In an attempt to amuse the increasingly restless natives — AKA my visiting niece and nephew — I pulled out my old Charlie Chan videos a few nights ago and treated them to several films including my favorite Chan flicks: Castle in the Desert and Charlie Chan on Treasure Island.
Charlie Chan might seem like an odd choice of entertainment for a six and nine year old, but these are extraordinary kids. They were deducing the who dunnit in Scooby Doo when most tots of their age were mesmerized by purple dinosaurs and giant yellow birds. They quickly graduated to Diagnosis Murder and Murder She Wrote, so it seemed logical to me that they would enjoy that inscrutable sleuth, Mr. Chan.
And they did, although a few minutes into the first film six-year old Will unexpectedly announced he did not like Charlie Chan being Chinese. Which naturally sent my liberal little heart into a nosedive, but as I was quick to point out to my beloved budding young White Supremist, Charlie Chan is NOT Chinese — and has caught hell through the ages because of it.
In fact, I clearly recall a few years ago when the Fox network gutlessly yanked their planned Charlie Chan film festival because of protest from Asian watchdog groups who objected that the films perpetuated harmful stereotypes. Like…the outrageous and offensive notion that there could possibly be a brilliant but humble Chinese master detective?
Granted some of the ire was undoubtedly due to the fact that — in the grand Hollywood tradition of Italian and Mexican Indians — Chan himself was always played by Caucasions. That is pretty annoying.
True, Othello is rarely played by genuine Moors, and even more rarely does Hollywood insist on finding people of genuine Celtic ancestry to play all those dreadful Irish maids and Scottish lawyers, d’ye ken? Still…it’s annoying.
But as I observed the gentle but implacable Chan slowly winning over my disapproving nephew, I thought that some of these watchdogs were maybe missing the point.
Charlie Chan is no more or worse a stereotype than Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple, is he? Does anyone honestly think Sherlock Holmes is supposed to represent the average Englishman anymore than Nancy Drew represents the average American teen girl? Let’s not even get into Miss Marple representing the average unmarried woman of a certain age.
Furthermore, while Chan’s children are an annoying bunch of clots, Mrs. Chan is portrayed with loving dignity — as is Charlie always. Chan is, like all master detectives of his generation, brilliant and unstoppable. But unlike most of the other master detectives of fiction, Chan is also more humble and human. He doesn’t have temper tantrums, he’s not rude and impatient or egotistical — and he’s touchingly tender with his exasperating and numerous off-spring. In fact, he’s pretty much everything that is admirable.
If anyone should be offended it’s the African-American watchdogs because very rarely are black characters in Charlie Chan shown as anything but clowns and cowards. Which is especially strange since there’s a quiet underlying message in many of the Chan films about race and humanity. Charlie is occasionally treated like a second-class citizen by some buffoon, but he always reacts with ironic courtesy leaving the audience in no doubt who the real second-class or no class citizen is.
Anyway, when I cautiously questioned Will midway through our impromptu film festival, he informed me that he liked Charlie and that he wanted to see more of him. Maybe a couple of bowls of Cocoa Puffs softened him up or maybe his initial resistance was actually due to the fact that all those Caucasion actors looked a bit “off” in their yellowface. Or maybe he really did experience a moment of bias, but it seems positive to me that he was won over by the character and the stories.
Charlie Chan is still greatly beloved by mystery fans, and I suppose there are all kinds of reasons for that. The films are not brilliant — the books (I’ve read a couple) were also enjoyable but not brilliant. Yet something in the character of Charlie Chan endures. Appeals. Engages.
I’m not saying Asian-Americans shouldn’t feel however they do about the character, but it troubles me that groups would try and suppress a part of film history because they don’t like it. Far more useful, I think, to show the films and then analyze and discuss them.
So what are your thoughts? Are you a Chan fan? And even if you’re not, what do you think about Caucasions playing ethnic roles? Is it okay for Linda Hunt to play an Asian man? Is it okay for Ben Kingsley to play an Indian martyr? And, finally, what do you think about trying to suppress something like the Chan films — or Gone With the Wind – because they portrayed minorities in an insensitive way?
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I like the old Charlie Chan films. They are light and fluffy and entertaining. I would like to think that we are far enough away from them that they can be viewed as historical pieces that reflect the attitudes at the time they were made - not the current mores.
My brother told me recently that while Disney has been reissuing it’s old movies again, it is keeping The Song of the South under lock and key. No showings, no releases, no themed rides, no embroidered t-shirts, no live movies planned. Since they have complete control, they have decided to just completely avoid the controversy that would ensue.
by Liz
on August 20th, 2007 at 6:49 am
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First off, Diana, your nephew has a good name. Plus, I never grew very fond of the Charlie Chan movies. They struck me a pretty unremarkable. This is a pretty heavy topic for the early morning.
