LIKE WISE
Noble goal like chasing rainbow — beautiful while it lasts.
If the above quote sounds familiar, you have the memory of an elephant. It — the quote, not you or the elephant — appeared in my previous post as a Charlie Chanism which I made up after a trip to the latest local library book sale where my returns are becoming re-nowned and their books are becoming re-owned….and one of my new buys was titled CHARLIE CHAN — The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History, by Yunte Huang.
If you’re an old movie buff like me, you’ve probably seen a number of 1930s-40s Charlie Chan films (based on the 1920-3os novels by Earl Derr Biggers) in which Charlie chanted such gems of wisdom as these:
Hasty deduction, like ancient egg, look good from outside.
Mind, like parachute, only function when open.
Trouble, like first love, teach many lessons.
Facts like photographic film — must be exposed before developing.
Advice after mistake like medicine after funeral.
You will find these, and many more, Chanisms in Appendix I of the book. But that’s just a bonus — the real story of this book is “The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective”…. a story I can’t tell you because either I would have to kill you (leaving no clues), or it would spoil the story and leave you without a motive to buy the book. But I will tell you that the fictional Honolulu detective Charlie Chan was based on real-life Honolulu detective Chang Apana, who was a character in his own right and whose career included jobs ranging from gardener to gumshoe. So get the book, plant yourself in your favorite chair, and enjoy the read.
Speaking of flowery characters, Earl Derr Biggers was no shrinking violet. Before turning novelist, Biggers (a Harvard grad)) was an outspoken newspaper columnist and drama critic. In one of his columns, he wrote of “a citizen of Mingo, Okla., [who] whipped out his trusty six-shooter the other day and shot the mustache off another citizen. We sincerely hope that the gentleman who lost the mustache appreciated the fact that he had a mighty close shave.” Shades of such baldfaced punsters as Dorothy Parker, Oscar Wilde and mistermuse! (The latter includes himself in such company on the grounds that the dead can’t object.)
But enough about me. Here’s Charlie!
linnetmoss 8:26 am on September 16, 2017 Permalink |
Hahaha! Is that Tim Conway?
What cracks me up about the Biggers story is the name “Mingo, Okla.”
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mistermuse 9:17 am on September 16, 2017 Permalink |
Yes, that is Tim Conway, and that clip is like a scrambled egg — it breaks me up. 😦
“Mingo” reminds me on “Mongo” in BLAZING SADDLES — which also breaks me up. 🙂
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Ricardo 10:32 am on September 16, 2017 Permalink |
One of the Facebooks groups I belong to has the parachute quote on its home page, Sr. Muse, only they attribute it to Frank Zappa. Since Chan preceded Zappa in the popular canon, it’s probably a misattribution. However, let’s face it–the fictional Chan never thought of it, either. It sprang from the brain of a now-forgotten writer. Such is the eventual fate of all we scribblers.
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mistermuse 1:21 pm on September 16, 2017 Permalink |
Maybe I should have that “Noble goal like chasing rainbow” quote etched on my gravestone, Ricardo, so at least one of my scribblings survives long after I’m gone.
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Don Frankel 8:36 am on September 17, 2017 Permalink |
I went looking for a Charlie Chan saying for this case. “Blond hair can be obtained from a bottle – or wig maker.”
I also semi-remembered something about Number 1 son. Looked that up too. He was played ,many times by Keye Luke who went onto to be in a ton of movies. He might best be remembered by TV fans as the old master in Kung Fu the TV show..
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mistermuse 9:37 am on September 17, 2017 Permalink |
Don, here’s a bit of trivia for you. As you know, the best Marx Brothers movie is generally considered to be A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935). The best Charlie Chan movie (according to film critic Leonard Maltin) appeared a year later: CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA (1936).
Coincidence?
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restlessjo 4:37 am on September 19, 2017 Permalink |
I love the wisdoms in Chan, so concisely put. 🙂 🙂
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mistermuse 9:02 am on September 19, 2017 Permalink |
Here’s another Chanism you might like:
EVERY MAYBE HAS A WIFE CALLED MAYBE-NOT.
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restlessjo 12:04 pm on September 19, 2017 Permalink
My husband would DEFINITELY agree 🙂 🙂
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BroadBlogs 8:49 pm on September 22, 2017 Permalink |
I’ve never seen a Charlie Chan movie, I hate to admit! I’ll have to check it out sometime.
Funny Carol Burnett sketch!
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mistermuse 12:08 am on September 23, 2017 Permalink |
Charlie Chan movies were fun when I was young, but I must admit that most of them don’t age well. Of the few that do, I’d recommend CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA.
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eliza rudolf 1:15 am on September 26, 2017 Permalink |
Nice post❤💖❤💖
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mistermuse 8:06 am on September 26, 2017 Permalink |
Thank you. Compliment like drop of water on thirsty tongue: more precious than gold in purse. — Charlie Chan
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eliza rudolf 8:52 am on September 30, 2017 Permalink
Wow 😘😘😘😘😘
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