Old Radio

  December 2, 1932: NBC Blue network premiered   The Adventures of Charlie Chan . Charlie Chan was a fictional suspense story that was created by Earl Derr Biggers. The story was about a Chinese-American detective based in Honolulu known as detective Chang Apana. Biggers described the character of Chan as an alternative to Yellow Peril stereotypes, such as villains like Fu Manchu . Chan worked  for the Honolulu police, and it was his passion to investigate mysteries and solve crimes wherever he was.  As radio version,  Charlie Chan  was broadcast in four different series on four networks (Blue, NBC, ABC, MBS) between 1932 and 1948. Chan's character was played by several actors throughout the show's run. Walter Connolly played Chan on Esso Oil's Five Star Theater, and Ed Begley, Sr. played in NBC's The Adventures of Charlie Chan  Santos Ortega, Leon Janney, and Rodney Jacobs also took on the role of Charlie Chan. The program's annou...