The Jade Mask (Monogram) (1945)

| CHARLIE CHAN AND SHERIFF STUDY SUSPECTS | New Acto r’s Pe rfectio n Proves To Be Accident Edwin Luke reached the peak of acting perfection on his first day before the motion picture cameras in the filming of “The Jade Mask,” now showing at the 2 ee, comer Luke was directed to sit in*¥ a hallway chair and pretend to be | NEWEST IS HIT =a to be watching for the mystery man who has murdered the _ scientist Luke’s portrayal of sleep won the praise of such veteran cast memrector Phil Rosen declared that it was the most impressive portrayal the Chinese-American to congratulate him, they won no response. The new with Sidney Toler in the shee role of Charlie Chan. Playing the featured role of ‘ ‘number four son,” asleep. It’s night, and his costume consists of pajamas. He’s supposed working on a new gas—but, in the story, he falls asleep. | & bers as Frank Reicher, Hardie Albright and Mantan Moreland. Diof sleeping he had ever seen. When the crew gathered around Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) analyzes the mental states of two suspects | (Henry Hall and Cyril Delevanti) as the sheriff (Alan Bridges) listens with tired skepticism. There is a generous supply of suspects in this newest of Monogram’s Charlie Chan series—“The Jade Mask,” which perfect actor was asleep. “Tt was association of ideas,’ he starts at, the theatre next Two Column Scene Mat No. 21 FRIGHTENING Motion picture workers can take their mystery houses and ghosts in stride. But when the new Charlie Chan picture, “The Jade Mask,” currently at the theatre, was in the making at Monogram Studiios, no one wanted to walk on the set when shooting did not require his presence. The art department had done so thorough a job of creating an atmosphere of terror that the crew found it unbearable except when activity made it more studio than horror. screen, there is so much action that} Charlie details of architecture and furnishings become merely effective background. | HOLLYWOOD A specialist in Swedish dialect, radio actress Edith Evanson was given instructions for her first screen interview. As the _ studio’s requirement was for a Swedish American actress, her agent told her to apply in dialect. She did—and learned later that she didn’t get the role because the casting director said she couldn’t speak good English. In spite of this start, she has made rapid progress, currently ap On the local! pearing in the newest Monogram’s “The Chan Jade Mask,” at the theatre with Sidney Toler in the starring role. film, |of Charlie shamefacedly explained. ‘Pajamas —sleep.” Seattle-born, Luke’s previous dramatic experience had been confined to appearing in a play given by the Chinese Baptist Church of that city. But he had the advantage of an elder brother’s sage advice. His brother, Keye, first created the role Chan’s son for the screen. After graduating from the journalism class at University of Washington, “Eddie” Luke went to work for a Hollywood publication. A successful career is predicted for young Luke by his screen father, Sidney Toler, considered a shrewd judge of talent. To this, James S. Burkett—producer of the Charlie Chan series for Monogram | —adds his endorsement. Edwin Luke, brother of Chinese actor Keye Luke, establishes popularity as Charlie Chan’s son in Monogram’s “The Jade Mask,” mystery drama starring Sidney Toler and due to start next » on —— -3 o One Col. Scene Mat No. 9 o Mystery Variety in New Film With Charlie Chan (Review) | 17 TO 75 From age 17 to 75 every day— that was the experience of Danny Desmond, who plays a comic role as bellboy in the new Charlie Chan mystery, “The Jade Mask,” coming GOV TNO ineien ai Seren es theatre next Mme a Paine cc ate races Desmond was If you made up a recipe for a mystery film which would be surefire entertainment, you would include a mystery mansion, sliding panels, signal lights, an eccentric scientist with a spectacular laboratory and completely new methods of murder. “The Jade Mask,” which|a youth at Monogram Studio all opened an engagement at _ the| day, ate dinner and then became a Sn eter theatre yesterday, has|75-year-old character for “The all these fascinating elements—| Drunkard” every evening. and Charlie Chan, too. In this Monogram production, star Sidney Toler demonstrates that he has personified the great Oriental detective so long that the two have become identical. Watching the actor’s mind work as he applies Chinese reasoning to the solving of a “perfect” murder, you