The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan

The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan (sometimes abbreviated as The Amazing Chan Clan) is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, animated by Eric Porter Studios in Australia and broadcast on CBS from September 9, 1972 to December 30, 1972, with reruns continuing through the summer of 1973 and in syndication from 1976 to 1982.[1] The show was loosely based on the Charlie Chan series of mystery novels and films, which began with the 1925 novel The House Without a Key.

The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
Title card
GenreMystery
Created byEarl Derr Biggers (character)
Written byDennis Marks
Directed byWilliam Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Voices of(See article)
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes16
Production
ProducersWilliam Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Running time30 min.
Production companyHanna-Barbera Productions
DistributorTaft Broadcasting
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseSeptember 9 (1972-09-09) –
December 30, 1972 (1972-12-30)

Plot summary

Throughout the series, legendary Chinese sleuth Charlie Chan is alternately handicapped and assisted by his brood of ten children and their dog Chu Chu, in the process of solving mysteries and catching wily master criminals.[2] The family travels around the world in the Chan Van, a vehicle built by teenage genius Alan Chan, which can transform itself with the push of a button. As in other Hanna-Barbera cartoons of the period, the kids also have a music group, the Chan Clan, and they perform a song in each episode.

Cast of characters
  • Mr. Charlie ("The Amazing") Chan: Famous detective and single father of ten. Dressed in a blue suit, tie and fedora hat. Often finds whatever case-solving clues his children may have overlooked.
  • Henry Chan: The eldest of Charlie's ten offspring. A teen heartthrob, he is a natural leader for his siblings in their dad's absence. He's the drummer for the Chan kids' band.
  • Stanley Chan: The second eldest Chan offspring, he forms a comedic duo with Henry. More often than any of the others, he delivers the show's tagline: "Wham-Bam; somebody's in a Jam!" He's a guitarist for his siblings' band. Whenever they're on a case, Stanley, much to Henry's chagrin, frequently dons some sort of crazy disguise.
  • Suzie Chan: Charlie's eldest daughter, a sweet and pretty teen. She plays tambourine for the Chan siblings' band.
  • Alan Chan: An inventor/engineer who builds and supplies whatever crime-stopping gadgetry his siblings might need, particularly the Chan Van. He's also part of the horn section (usually playing an oboe, to be precise) for the Chan kids' band.
  • Anne Chan: Alan's twin sister, a feminist tomboy. She alternates between guitar and percussion for the kids' band.
  • Tom Chan: He's the most intellectual of the Chan children. He wears black-framed eyeglasses, and sometimes talks in scientific terms. Trombonist for the Chan kids' band.
  • Flip Chan: The leader of the younger siblings. He's also the most enthusiastic when it comes to helping their dad solve cases. Usually called "Chief" by Scooter.
  • Nancy Chan: A robust 9-year-old with a ponytail, and the most accident-prone of the Chan offspring. She's usually always hungry and loves to crack a joke.
  • Mimi Chan: At 7, she's Charlie's youngest daughter and second-youngest offspring. Despite her girly nature, she's prone to bossing Scooter around.
  • Scooter Chan: At 6, he's the youngest and most boyish of the Chan children. Flip's "right arm", and fiercely proud of it.
  • Chu Chu: Chan children's pet dog that assists in solving cases and is an expert in making sound effects. Chu Chu can howl like a police car siren whenever the kids in the Chan Van need to get to places very fast. Is usually seen with the four youngest children.

Voice cast

As the voice of the title character, Keye Luke is (to date) the only actor of Chinese ancestry to play the part in any screen adaptation.[3] Luke had previously portrayed "Number One Son" Lee Chan opposite Warner Oland, Sidney Toler, and Roland Winters (all of whose characterizations had relatively limited vocabularies) in the long-running Charlie Chan film series of the 1930s and 1940s by 20th Century Fox and later, Monogram Pictures. Ironically, Lee was never seen or mentioned throughout the cartoon's run.

Early on, it was decided that most of the children's dialects were too thick for American audiences to understand, and all of the characters except Henry and Stanley were recast. Once the new cast was in place, earlier episodes were re-dubbed.[4]

Voice Cast of The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
Actor Role
OriginalRe-dubbed
Keye LukeMr. Charlie Chan
Robert ItoHenry Chan
Stephen WongLennie WeinribStanley Chan
Virginia Ann LeeCherylene LeeSuzie Chan
Brian TochiAlan Chan
Leslie KumamotaJodie FosterAnne Chan
Michael TakamotoJohn GunnTom Chan
Jay Jay JueGene AndruscoFlip Chan
Debbie JueBeverly KushidaNancy Chan
Leslie JuwaiCherylene LeeMimi Chan
Robin TomaMichael MorganScooter Chan
Don MessickChu Chu the Dog

Episodes
Nº Title Original air date
1"The Crown Jewels Caper"September 9, 1972 (1972-09-09)

The Crown Jewels have disappeared from their case.

