Inspiration For Charlie Chan
Earl Derr Biggers vacationed in Hawaii in 1919 where he was inspired to begin to write the novel House Without a Key. While reading Honolulu newspapers in the New York library in 1924, he read about the exploits of Chang Apana; Derr Biggers then created a new character based on Chang for his novel, inserting him a quarter of the way through the book. The character became popular and Derr Biggers expanded his presence in his novels.
Chang met actor Warner Oland, who portrayed Charlie Chan, when The Black Camel was filmed in Hawaii. When Biggers met Chang in 1928 the real detective was already being called "Charlie Chan", and Chang enjoyed watching his fictional counterpart's films. After five more novels, Derr Biggers publicly acknowledged Chang as the inspiration for his character in a letter to the Honolulu Advertiser dated June 28, 1932. His widow states, though, that Chan was actually based on Derr Biggers himself, resembling him in physique and character, whereas Chang was slight in build, quick to anger, and involved in very few actual murder cases.
Read more about this topic: Chang Apana
Famous quotes containing the words inspiration and/or charlie:
“What is called eloquence in the forum is commonly found to be rhetoric in the study. The orator yields to the inspiration of a transient occasion, and speaks to the mob before him, to those who can hear him; but the writer, whose more equable life is his occasion, and who would be distracted by the event and the crowd which inspire the orator, speaks to the intellect and heart of mankind, to all in any age who can understand him.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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