Two “little red books” of aphorisms: one $250,000 the other $5.99!

Call me dense (I never was a history buff,) but it took me a few decades to realized why the book cover for the very first book of Charlie Chan aphorisms Quotations from Charlie Chan, January 1967, looks the way it does. It was purposely meant to mimic another prominent writing Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung, January, 1964.

Chairman Mao’s Book (1964). It was know as China’s Little Red Book. And in February of this year, the Boston-based R.R. Auction House sold a signed English language, first edition for $250,000! The 312-page epistle was signed by the Chairman October 1966 for the wife of the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Sharifuddin Pirzada. His son, eloquently and proudly, expounds upon the historical significance of that signing on YouTube, HERE.

The book contains 267 aphoristic saying from the leader’s writing and speeches on topics including the communist party, war, patriotism, and the People’s Army. In order to achieve the goal of every citizen of China owning a copy of the Little Red Book, hundreds of new printing houses were built in the country. For anyone interested here’s the sale at Artnet.com with pictures! Also, there is a book review by Journalist Gursimuran Hans (someone who actually read it) right HERE.

Harvey Chertok and Martha Torge’s Book (1967). Long ago I bought a copy of “the other” Little Red Book at a used book sale for $5.99. It is inscribed, “Greetings Wayne, Harvey and Martha.” I’ve never verified the authenticity of those signatures; but still…could be, yes? To the best of my knowledge this book was the first compilation of Charlie Chan aphorisms. However, aphorisms only from the films; not Biggers’ novels and not all the films. The book’s Preface states they were taken from 21 Charlie Chan motion pictures which were featured at a special film festival, “Charlie Chan At The Museum of Modern Art,” March 4-17, 1968.

Mao Zedong (毛泽东) was the leader of the Chinese Communist Party from 1935 until his death in 1976 and chairman of the People’s Republic of China from 1949 to 1959. Revered as a national hero who liberated the country from foreign occupation and exploitation in China. He became an ideological figurehead and a prominent influence over the international communist movement. During the Cultural Revolution, millions of educated youths were sent to rural areas to work in the countryside and learn from the peasantry. Mao believed this would ultimately create a new society where there was no gap between urban and rural, laborers and intellectuals.

Harvey Chertok and Martha Torge. In the 1960s when movies began to be popular and important television programming, Warner Bros. (then Warner Bros.-Seven Arts) acquired from Fox the TV rights to a large library of its films including 21 of the “Best Of” the Chans starring Warner Oland and Sidney Toler. These Chan movies were considered just a “throw-in” for the deal with Fox, and little was expected from the sales department. Harvey Chertok, then WB’s VP, Advertising, Promotion & Publicity, and his associate Martha Torge took on a challenge and came up with a plan to make $1,000,000 with these Chan films (about $9M today.) They presented their plan to then W.B.-7 Arts CEO, Eliot Hyman, who gave them the go ahead.

Their plan included that 1968 Charlie Chan Film Festival at the Museum Of Modern Art. It also included the production of a film documentary The Great Charlie Chan to kick-off the gala press event, and a First Class buffet of Chinese food in the museum’s outdoor sculpture garden. The documentary helped launch WB’s series of 21 Chans on some 50 TV stations, and was also sold to Canada’s CBC as a Network Special as well. In addition, Chertok and Torge created their little red book Quotations From Charlie Chan for the festival and several TV stations bought huge quantities for audience promotion.

You can view a copy of the festival brochure (The 21 films are listing on the last page) on Rush Glick’s Charlie Chan Family Home in The Study. And for every serious “Chan Fan” here’s a link to the very entertaining and enlightening (53:37 minute) documentary, The Great Charlie Chan. (The below attribution is seen at the very end of the film):

Postscript. Yes, I tried to bid on Chairman Mao’s book. I thought if would be fun to have both inscribed books side by side on my bookshelf! However, the website wouldn’t accept my $16.99 offer! Some balderdash about minimum bids or whatnot?

“Profit and pleasure so seldom found on same street”

– Keeper of The Keys, 1932, Chapter 12