I think it comes down to intent over execution. There are movies in which the director or producer INTENDS to make a statement or controversy and those should be criticized or lauded for their intent. There are lots of examples, but its really early, and only Spike Lee is coming to mind.
I’m not sure what the english-speaking Chinese actor pool was like in the 1930s and 40s, so I’m not sure if its merely the case of Hollywood wanting an actor that could be understood by the American public or if there was some other intent.
However, Sidnet Toler, who potrayed Chan in the movies that you watched, Diana was born in my home state, Missouri.
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Liz, it’s such a strange idea to me that the “controversy” over a film like Song of the South would be viewed as a bad thing. Surely discussing the offensive elements in these films — in a rational and civil context — would be the best way to address what are clearly still sensitive topics?
I don’t know. But I agree, the Chan films are fun.
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*shrug* I was raised not to pay attention to a person’s race. The important thing was the content of their character - always. So, I look at each person as who they are as an individual. I loved Charlie Chan, because he was smart and funny and always got the bad guy in the end. (Which, come to think of it, are a major requirements in a man for me now.) Those movies never gave me a bad or even misguided impression of asians. Anymore than the silly portrayals of blacks in the old movies gave me a bad impression of that race. *shrug*
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It’s too early on Monday for me to get a coherent answer together for your questions–at least PST it’s too early–but I have to say it appears your niece and newphew like mysteries as much as their aunt.
by Sara
on August 20th, 2007 at 9:30 am
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Well, Will, that’s actually not a bad point about the Asian pool of actors in the 30s and 40s — because the Chan films bump right into the years of WWII, don’t they?
I don’t think the Chan films were intended as anything but light entertainment — it was a very long running series, although by the end the movies were pretty darned bad. Still, considering how popular they were, something in them must have appealed to the mainstream.
It’s true that all kinds of elements in books and films are offensive once society and culture change/progress. My feeling is that only through open discussion can you guarantee that they don’t swing back the other way again.
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Sara, it’s a never-ending source of fiendish pleasure to me that my little kinfolk are budding sleuths.
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Hey, BE, I’m with you. Growing up I think there was particular emphasis — in my generation at least — to look past the obvious physical differences and of sex and race.
When it comes to the Chan films I have to wonder if the positives of having a strong and noble Asian hero didn’t outweigh the negatives of having a Swede in scary makeup portray him.
I’d love to see the Chan films remade with an actual Asian actor playing the role. Of course these days he’d have to be a very buff and sexy twenty-something kung fu expert and all around smart-ass.
JET LI IS CHARLIE CHAN!
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Diana, I had pictured Jackie Chan playing that character.
On another note, I have a question related to writing. Of course, I travel to China, speak a little Mandarin (and an even smaller amount of Cantonese) and know a bit about Asian culture. In an early draft of my book I had a couple of chapters that take place in China. I used fairly accurate Chinglish dialect when my Chinese characters spoke.
On the other hand, I read a novel by Clive Cussler (not sure of the title) that starts out on a Chinese ship. The Chinese crew appears to speak perfect English. I was so put off I sat it down. Chinese English (Chinglish) is not standard English and to me has an endearing quality to it. In using perfect English in the dialog it lost the stories realism.
Am I crazy? What do you all do in these situations?
BTW, there are no gender nouns in Chinese. TA means he/she. You hear them refer to a man as she, or the reverse when they speak English. There are also no past tense verbs. Was, did, etc.
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Sorry to hijack your discussion, Diana, but I just have to ask… Will, how do the Chinese talk about what they did yesterday or last year or when they were children if they have no past tense verbs? Do they specify a time in the past but talk about it in the present tense? Surely they talk about the past sometimes? Or is it a cultural thing that they don’t? The gender thing is also interesting; I’m used to more rather than less gender nouns: in all my languages, with the exception of English, there are three, masculine, feminine and neuter. I’ve always found it amusing that girl - MÄDCHEN - in German is a neuter…
by JennieB
on August 20th, 2007 at 10:23 am
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In Chinese, you frame your sentence to indicate tense. “I eat at the restaurant yesterday.”
One I hear is “Chairman Mao is a great leader.” Of course everyone knows he’s dead (1976).
Ta shi laoshi. Pinyin for (He/she is a teacher.) You have to know who they are referring to or you won’t know if it is a he or a she.
If you know about their language, it makes it easier to understand their English.
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Maybe it was the exaggerated accent that Asians found offensive? Something like how an African American would react to a character in blackface that said things like “Lawd a Mercy! Feets, do yo’ duty!”
