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Quiz about Charlie Chan James Lee Wong Mr Moto Adventures
Quiz about Charlie Chan James Lee Wong Mr Moto Adventures

Charlie Chan, James Lee Wong, Mr Moto Adventures Quiz


Charlie Chan, James Lee Wong and Mr Moto are all books or short stories about Chinese detectives. Many you can find online and on DVD. Get out your popcorn and enjoy! (Some knowledge of the literature required.)

A multiple-choice quiz by Tapestry6. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
Tapestry6
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
371,596
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
148
Question 1 of 10
1. This man was a novelist and playwright, who was a 1907 graduate of Harvard University then worked as a journalist before becoming an author of fiction.
Name the creator of this most illustrious character, Charlie Chan, who became a very popular movie series in the 1930s and 40s.
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The actor who played #1 son was in many other movies and had a lucrative career in television. He also replaced Boris Karloff as the main character in the movie 'Phantom of Chinatown' as James Lee Wong in 1940. Who was this man who was also considered one of the best dressed in Hollywood?
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Six novels of Mr Moto were written by John Marquand between 1935 and 1957 for 'The Saturday Evening Post'. The movie series ran from 1935-1942, wherein Mr Moto was portrayed by only one actor (in 1957 Henry Silva played the character so badly most would prefer to forget it exists).
So who did portray Mr Moto so superbly?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. The first Charlie Chan book was published in 1919.
Do you know the first title introducing this most illustrious detective?
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Many actors in the 1920s portrayed the role of Charlie Chan, but which one popularized the series for Universal Studios with the film 'Charlie Chan Carries On' in 1931?
Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. 'Mr. Wong, Detective' was Monogram's answer to the Charlie Chan series.
These movies were not based on novels but short stories in 'Collier's' magazine, written by Hugh Wiley, and starred a very familiar actor who normally was not mild mannered.
Who was this actor?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. When the actor portraying Chan in 'Mr Wong, Detective' died in 1938 the studio needed to find a replacement quickly and chose an actor who played Mr Chan the next 11 movies. This actor died, five years later; name the actor who played him? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. When the original actor's replacement took over the series, he no longer had his #1 son, but instead #2 son (Charlie had 12 children so there no end of sons to take over the role including a daughter Francis Chan).
Who played this role?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. As the series continued into the late 1940s Charlie Chan had a new star by 1947. Though he had Keye Luke as his #1 son. Luke was actually six months older!
He made six more Charlie Chan movies before the series was abandoned in 1948.
Who was he?
Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Lastly we come to #3 son in the last of the Charlie Chan movies, though Keye Luke did act in the last two movies that were made in England. This character actor had a long movie career and was the "old man" in the Kung Fu Series.
Who was Tommy Chan?
Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. This man was a novelist and playwright, who was a 1907 graduate of Harvard University then worked as a journalist before becoming an author of fiction. Name the creator of this most illustrious character, Charlie Chan, who became a very popular movie series in the 1930s and 40s.

Answer: Earl Derr Biggers

Earl Derr Biggers was born in Warren, Ohio.
Many of his novels were made into movies and stage shows, including 'Seven Keys to Baldpate' that was a hit Broadway play adapted by George M. Cohan in 1917. In 1938 he revealed his books of Charlie Chan were based on a real detective named Chang Apana.
2. The actor who played #1 son was in many other movies and had a lucrative career in television. He also replaced Boris Karloff as the main character in the movie 'Phantom of Chinatown' as James Lee Wong in 1940. Who was this man who was also considered one of the best dressed in Hollywood?

Answer: Keye Luke

Keye Luke had very long career in Hollywood, he first was hired as an artist by the studios. Some murals in Graham's Chinese Theater feature his work. He was also the first Kato in the 'Green Hornet' serials in 1938-1941 and Mr Hang in the Rogers and Hammerstein's Broadway hit of 1958 'Flower Drum Song'.
He has a star on the Hollywood walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Blvd.
3. Six novels of Mr Moto were written by John Marquand between 1935 and 1957 for 'The Saturday Evening Post'. The movie series ran from 1935-1942, wherein Mr Moto was portrayed by only one actor (in 1957 Henry Silva played the character so badly most would prefer to forget it exists). So who did portray Mr Moto so superbly?

