Family lives ON!!
Steve Elliott
Houston, TX
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Steve Thank you. To constant criticism of friends and family, I’m not on Facebook. But for those who might want to visit your Facebook site here’s the link you sent: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1171379122920381/. Wishing you continued success in 2021 to you, too!
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