Date:         Mon, 14 Nov 2005 17:25:10 -0500
Reply-To:     Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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Sender:       Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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From:         Thomas Stern <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: Oscar Levant-William Kernell Opera 'Carnival'
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In the US,  six Monogram(Allied) titles are issued by MGM singly and in 
a 'Chanthology' box set:
  The Secret Service; The Chinese Cat; The Jade Mask; Meeting at 
Midnight; The Scarlet Clue; The Shanghai Cobra.
In the UK, six Fox titles are/about to be issued by Orbit Media, also 
offered singly and in a box:
  Charlie Chan in London, Charlie Chan in Paris, Charlie Chan at the 
Opera, Charlie Chan at the Circus, Charlie Chan on Broadway,
  Charlie Chan in Shanghai.
There is a "Platinum Edition" offered by a web source containing 42 
films on 14 DVD-R's.  I have not seen these, but would like to hear what 
the quality is from anyone who has them.  I've a few early Charlie Chan 
films on bootleg VHS tapes,  purchased many years ago.  The transfers 
are execrable.
  Best wishes, Thomas.


Robert Hodge wrote:

>It's Warner Oland , please. Not Werner.
>Not to be nit picky.
>
>Is this one on DVD?
>
>BH
>
>
>
>  
>
>>>>[log in to unmask] 11/14/2005 2:03 PM >>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>Thomas Stern wrote:
>  
>
>>This 'opera' composed for the film CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA.
>>Can anyone identify who the actual singers in the film are?  Thanks.
>>Best wishes, Thomas.
>>
>>    
>>
>Boris Karloff plays an opera baritone (singing dubbed by Rico Ricardi)
>
>suffering from amnesia and a desire for revenge. He is suspected of a 
>murdering a woman onstage but detective Charlie Chan (Werner Oland) has
>
>his doubts. This was one of the best of the low-budget Chan films based
>
>around the Honolulu detective created by Earl Derr Biggers. Oscar
>Levant 
>composed an imaginary opera called Carnival for this film including 
>overture and arias. The libretto by William Kernell was created around
>a 
>Mephistopheles costume used by Lawrence Tibbett in Metropolitan. It was
>
>given to the Chan picture to be worn on-stage by Chaney in the stabbing
>
>scene. Levant discusses this opera in his autobiography A Smattering of
>
>Ignorance and there is an analysis of it by Irene Hahn Atkins in Source
>
>Music in Motion Pictures. H. Bruce Humberstone directed for 20th
>Century 
>Fox. Black and white. 66 minutes.
>
>Copyright @ 1997 by Ken Wlaschin. All rights reserved.
>
>Mike
>  
>