Answer: Peter Lorre

Peter Lorre was an amazing actor and kicked around Hollywood from Columbia to MGM and finally to Warner Brothers were he is best remembered as the sidekick of Sidney Greenstreet in "The Maltese Falcon' and Ugarte in 'Casablanca'. He finished his life working in Roger Corman horror movies but always respected in his craft. Vincent Price did the eulogy at Lorre's memorial in 1964.
His star on the Hollywood Walk of fame is at 6619 Hollywood Boulevard.
4. The first Charlie Chan book was published in 1919. Do you know the first title introducing this most illustrious detective?

Answer: House Without a Key

'Murder by Death' was a Neil Simon play (Peter Sellers played a Chan-like character)
Harry Hoo was a character for the television series 'Get Smart'.
'The Return of Charlie Chan' was a was a television series where Ross Martin played the title character in 1979.
5. Many actors in the 1920s portrayed the role of Charlie Chan, but which one popularized the series for Universal Studios with the film 'Charlie Chan Carries On' in 1931?

Answer: Warner Oland

George Kuwa played the part for Pathé Pictures in 1926, Kamiyama Sojin for Universal in 1927 and E.L. Park, who was a Korean actor, played the part for Fox Film in 1929; none met with success.
6. 'Mr. Wong, Detective' was Monogram's answer to the Charlie Chan series. These movies were not based on novels but short stories in 'Collier's' magazine, written by Hugh Wiley, and starred a very familiar actor who normally was not mild mannered. Who was this actor?

Answer: Boris Karloff

Boris Karloff played in three movies as the character Mr Wong.
After playing the Frankenstein monster and the 'Invisible Menance' it must have been a nice change for him!
7. When the actor portraying Chan in 'Mr Wong, Detective' died in 1938 the studio needed to find a replacement quickly and chose an actor who played Mr Chan the next 11 movies. This actor died, five years later; name the actor who played him?

Answer: Sidney Toler

In his last Charlie Chan movie, 'Dangerous Money', this second actor was so sick with cancer that #2 son Victor Sen Young and Martin Moreland did most of the action shots so that he could rest as much as possible.
He also sought to gain the rights to the series from Earl Derr Biggers' widow. Fox declined but Monogram did pick up the franchise albeit with a much lower budget than Fox had been using with Warner Oland.
8. When the original actor's replacement took over the series, he no longer had his #1 son, but instead #2 son (Charlie had 12 children so there no end of sons to take over the role including a daughter Francis Chan). Who played this role?

Answer: Victor Sen Young

Victor Sen Yung was born in San Francisco in 1915. His first significant role was playing #2 son in the Charlie Chan series.
He will be remembered as Hop Sing in the 'Bonanza' series from 1959-1972.
He was author of 'The Great Wok Cookbook' in 1974.
9. As the series continued into the late 1940s Charlie Chan had a new star by 1947. Though he had Keye Luke as his #1 son. Luke was actually six months older! He made six more Charlie Chan movies before the series was abandoned in 1948. Who was he?

Answer: Roland Winters

Roland Winters was a sports announcer for the Red Sox baseball team, and did some minor acting roles before the offer to be the next Charlie Chan came into his life.
He did some minor television rolls and died in the Actors Fund Nursing Home in New Jersey in October of 1989 at the age of 84.
10. Lastly we come to #3 son in the last of the Charlie Chan movies, though Keye Luke did act in the last two movies that were made in England. This character actor had a long movie career and was the "old man" in the Kung Fu Series. Who was Tommy Chan?

Answer: Benson Fong

Benson Fong was also in 'Perry Mason' television show and The 'Love Bug', a Disney movie, was in a very long list of movies from 1936 to 1986.
He owned a chain of restaurants called Ah Fong.
He died at the age of 70 in 1987 in California.
Source: Author Tapestry6

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor LadyCaitriona before going online.
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