bacigalup

2 prices as of this post:

AMZ Warehouse Price - $62.85
AMZ DOTW Price - $63.49

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...d_i=2921749011

AdamGott

And I almost pulled the trigger at Costco a couple of months ago for $15 each.... I did later regret it but I have so many unwatched movies that I still can't decide!

thetao

Wow. I'd only recently added a few of these to my wants list, set 3 for "The Black Camel" to complete my Lugosi collection, but eventually opted for sets 1-3 as I've always had a soft spot for these films. But at roughly $12.50/set for all 5, this is a no-brainer. Will pull the trigger later this week. Thanks for the tip!

JoeDoakes

If you don't have any of them but like old mysteries, you should definitely buy these. They are watchable multiple times, have great extras, and the price is fantastic.

Trevor

^ Amen. They really are well put together sets and great films.

AdamGott

You didn't have to convince me... I ordered them yesterday right after I posted!

SkullOrchard

I really hate that Amazon has started charging sales tax to GA customers.

Adds $5.08 to the cost for me.

story

There is a tremendous urge to post this is a wonderful discount this is on racism but that would also be a tremendous threadcrap.

Instead, let me ask an honest question, as I was not allowed to watch these when I was young because my parents said the films were racist:

Are the films racist? And if so, from your understanding of what a person of Chinese or Asian heritage would think, how are they racist?

jwstl

This probably isn't the place for this discussion but since we are here....Read the footnote to this DVDtalk review of Volume 3:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/30754...t-monte-carlo/

My wife is Chinese-both parents were Chinese immigrants-and I asked her about it before I bought them and she didn't have a problem with it. We haven't watched any of the films yet, but, if the Asian characters are as the reviewer describes, I think we will enjoy them.

Jory

Any serious discussion of the whole "white actors playing Asians" trend would completely derail this topic, since it's a far more complicated issue than it's usually made out to be. Some dismiss it as totally racist and wrong, and others defend it as harmless and "normal for its time," but both of these judgments ignore the fact that a lot of these films are fascinating mixtures of insulting racist caricatures and positive and sympathetic portrayals of Asian characters. In short, it's something to confront, something to read about and talk about, something to understand; not something to quickly and blindly accept or dismiss.

Anyone wanting a long but excellent explanation (and exploration) of this issue should read the review of The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929) on the 1000 Misspent Hours website. (I'm not allowed to post URLs since I haven't made 30 posts, but it's easy to find with a Google search.) Granted, the Fu Manchu films are about a Chinese villain as opposed to a hero, but the author really knows his stuff, and the history of events leading up to these films is essential reading for anyone interested in the topic.

Okay, lecture over.

I'll end this by simply saying: Damn you, Amazon, for putting this set on sale right after I nearly bankrupted myself with birthday shopping for family members.

One more thing: A lot of these movies are in the public domain, and anyone who's unsure about whether they'd want to spend money on the DVDs can sample them by watching the crappy old prints available on YouTube or the Internet Archive.

EDIT: At the time of this post, Amazon says "Only 1 left in stock." To whoever snatches it up: You're welcome.

smurr05

Thanks OP. I as well will bite on these later this week!

JoeDoakes

A couple of the special features on the sets address that issue. One of them is an interview with Layne Tom, who played Charlie Chan, Jr. Another is a featurette on Keye Luke that features a woman who I think was his grand niece.

JoeDoakes

None of the Fox Charlie Chan films sold in these sets are in the public domain. Some of the later Monogram films are, however. Whether or not you can watch them on the internet is another matter.

berigan

As you mentioned, Layne Tom,(Kiana Tom of ESPN's Bodyshaping fame's father) talked about this, and I found it very interesting that he said he didn't know that Warner Oland was not Chinese! From Wiki "He claimed that his vaguely Oriental appearance was due to possessing some Mongolian ancestry,[1]:1[2] though his known ancestry contains no indication that this was so."

I like Sidney Toler, who replaced him, ( a fair number of Chan fans don't-sort of the Sean Connery/Roger Moore situation) but as the excellent extras go into quite a bit, Warner Oland seemed to possess a more Chinese temperament, if that makes sense.
I think it's safe to say neither Oland or Toler in any way acted in any way to be insulting to anyone. It's just that they were not Asian.
But, Keye Luke (Lee Chan in the Oland films) and Victor Sen Yung ( Tommy and Jimmy Chan) who played Charlie's sons, were both Chinese in ancestry and might have been the first American-ized Asians many people saw when this films first came out. Very westernized, modern boys.
I find it much harder to watch Stepinfetchit in Charlie Chan in Eygpt.....
Anyway, anyone on the fence on these films, if you like classic films, or mysteries, you really can't go wrong, especially at this price.
Films were beautifully restored,(Each disc has a before and after side by side clip) and the extras really are eye opening. For instance, just remembered one...there really was a Charlie Chan like detective in Honolulu, and he did some things, that if you saw it in a movie, you wouldn't believe it for a second!

JoeDoakes

[QUOTE=berigan;11838614]As you mentioned, Layne Tom,(Kiana Tom of ESPN's Bodyshaping fame's father) talked about this, and I found it very interesting that he said he didn't know that Warner Oland was not Chinese! From Wiki "He claimed that his vaguely Oriental appearance was due to possessing some Mongolian ancestry,[1]:1[2] though his known ancestry contains no indication that this was so."/QUOTE]

The British had an expression, "Scratch a Russian and you'll find a Tartar." I bet it you used modern DNA analysis on Warner Oland, you'd probably find evidence of Mongolian ancestry.

smurr05

Order placed...Thanks OP!

Silverscreenvid

Order placed -- Thanks.

I would like to say that I come to this forum to give and get information about DVD bargains, not to engage in discussions about the ethnicity of various actors. There's plenty of places to discuss those issues and the Chan films in general.

Let's try to keep these discussions on topic.

Trevor

And one of those places for the very worthy discussion is this thread.

hilts

Agreed.

Bought one. Thanks OP!

thetao

My shipment arrived yesterday. To reiterate: wow, such a great deal. I don't know when I'll ever find time to watch them all, but they feel perfect for snowy, winter Sunday afternoons.

Small downside: I've never seen more eco cases in one place! Hauled 20 of them to the trash at once. And set #3 was the only one with liner notes. Obviously #1 and #2 should also have included them. Does anybody know if they were meant for sets #4 and #5 as well?

smurr05

Eco cases do not bother me in the least...Just my opinion...Very happy with my set and will watch more tonight!...It is weird RE: only 1 set having liner notes though ,I agree!

Larry50

This was a blind buy for me.At $12.70 per volume and with the many great reviews I bought the set.
Well worth it,however Volume 1 video quality is lower than Volume 2 which I am up to.

snowdogmama

I am a fan of the Charlie Chan films. There were 47 vintage films made. 6 are lost (until discovered under someones bed) and 3 have never been released. The never released ones are The Red Dragon, The Feathered Serpent, and the Sky Dragon.