The Chinese Parrot
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Back around 1920, Earl Derr Biggers went to Hawaii on vacation and got an idea for a new kind of fictional hero. About four years later, he put the notion to work as he developed the character of Charlie Chan, a Chinese detective who was eventually featured in five different films over a thirty-year period. He first emerged in the Saturday Evening Post Magazine as the minor characterâs role grew to being the leading player in the ensuing installments.
The story youâre about to hear is the second Charlie Chan novel, and it features a parrot named Tony who is witness to a crime. The unusual bird spoke Chinese and had a less-than-perfect use of English grammar but was killed by the criminals as a precaution.
Chan himself was a friend of a family selling jewels and agreed to deliver them on his first trip to mainland California. While there he masquerades as a pidgin-speaking cook during his undercover investigation. His profound and original intelligence offers genial humor and witty dialogue.
Although the series originated nearly a century ago, it still has a fresh and modern feel. One review described it as, âDatedâyes! Outdatedânever!â Listen, as an investigative light begins to dawn.
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Earl Derr Biggers (1884â1933) was born in Warren, Ohio. He graduated from Harvard University in 1907, and lived for many years in California. He wrote six novels featuring detective Charlie Chan, who became a staple of the movies. He died in Pasadena, California.
John Rayburn is a veteran of over sixty years in broadcasting. He served as a news/sports anchor and show host, and his TV newscast achieved the largest share of audience figures of any major-market TV newscast in the nation. John is a member of the Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame. He is well suited to bring fascinating stories to life concerning the people, places, and things that combine to present lively observations of our day-to-day lives.
