''The New Adventures of Charlie Chan'' is a
crime drama
Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...
series that aired in the United States in
syndicated television
Broadcast syndication is the practice of leasing the right to broadcasting television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States where ...
from June 1957, to 1958. The first five episodes were made by
Vision Productions in the United States, before production switched to the United Kingdom under
ITC Entertainment
The Incorporated Television Company (ITC), or ITC Entertainment as it was referred to in the United States, was a British company involved in production and distribution of television programmes.
History Incorporated Television Programme Compan ...
and
Television Programs of America
Television Programs of America, Inc (TPA) was a New York-based US television production company in the 1950s. TPA had a Canadian subsidiary, Normandie Productions.
This television production and distribution company was best known for '' Fury, ...
.
Overview
The series, consisting of 39 half-hour
monochrome
A monochrome or monochromatic image, object or palette is composed of one color (or values of one color). Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale (typically digital) or black-and-white (typically analog). In physics, monochrom ...
episodes, follows the investigations of the fictional detective
Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan was conceived as an alter ...
, created by
Earl Derr Biggers
Earl Derr Biggers (August 26, 1884 – April 5, 1933) was an American novelist and playwright. His novels featuring the fictional Chinese American detective Charlie Chan were adapted into popular films made in the United States and China.
Biogra ...
in 1925. The series follows the convention, established in the Charlie Chan
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
s, of having the Asian character Chan played by a
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
actor while his son(s) were played by actual Asians.
James Hong, who played Number One Son, said J. Carrol Naish had Hong fired from the show after Naish engaged in a racist outburst.
Cast
Main
*
J. Carrol Naish
Joseph Patrick Carrol Naish (January 21, 1896 – January 24, 1973) was an American actor. He appeared in over 200 credits during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Naish received two Oscar nominations for his supporting roles in the films '' Sahara ...
as Charlie Chan
*
James Hong
James Hong (; born February 22, 1929) is an American actor, producer and director. He has worked in numerous productions in American media since the 1950s, portraying a variety of roles. With more than 650 film and television credits as of 20 ...
as Barry Chan, "Number One Son"
Guest stars
Guest stars, most notably under ITC, include:
*
Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman (22 August 1925 – 5 April 2020) was an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in '' The Avengers''Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 58. (1962â ...
*
Southern Television
Southern Television was the ITV broadcasting licence holder for the South and South-East of England from 30 August 1958 to 31 December 1981. The company was launched as 'Southern Television Limited' and the title 'Southern Television' was con ...
chief announcer
Brian Nissen
Brian Nissen (20 October 1927 in London – 8 February 2001 in Salisbury, Wiltshire) was a British actor and television continuity announcer.
Biography
Nissen made an early appearance in Laurence Olivier's film of Shakespeare's ''Henry V'', and ...
*
Patrick Troughton
Patrick George Troughton (; 25 March 1920 – 28 March 1987) was an English actor who was classically trained for the stage but became known for his roles in television and film. His work included appearances in several fantasy, science fiction ...
Episode list
Season 1
This list appears to be in production order. The first five episodes were filmed in the US by Vision, the remaining episodes in the UK by ITC.
# "Your Money or Your Wife"
# "Secret of the Sea"
# "The Lost Face"
# "Blind Man's Buff"
# "The Great Salvos"
# "The Counterfeiters"
# "The Death of a Don"
# "Charlie's Highland Fling"
# "The Patient in Room 21"
# "The Rajput Ruby"
# "The Final Curtain"
# "Death at High Tide"
# "The Circle of Fear"
# "An Exhibit in Wax"
# "Backfire"
# "Patron of the Arts"
# "A Hamlet in Flames"
# "Dateline: Execution"
# "The Sweater"
# "The Noble Art of Murder"
# "Three Men on a Raft"
# "No Holiday for Murder"
# "No Future for Frederick"
# "Safe Deposit"
# "Voodoo Death"
# "The Expatriate" (aka "Ex-Patriot")
# "The Airport Murder Case"
# "The Hand of Hera Dass"
# "The Chippendale Racket"
# "The Invalid"
# "The Man in the Wall"
# "Something Old, Something New"
# "The Man with 100 Faces"
# "The Point of No Return"
# "A Bowl By Cellini"
# "Without Fear"
# "Kidnap"
# "Rhyme or Treason"
# "Three for One"
Comic book
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
published a six-issue comic adaptation from June 1958 to April 1959, written by
John Broome and drawn by