Any old Charlie Chan Movie Fans, here? Last time I got into a discussion

[KoKo]

about those movies I was accused of being anti-Asian and that the movies were sterotypes that needed to be "stamped out," "gotten rid of" and thrown in the garbage for being "racist."

I really liked the movies and they made me like Asian-Americans because I thought "wise Chan" was representative of all Asians. Little did I know that "people are people" and giving a pass to any ethnic group, including my own, is not the best way to go. There's Devils and Angels amongst us all...but I loved those movies for the mystery and, yes, many of them had pretty good plots for their time.

It was entertainment. And a good Winter watch for fun...going back in time to the 1930's in movie lore kind of takes me away from the depression here, for awhile..to another time. Just before the Nazi's actually....but nevermind.

Did anyone like them just for what they were?

[absyntheNsugar]

1. If you ask me, the best way to "win" with these flicks

Would be for an Asian American director to reclaim Charlie Chan, and remake the movie - but with a non-stereotypical Asian as Charlie.

Make him into a totally non-stereotypical asian-american who solves crimes....rename him Charles Chan, PI or something

[KoKo]

2. ROFL! De-Asianize him to be a neutered PC American "Charlie." Take away

his great College educated kids and make them like what's on the sit-coms! How about P.K.Chan! There's a chain restaurant here which serves awful food claiming it's Chinese....and I see Asian-Americans eating there, but I've eaten at less bland places that really were Chinese Restaurants with authentic food, but P.K. Chan's in NC is PC! More :D's

[CanuckAmok]

3. I remember reading somewhere...

...that Spike Lee financed the restoration of the original print of Bob Clampett's rascist "Coal Black and the Sebben Dwarves" cartoon.

Lee's argument was that it's just as important to preserve the perceptions of culture, as to preserve the culture itself.

[KoKo]

4. I wonder sometimes that we don't PC ourselves to death on DU, where being

PC for PC's sake is the only important thing. :-(

[Rhiannon12866]

5. I enjoyed the Charlie Chan movies

I used to watch them on weekends with my parents, years ago, and they liked them, as well. I don't think of either of my parents as anti-Asian. They have visited China and thought it was fascinating, especially my dad. The one line from one Charlie Chan movie that stands out for me in this post 9/11 world was when the police chief told his men to "round up all the Arabs in New York" for a lineup. That, sadly, they could get away with today.:-(

[Kamika]

6. oh yeah that would be great

Jackie chan coud be charlie.. but now instead of being boring hed just karate down all the bad guys. His kids coud know karate aswell and help him out.

Charlie could be a ex hong kong cop.

I never saw the original series but I think this would be pretty cool

[Gloria]

7. Ah, my favorite book of quotes, an old (1968) pb entitled

"Quotations from Charlie Chan" complete with filmography and pics!

I will beguile you with a few:

"Swallow much but digest little"

"Mind like parachute, only function when open"

"Suspicion often father of truth"

Right up there with Archy and Mehitabel and Ambrose Bierce....

[KoKo]

13. "Mind like parachute only function when open!" A good one for Chimp

They used to do old Sunday afternoon reruns of those movies when I was a kid, but I loved the botched so-called "Confusiusisms" from Charlie. As a little kid they were sayings that made me think.

A&E, I believe had a marathon of all the old Chans about 5 years ago, and I taped them all. I actually still enjoyed them after all this time, now that I'm a grown kid. ;-). I just didn't see the sterotypes when I was a kid, but some of the dialog would be offensive today...agree. Kids aren't really prejudiced...they have to be taught to be that way. But, Charlie Chan movies didn't make me view Asian-Americans in that way. It was the exact opposite, for me.

[Don_G]

8. I Remember The Movies

I enjoyed them because they were pure entertainment; a plesant escapism from day-to-day life as it was meant to be.

I still enjoy them.

[The Lone Liberal]

9. I love all the old Black and White movies.

The Thin Man, Charlie Chan, Mr Moto, Sherlock Holmes

[The Lone Liberal]

10. I love all the old Black and White movies.

The Thin Man, Charlie Chan, Mr Moto, Sherlock Holmes

[cosmicdot]

11. I liked to watch them just like I like to watch Sherlock Holmes

I'm sure it was a Charlie Chan movie ... they're flying in an airplane ... possibly the Pan American Airway's China Clipper



and they show aerial views of, what I think, was the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island ...

[Rhiannon12866]

12. I loved the old Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies, as well

One of the local channels used to alternate them with the old Charlie Chan movies on weekend nights years ago and I watched them all with my parents. It was harmless entertainment and no one took the stereotypes very seriously. I imagine you could find them in a majority of old movies if you were looking for them.:shrug:

[KoKo]

14. Sounds like it was "Charlie Chan in Honolulu."

I think, anyway, I remember that airplane!