The Acme Book Shop Proprietress describes Arthur Geiger as having Charlie Chan-like mustache. Just like Marlowe, Charlie Chan is a popular fictional detective, created by Earl Derr Biggers. Biggers loosely based Chan on Honolulu detective Chang Apana, and conceived benevolent and heroic Chan as an alternative to Yellow Peril stereotypes and villains like Fu Manchu who were all the rage at the time, but who also represented the predominant way Asians were depicted on film. Chan is a detective for the Honolulu police, though many stories feature Chan traveling the world as he investigates mysteries and solves crimes. Countless movies and TV serials have been filmed based on Chan's adventures, especially during the first half of the 20th century. In recent decades, the character, although considered progressive at the time it was created, has been deemed as borderline offensive to Asians, so his popularity dwindled unlike that of some other (private) detectives from his era. However, at the time this film was made, Chan would've been as popular as Sherlock Holmes.

Film

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