READ THIS FIRST: This is a 12-inch Diameter Laserdisc, which is NOT the same as DVD and cannot be played on a DVD player!

Laserdisc Title: "CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA / IN PARIS (1935)"
Edition: Fullscreen Edition (Double-Disc Set)
Directed By: H. Bruce Humberstone / Lewis Seiler
Starring: Warner Oland, Boris Karloff, Margaret Irving, Keye Luke, Charlotte Henry / Mary Brian, Thomas Beck, Erik Rhodes
Production / Year: 1935 / 1936 Twentieth Century-Fox-Film Corporation
Running Time: 68/72 Minutes / Black & White
Audio Format: Digital Sound, CX Encoded
Video Format: NTSC, CLV (Extended Play)
Miscellaneous Features: Closed Captioned
Distributed By: CBS / Fox Video
Catalog / Spine Number: 1807-80

Cosmetic Condition:
Disc (s): Excellent - Hardly noticeable to very minor hairline surface swirls, if any
Jacket: Excellent - Original outer plastic shrink wrap still partially intact


Charlie Chan at The Opera:
This is a terrific film that shows the quality of the Charlie Chan series. Set in a theatre showing an opera, Chinese private detective Chan and his son solve a baffling murder mystery with plenty of false leads.The opera being performed was actually written for the film by Oscar Levant and the recording is still available today. One of the main suspects Karloff seems to have wondered in from a Universal horror film, but it does not detract from the overall quality of the film. It is great fun. It is not possible today to watch Charlie Chan without seeing some racial undertones. It is worth noting that it is an Asian character who is mentally faster and far more polite than his counterparts that solves the mysteries. He never resorts to violence and is calm in all situations. Rather than being racist, perhaps the films were a slap in the face to those who considered whites to be superior. But it must be said some scenes do jar a bit.

Charlie Chan in Paris:
Although Charlie Chan films were no more nor less stereotypical in their presentation of the Inscrutable Chinese Detective than such series as Blondie were of the Crazy Blonde Housewife, some early Chan films did engage in a certain amount of regrettable patronization. Unfortunately, CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is among them, with an early scene allowing one character to address Chan in pidgin English--and then requiring Chan to play into the joke. Modern viewers will likely find the scene distasteful; this aside, however, CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is a reasonably entertaining entry in the series, starring the always welcome Warner Oland (the original Chan) and Keye Luke (the most enjoyable of Chan's tag-along sons) in a story concerning bond fraud in the city of light.As the series evolved, writers became increasingly astute in their presentation of Chan, and while some characters might mock Chan, he inevitably shows them up by using their false impression of his intelligence to his own advantage. By the time Sidney Toler replaced Warner Oland (who died unexpectedly), moments of bad taste such as found in this particular film were exceedingly rare. While several of the best Chan films--such as AT THE OPERA, AT THE WAX MUSEUM, and CASTLE IN THE DESERT--are available on video, it is extremely regrettable that the vast majority of Chan films have never been released to the home audience; fans of the series should look for such films as AT TREASURE ISLAND and IN PANAMA on occasional cable television Chan film festivals.

THIS IS NOT A DVD!!! THIS IS A 12" LASERDISC AND WILL NOT PLAY IN A DVD PLAYER

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