A place to explore all things surrounding Detective Charlie Chan, his creator Earl Derr Biggers, and their connection with Hawaii, Ohio and mystery fiction. – LOU ARMAGNO
"Being from different eras and cultures, any 'rivalry' between the two detectives would probably be something akin to soccer (football) and baseball...both are popular across the globe, but are unique in their following!" -- Rush Glick, Webmaster The Charlie Chan Family Home The above statement by Mr. Glick is a good analogy and so true. … Continue reading Chan & Holmes, two sides of a coin – a comparison and contrast!
With February the month for flowers, candy, and valentines, it's appropriate we take a look at author Juanita Sheridan’s fictional sleuth Ms. Lily Wu, and her cohort, novelist Janice Cameron. World famous mystery-fiction critic, editor, and author Anthony Boucher (eponym for the world's leading mystery convention, Bouchercon) adored Sheridan’s fictional Lily Wu; dubbing her The … Continue reading Meet Lily Wu…Who? The female Charlie Chan.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 9066: The President Authorizes Japanese Relocation, (February 19, 1942) Otto Yamaoka & Spencer Tracy Actor Otto Yamaoka was an American citizen, born 1904 in Seattle, WA. Until the 1940s he had a successful career in film, staring in no less than 31 films. He would act in some film classics: The letter (1940), … Continue reading The true, sad events surrounding actor Otto Yamaoka; “Kashimo” from Chan film, The Black Camel.
You can't always judge a book by it's cover. Well, maybe not; however, those "KILLER COVERS" can certainly help sell books! And that is the very name of a super-cool blog I recently discovered by J. Kingston Pierce! Titled KILLER COVERS it is a companion to another blog edited by Mr. Pierce, The Rap Sheet. (one of the … Continue reading KILLER COVERS: a blog by J. Kingston Pierce – Under the Covers with Charlie Chan
“Mr. Chan, allow me introduce Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, who also holds title as 8th Earle of Asherton. Lord Lynley, meet our guest Inspector Charlie Chan of the Honolulu police.” “Hello Inspector Chan,” said Lynley. “Your reputation precedes you. I’ve heard many accounts of your accolades from our mutual friend, Inspector … Continue reading Two World-Class Sleuths: One Small Burg – Warren, Ohio
Author and playwright Earl Derr Biggers was an exceptional “Reconteur” (from Old French meaning to tell). And like any good storyteller he drew from his own experiences and quite often from real life. Here are some real-life associations, comparisons, and even an anagram, which the author may have borrowed from or used in writing his … Continue reading The Chinese Parrot…Well, perhaps not!
When I first decided to write my book, The Wisdom Within Earl Derr Biggers' Charlie Chan: The Original Aphorisms Inside The Charlie Chan Canon, I pondered that very question for quite some time. The book (in its final stages) is a collection of 175 aphorisms inside the six Charlie Chan novels by Ohio author and … Continue reading So, what-in-the-world is an Aphorism anyway?
The Postman on Holiday 