‘Charlie Chan’s Secret’

‘Charlie Chan’s Secret’

20th century
California
Hollywood
Film
Chinese-Americans
Hawaii

This source is a film produced in 1936 by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. It tells the story of a Hawaiian detective of Chinese-American descent. The film is one of a series and this particular film sees the character solving the murder of a wealthy man living in England. The actor portraying the character of Charlie Chan, Warner Oland, was not of Chinese descent and instead wore what was known as ‘yellow face’ in the films. The film was well received as it was different to other film portrays of Asians at the time, who were often the villains. Asian immigrants and cross generations faced discrimination and exclusion due to a series of laws passed known as the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Twentieth Century Fox Corporations, California, Los Angeles

UCLA Film and Television Archive

https://cinema.library.ucla.edu/vwebv/holdingsInfo?searchId=3&recCount=50&recPointer=13&bibId=157697

1936

Lucy Kenealy

Twentieth Century Fox Corporation

English

VIsual - film

20th century California