Just brainstorming here, since I haven’t seen the series in years.
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Hey, Will, I think the ideal way to handle this is throw in a sparing amount of Chinglish, to give the right feel and flavor, and then have most of the dialog standard casual conversational — obviously avoiding words or phrases that would be too out of place.
I think if you do too much of any dialect or speech mannerism, even if accurate, it becomes distracting. And I suppose, thinking of Charlie Chan now, it might even be considered offensive by someone.
But a little bit of it adds authenticity and can be used to establish character too. Having Chinese (or American or you name it) laborers speak like middleclass Europeans is sort of clumsy and probably more distracting than tossing in a bit of dialect.
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“Lawd a Mercy! Feets, do yo’ duty!”
You’ve got a point, JD. It’s a lot easier to giggle at this when you’re completely unconnected to the stereotype in question.
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Great question, Jennie. Have at it!
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Diana, I had pictured Jackie Chan playing that character.
Hey, Will, that’s not a bad idea. He’s getting to be about the right age (assuming Hollywood will permit a middle-aged sleuth to exist) and apparently Charlie Chan was based on this hard-fisted bullwhip snapping real Chinese detective, so the action hero thing may not be that far from the mark.
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I could see Jackie Chan play Charlie Chan. Easier than I could see Jet Li, anyway.
Will, thanks for the clarification on the Chinese. I have a habit of absorbing largely useless information as I go through life, and storing it away for some moment when I can trot it out and sound smarter than I am. At some point in my life I will impress someone with my archaic knowledge of Chinese, and think fondly of you.
by JennieB
on August 20th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
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I am full of it. Useless knowledge that is.
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Funny thing about Song of the South - it is readily available in the binary newsgroups, appearing about twice a year. Because of its age, it will make up into a decent DVD, but not a great one - and it’s worth watching again, if only to see how much things change - and how easy some folks are to offend.
by bob
on August 20th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
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Funny enough, Will, that’s one of the bits I remember from 3 days inside a building at Lackland AFB in 1961 - Chinese screning. I would have gone to Yale and learned Mandarin, but they filled the class before they got to my last name - so I learned Russian at Syracuse instead, and got sent to Germany.
by bob
on August 20th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
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I know the feeling Bob. I went to Mexico for 3 weeks for work and decided to take Spanish in case the business in Mexico grew. I was in my second Spanish lesson when I learned that I was going to China.
I’ve never been back to Mexico for business, but spend a significant amount of time in China.
I know how to order two cold beers and ask where the bathroom is in several languages.
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I’ve wanted to see the Charlie Chan movies, but I always seem to miss them when they turn up on TCM.
I think that’s a good point about the small pool of Asian actors/actresses in early Hollywood. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is silent film star Anna May Wong.
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Hiya, Tori!
They did use Asian actors for Chan’s family — Keye Luke notably — and some of the side characters, but of course for Chan they needed a strong and experienced middle-aged actor. Clearly box office appeal couldn’t have been a huge factor because neither Warner Oland or Sydney Toler were exactly stud muffins…
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Hey, Bob. I admit I’m curious about Song of the South. I’ve never seen it. I just dimly remember the old DisneyLand ride.
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I know how to order two cold beers and ask where the bathroom is in several languages.
Survival skills.
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Diana, Regina knows how I can be found, and I can make it available to you if you want it.
by bob
on August 20th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
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I confess i was never a fan of Charlie Chan but I do understand the appeal. As to your questions about actors of one ethnicity playing characters of another, it is my belief that you hire a performer for their talent and their abilities, not their heritage. Linda Hunt in “The Year of Living Dangerously” was brilliant. Ben Kingslet is always brilliant — it is the performer that matters in those roles.
As for suppressing films, that is a form of censorship. At that time in history, that is how people thought. To deny that or hide it is to try to rewrite history. Should “Huckleberry Finn” be censored because it uses a word that is now unacceptable? What about “To Kill A Mockingbird”?
If we try to blot out pieces of the past it becomes too easy to forget how far wwe have come — or haven’t.
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Thanks, Bob!
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So beautifully said, Kathleen. I’m with you on that one.
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Kathleen, I fear that society is now bent on finding reasons to be offended, so that whatever diversity we may have in humor, knowledge, or understanding will be ground down into a morass of mediocrity, where nobody can be offended because speech is constrained to be so uninteresting - and folks will stop learning because, after all, the main part of learning is being challenged by differences in opinion or understanding - and these will be hammered out of us in the interest of offending nobody.
bob
by bob
on August 22nd, 2007 at 10:17 am
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