Villain: The Curator
2"To Catch a Pitcher"September 16, 1972 (1972-09-16)

A famous pitcher is missing and feared kidnapped.

Villains: Mr. Flynn, the secretary and two thugs
3"Will the Real Charlie Chan Please Stand Up?"September 30, 1972 (1972-09-30)
The Chan Clan must find the impostor who is framing Mr. Chan for the hotel robberies.
4"The Phantom Sea Thief"September 30, 1972 (1972-09-30)
A mysterious thief steals a painting during the Chan Clan's performance aboard a cruise ship.
5"Eye of the Idol"October 7, 1972 (1972-10-07)
A thief uses a smoke bomb to distract the Chan Clan and everyone in the room while he steals a jeweled idol's eye.
6"Fat Lady Caper"October 14, 1972 (1972-10-14)
Dimples the fat lady seems to disappear when a bank robber is on the loose.
7"Captain Kidd's Doubloons"October 21, 1972 (1972-10-21)
The Chan Clan must solve the theft of the doubloons.
8"Bronze Idol"October 28, 1972 (1972-10-28)
A con artist uses an idol statue to trick the villagers into giving it more pearls.
9"Double Trouble"November 4, 1972 (1972-11-04)
Prince Hareem, who plans to be in an auto race, is kidnapped and replaced with an impostor.
10"The Great Illusion Caper"November 11, 1972 (1972-11-11)
A magician's dog has been stolen, and the Chans must help find her.
11"The Mummy's Tomb"November 18, 1972 (1972-11-18)
A golden coffin of a famous pharaoh is stolen.
12"The Mardi Gras Caper"November 25, 1972 (1972-11-25)
A valuable ring is stolen while the Chan Clan is in New Orleans for Mardi Gras.
13"The Gypsy Caper"December 2, 1972 (1972-12-02)
A mural has been stolen. While on the case, Stanley accidentally makes Henry swallow a clock.
14"The Greek Caper"December 9, 1972 (1972-12-09)
A statue of the winged goddess Athena is stolen and replaced by a plaster copy. Mr. Chan enlists Alan's help to find it.
15"White Elephant"December 16, 1972 (1972-12-16)
The Maharaja's white elephant Sing Ha disappears from the elephant enclosure when they are feeding it, and is feared stolen.
16"Scotland Yard"December 30, 1972 (1972-12-30)
A priceless stone called the Stone of Scone is stolen and the Chan Clan must help get it back.

Production

Music

Don Kirshner produced the songs for the show as he did for The Monkees and The Archie Show. Singer Ron Dante supplies the singing voice of Stanley as he did for Archie on The Archie Show.

Marketing and other media

A board game,[5] jigsaw puzzle,[6] lunch box[7] with thermos,[8] and comic book series were released as licensed merchandise alongside the animated series.

Comic book

At about the same time that the show came out, Gold Key Comics produced a comic book series based on the program, with artwork by Warren Tufts; it only lasted four issues. The first issue (an adaptation of the first episode) was written by Mark Evanier and was his first comic book printed in English.[13]

Home media

On June 19, 2012, Warner Archive released The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan: The Complete Series on DVD in region 1 as part of their Hanna–Barbera Classics Collection. This is a manufacture-on-demand (MOD) release, available through Warner's online store and Amazon.com.[14]

Other media appearances
  • The Chans appear in an episode of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, as a Japanese band called "Shoyu Weenie", with Mr. Chan as their semi-tyrannical band manager, who sued another band ("The Neptunes" from the Jabberjaw animated series) for plagiarism. Shoyu Weenie only spoke Japanese, although the original characters are Chinese.
  • In episodes from Krypto the Superdog including "Up, Up, and Away!", Mimi Chan is in Kevin's class on the field trip to Lex Corp.
  • Susie Chan appears in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated as a student at the high school.

References
  1. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  2. Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981. Scarecrow Press. pp. 15–17. ISBN 0-8108-1557-5. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  3. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 78–79. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  4. Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 21. ISBN 978-0823083152. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  5. "The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan Game". Board Game Geek.
  6. "The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan Puzzle Illustration Original Art (Whitman, 1990)". Heritage Auctions. 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  7. "The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan Lunch Box". National Museum of American History. 1973. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  8. "The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan Thermos". National Museum of American History. 1973. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  9. "Hanna-Barbera the Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan #1". comics.org. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  10. "Hanna-Barbera the Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan #2". comics.org. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  11. "Hanna-Barbera the Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan #3". comics.org. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  12. "Hanna-Barbera the Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan #4". comics.org. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  13. Evanier, Mark (April 25, 2006). "Goodbye, Charlie!". News From ME.
  14. "The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan – 'The Complete Series' 2-DVD Set Released by The Warner Archive". Archived from the original on 2012-06-20.
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