do not think | of him as an American come to Hollywood after a _ distinguished stage career, but as the character created by Earl Derr Biggers. The story, appropriately, involves |; the murder of a scientist who has developed a gas means of imparting to wood the strength of steel. The scientist is played by Frank Reicher, who has no Hollywood peer when it comes to such a role. His |} cynical assistant is Hardie Albright. The pretty girl need is supplied by Janet Warren as the scientist’s || niece. The laugh department is more|§ than adequate, thanks to the rich | Be humor of Chan’s lines, the frighten| @ ed freezing of colored comic Mantan Moreland and the wild enthusiasm |} of the new “number four son,” Edwin Luke. The film shows painstaking production, for which James S. Burkett is responsible as producer. The director, who stressed comedy as well as mystery, is Phil Rosen. Wm. Strohbach draws credit for production management. Original screen | SPECIALIST | The screen’s expert delineator of fright is Mantan Moreland, who manages to make being scared funny for the audience. He is in “The Jade Mask,” Monogram’s Charlie Chan mystery which comes to the theatre next play is by George Callahan. One Col. Scene Mat No. 4 ‘Comedian Says: ‘Don't Jar Body" It’s a jar on the human body to stop acting all of a sudden, according to Mantan Moreland, negro |comedian who adds his brand of humor to that of Charlie Chan in “The Jade Mask,’ Monogram production now at the ........ theatre. Sidney Toler, playing Charlie Chan, noticed during making of the picture that Moreland would keep right on with his assigned action and expression after Director Phil Rosen had brought the cameras to a halt. Knowing that most players cease emoting abruptly, Toler-Chan asked the comedian, “How come?” “When I get warmed up to a bit of acting,’ explained the comedian, “Tm like a runner who keeps on running after the stopping point is reached. Whether it’s fright or puzzlement, I get to feeling the way I try to look. If I put on the brakes suddenly, it jars me inside and out. | So I coast down from acting to just | being me.” It may be Moreland’s advance warming up rather than his postcoasting, but in any event the negro with the big white eyes has been making an impression on America’s eens. Accident or Telepathy? If you believe in telepathy or something pretty close to it, you will find significance in this incident. Or you may prefer to not believe any part of it. Frank Reicher, veteran actor, was passing a bookstore. Altho he is no bookstore addict, he felt impelled to turn in. His eyes were captured by a set of Earl Derr Biggers’ Charlie Chan stories, and he bought them. Arriving home for a good stretch of reading, Reicher found a message to call his agent. Reicher was wanted at Monogram studios for a leading role in “The Jade Mask,” Charlie Chan picture starring Sidney Toler. The agent had been trying to reach Reicher all afternoon, to suggest that he read the Chan novels to get into the spirit of the assignment. Known as a famed discoverer of talent, the manager-actor is most proud of discovering Sidney Toler. In “The Jade Mask,” Toler-Chan rewards him by exposing the man who murders Reicher in his role of inventor. “The Jade Mask,’ coming to the Shi en ae theatre next was produced by James S. Burkett. Charlie Chan Edits Own Dialogue on ‘‘Mystery”’ Set No matter who writes the screenplay, the Charlie Chan dialogue is always re-written on the set by Sidney Toler, who plays the beloved Oriental dctective. Toler has played the Earl Derr Biggers character so :ong that he knows down to the last inflection and pause just how Chan talks. Further explanation is found in¥* the fact that Toler was a playwright and “play doctor” before coming to Hollywood. The result is that although Chan stories are written with the talents of their star in mind, by the time the picture is shot, Chan’s shrewdly humorous words are their greatest charm. When “The Jade Mask,” now showing at the theatre, was in its starting days of shooting, screen writer George Cal Ce lahan would protest to Chan: ‘“Toler, youre padding your part!” When he observed how definitely the actor’s changes were improvements, he welcomed the alterations. “The Jade Mask” is considered the greatest Charlie Chan achievement in the amusing and thoughtprovoking quality of its Chinese dialogue. This Monogram production is directed by Phil Rosen. The cast includes Mantan Moreland, Edwin Luke, Frank Reicher.