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ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD
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CHARLIE CHAN ANNEX
CHARLIE CHAN: Asian Actors in Hollywood
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CHARLIE CHAN: Chang Apana
CHARLIE CHAN: Charlie's Sons
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CHARLIE CHAN: Murder Rate
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CHILDREN'S CORNER: Nancy Drew (For Older Fans!)
CHILDREN'S CORNER: Shirley Temple
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HOLLYWOOD'S . . . CRIME: Greystone Mansion Murder
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HOLLYWOOD'S . . . CRIME: Tate/LaBianca Murders
HOLLYWOOD'S . . .CRIME: William Desmond Taylor Murder
HOLLYWOOD'S MARRY-GO-ROUNDS
HORROR - SCIENCE FICTION
HORROR - SCI FI: Annex
HORROR - SCI FI: The Atomic Submarine (1959)
HORROR - SCI FI: Bela Lugosi
HORROR - SCI FI: Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi
HORROR - SCI FI: Boris Karloff
HORROR - SCI FI: Dracula (1931)
HORROR - SCI FI: Frankenstein (1931)
HORROR - SCI FI: Gojira (1954) & Godzilla (1957)
HORROR - SCI FI: Invaders from Mars (1954)
HORROR - SCI FI: King Kong
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HORROR - SCI FI: Nightmare Theatre with Gorgon
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I LOVE LUCY
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MUSIC: The Lyrics
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MYSTERIES: Alfred Hitchcock
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QUOTES Dorothy Parkers' "The Waltz"
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RECIPES OF THE WEEK: A Rejuvenating Diet
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TRANSPORTATION IN THE MOVIES: Aviation
VINCENT PRICE
VINCENT PRICE: Connoisseur
WHAT'S MY LINE?
THE WHISTLER
THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)

BORIS KARLOFF

This was sent to me in response to a fan letter I had e-mailed to Sara Karloff at the website she had created in tribute to her late father, Boris Karloff.  It was sent June 16, 2002, 7:10 AM:

 

Thank you so much for your lovely email.  I always enjoy hearing from my father's fans.

 

I know from interviews my Father did that the set of Charlie Chan was sheer chaos with script changes every scene, actually being written as they were being shot.

 

There is a wonderful biography on my Father written by Scott Nollen in which that is one of the films he discusses.

 

Have a lovely summer.

 

Sara Karloff

 

Maven now has a copy of this book that Ms. Karaloff had autographed and Maven heartily recommends it!

 

Boris Karloff:  A Gentleman’s Life

The authorized biography by Scott Allen Nollen

With the participation of Sara Jane Karloff

 

Midnight Marquee Press, Inc.

Baltimore, Maryland

1990

I'm the stage manager here
eveniffrankensteinwalksin.jpg
and this opera is going on even if Frankenstein walks in.

AND MORE GOODIES!
 
See AMERICAN CLASSIC MOVIES INTRODUCTIONS for Bob Dorian's intro to this movie, back in 1993 when AMC was still worth watching.

Boris Karloff

Carnival of Music . . . With Quotes from Oscar Levant

Charlie Chan at the Opera - According to the Internet Movie Database

Boris Karloff Knows How to Make a Point
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CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA (1936)

 

CAST:

Warner Oland:  Charlie Chan

Boris Karloff:  Gravelle

Keye Luke:  Lee Chan

Charlotte Henry:  Mademoiselle Kitty (also known as Kitty Gravelle)

Thomas Beck:  Phil Childers

Margaret Irving;  Madame Lilli Rochelle

Gregory Gaye:  Enrico Barelli

Guy Usher:  Inspector Regan

William Demarest:  Sergeant Kelly

Maurice Cass:  Mr. Arnold

Tom McGuire:  Morris

Hilda Vaughn:  Agness the Wardrobe Mistress (not credited)

Fred A. Kelsey:  Dugan (not credited)

Selmer Jackson:  Hudson, ‘Los Angeles Bulletin’ Wire Photo Technician (not credited)

Emmett Vogan:  Smitty, ‘Chicago Sun’ Wire Photo Technician (not credited)

Joan Woodbury:  Dancer in Opera (not credited)

Benson Fong:  Extra  (not credited)

Sammee Tong:  Extra

 

Time line:

Mlle. Kitty born in 1919.

Fire in opera house with Gravelle in it in September 15, 1923.

Gravelle committed to insane asylum in 1929.

Lillie Rochelle returned, after a 7 year absence, to LA in 1936.

[Which would have meant that she was in LA the year that Gravelle was committed to the asylum.]

 

“Opera ‘Carnival’ by Oscar Levant

“Liberetto by William Kernell

“Orchestration by Charles Maxwell”

 

Length of opera was 15 minutes.

 

Part of the plot summary of “Charlie Chan at the Opera” from www.fye.com reads:  “Considered by some Charlie Chan fans to be the best of the Warner Oland effords, Charlie Chan at the Opera is distinguished by excellent production values, and by an original opera composed by Oscar Levant—who allegedly agreed to this assignment provided he could include the word ‘Silencio?’ in his lyrics~Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide”

 

Who committed Gravelle to the asylum in 1929?

 

And where was the asylum located?

 

What had he been doing in the intervening 6 to 7 years since the opera house fire that may have caused his amnesia?

 

If Lillie Rochelle returned to LA after a 7 year absence in 1936, does that mean that she may have been in LA when Gravelle was committed to the asylum?

 

Was arson involved in the Chicago Opera Fire?

 

Did Anita Barelli remember Graville from the time of the fire?

 

Were Enrico Barelli and Rochelle at the Opera House when it burned down?

 

What was Mll. Kitty’s last name—Gravelle or Rochelle?

Probably Gravelle since it was less likely to connect her to her mother.

 

How does Lillie’s wig keep its braids so tidy and braided?

Mother says that the hair is probably fake and tacked so that the hair stays braided.

 

Why did Thomas Beck’s character say that he and Mlle. Kitty were at the police station at 4:30 (?) the previous afternoon?

 

If Mr. Arnold is the property master, why would Charlie say that Mr. Arnold is basically “auditioning” a new baritone?  Shouldn’t that be the director or producer’s job and where are they?

 

BLOOPER:  The first newspaper (in the asylum) with Lillie Rochelle’s picture and the headline used the word “seven” spelled out; later, the police headquarters copy had the numeral “7.” {Courtesy of Rush Glick.)

 

BLOOPER:  (45 minutes into the movie)  When Lee goes down the trapdoor, he faces the camera as he walks down the stairs towards the camera.  The next shot is at a 90 degree angle from the preceeding shot.  It shows Lee’s back as he climbs down a ladder attached to the far wall.

 

BONUS QUESTION:  Which extra in the chorus is a young Benson Fong?

Third from the left and Sammee Tong is further down on the right.

 

BONUS QUESTION:  What do Opera, Murder Cruise and Feathered Serpent have in common?

They all have weapons that are wiped clean . . . possibly by the murderer? . . . A knife or dagger in Opera and Feathered Serpent and a gun in Murder Cruise.

 

BONUS QUESTION:  How does Charlie use chemicals in this movie?

He uses them to recover fingerprints from the florist’s card left in Mme. Barelli’s room.

 

BONUS QUESTION:  Does he always bring a personal chemical kit?

 

BONUS QUESTION:  “Like last rose of summer, bloom too late.”  What other Chan movie was this said?

In The Black Camel, Kashimo came running after Charlie solves the case.  Kashimo is saying, “Clue!  Clue!”  Chan says, “Too late!  Save for next case!”

 

MURDER RATE: 

Enrico Barelli and Lillie Rochelle by Anita Barelli.

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