"The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan" (1972) TV series

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

9 September 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Mystery

Plot:

Charlie Chan investigates mysteries with "help" from his large family.

Plot Keywords:

Charlie Chan | Large Family | Rock Band | Asian American | Teen

Cast

Keye Luke	...	Charlie Chan (14 episodes, 1972)
Gene Andrusco	...	Flip (14 episodes, 1972-1974)
John Gunn	...	Tom (14 episodes, 1972-1974)
Lennie Weinrib	...	Stanley (14 episodes, 1972-1974)
Cynthia Adler		(14 episodes, 1972)
Jodie Foster	...	Anne Chan (14 episodes, 1972)
Lisa Gerritsen	...	Various Characters (14 episodes, 1972)
Robert Ito	...	Henry Chan (14 episodes, 1972)
Beverly Kushida	...	Nancy Chan (14 episodes, 1972)
Cherylene Lee	...	Mimi Chan / ... (14 episodes, 1972)
Don Messick	...	Chu-Chu / ... (14 episodes, 1972)
Brian Tochi	...	Alan Chan (14 episodes, 1972)
Janet Waldo	...	Various Characters (14 episodes, 1972)
Michael Morgan	...	Scooter (13 episodes, 1972)
Hazel Shermet	...	Various Characters (13 episodes, 1972)
Ron Dante	...	Vocalist (6 episodes, 1972)

Series Directed by
Joseph Barbera		(14 episodes, 1972)
William Hanna		(14 episodes, 1972)

Series Writing credits
Max Hodge		(4 episodes, 1972)
Eddie Carroll		(3 episodes, 1972)
Jamie Farr		(3 episodes, 1972)
Willie Gilbert		(3 episodes, 1972)
Dennis Marks		(3 episodes, 1972)
Sidney Morse		(3 episodes, 1972)
Ray Parker		(3 episodes, 1972)
Henry Sharp		(3 episodes, 1972)
Harry Winkler		(3 episodes, 1972)

Series Produced by
Joseph Barbera	....	producer (6 episodes, 1972)
William Hanna	....	producer (6 episodes, 1972)
Lewis Marshall	....	associate producer (6 episodes, 1972)
Alex Lovy	....	associate producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Hoyt Curtin		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Iwao Takamoto		(6 episodes, 1972)

Series Production Management
Eric Porter	....	production supervisor (4 episodes, 1972)
Victor O. Schipek	....	production supervisor (2 episodes, 1972)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Volus Jones	....	unit director (4 episodes, 1972)

Series Sound Department
Martin Clarke	....	sound effects editor (4 episodes, 1972)
John Garwood	....	sound director (4 episodes, 1972)
Lyle Hughes	....	sound mixer (4 episodes, 1972)
Bill Getty	....	sound director (2 episodes, 1972)
Richard Olson	....	sound director (2 episodes, 1972)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Don Clay	....	camera operator (4 episodes, 1972)
John Cumming	....	camera operator (4 episodes, 1972)
Joe Dugonics	....	camera operator (4 episodes, 1972)
Dick Blundell	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1972)
Curt Hall	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1972)
Norman Stainback	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1972)
Roy Wade	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1972)

Series Animation Department
Charles A. Nichols	....	animation director (6 episodes, 1972)
Jim Davis	....	animator (4 episodes, 1972)
Dick Dunn	....	animator (4 episodes, 1972)
Cam Ford	....	animator (4 episodes, 1972)
Chris Fussell	....	layout artist (4 episodes, 1972)
Peter Gardiner	....	animator (4 episodes, 1972)
Gerry Grabner	....	animator (4 episodes, 1972)
John Gunter	....	layout artist (4 episodes, 1972)
Peter Hartland	....	layout artist (4 episodes, 1972)
Richard Jones	....	animator / layout artist (4 episodes, 1972)
Cynthia Leech	....	animator (4 episodes, 1972)
Graham Liney	....	background stylist (4 episodes, 1972)
Paul McAdam	....	animator (4 episodes, 1972)
Terry Moesker	....	layout artist (4 episodes, 1972)
Ray Nowland	....	animator (4 episodes, 1972)
Yvonne Pearsall	....	animator (4 episodes, 1972)
Stephen Pile	....	layout artist (4 episodes, 1972)
Joe Shearer	....	animator (4 episodes, 1972)
Stan Walker	....	animator (4 episodes, 1972)
Monty Wedd	....	layout artist (4 episodes, 1972)
Jayne Barbera	....	ink and paint supervisor (2 episodes, 1972)
Daniela Bielecka	....	background artist (2 episodes, 1972)
William Butler	....	background artist (2 episodes, 1972)
Ron Campbell	....	animator (2 episodes, 1972)
Bob Carr	....	animator (2 episodes, 1972)
Jerry Eisenberg	....	layout artist (2 episodes, 1972)
Gary Hoffman	....	layout artist (2 episodes, 1972)
Bill Hutten	....	animator (2 episodes, 1972)
Lin Larsen	....	layout artist (2 episodes, 1972)
Ed Love	....	animator (2 episodes, 1972)
Tony Love	....	animator (2 episodes, 1972)
Jack Manning	....	layout artist (2 episodes, 1972)
Takashi Masunaga	....	layout artist (2 episodes, 1972)
Bill McArdle	....	background artist (2 episodes, 1972)
Cathy Patrick	....	background artist (2 episodes, 1972)
Walt Peregoy	....	background artist (2 episodes, 1972)
Don Schweikert	....	background artist (2 episodes, 1972)
Joel Seibel	....	layout artist (2 episodes, 1972)
Tony Sgroi	....	layout artist (2 episodes, 1972)
Marion Wallin	....	background artist (2 episodes, 1972)
Don Watson	....	background artist (2 episodes, 1972)
Robert 'Tiger' West	....	xerographer (2 episodes, 1972)

Series Editorial Department
Wendy Eggleton	....	negative consultant (4 episodes, 1972)
Larry C. Cowan	....	supervising film editor (2 episodes, 1972)
William E. DeBoer	....	negative consultant (2 episodes, 1972)
Joed Eaton	....	post-production (2 episodes, 1972)

Series Music Department
Don Kirshner	....	music supervisor (6 episodes, 1972)
Lindsay Frazer	....	music editor (4 episodes, 1972)
Hoyt Curtin	....	musical director (2 episodes, 1972)

Series Other crew
Jim Carmichael	....	story director (6 episodes, 1972)
Jan Green	....	story director (6 episodes, 1972)
Earl Klein	....	story director (6 episodes, 1972)
Nikita Knatz	....	story director (6 episodes, 1972)
Bill Perez	....	story director (6 episodes, 1972)
Paul Sommer	....	story director (6 episodes, 1972)
Frank Paiker	....	technical supervisor (2 episodes, 1972)
Iraj Paran	....	titles (2 episodes, 1972)

Production Companies

• Hanna-Barbera Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1972-1974) (USA) (TV)
• Viacom (1978-1979) (USA) (TV) (original syndication release)
• Worldvision Enterprises (1980-1992) (worldwide) (TV)
• Turner Program Services (TPS) (1992-1998) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Bros. Television (1998-) (USA) (all media)

Other Companies

• Eric Porter Studios  Production Statement
• Leisure Concepts  Production Statement

Runtime:

30 min (16 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Company:

Hanna-Barbera Productions

Trivia:

Reportedly, this is the only time that Charlie Chan is actually played by an actor of Chinese descent.

At six-years-old, I thought it was good

I can recall thinking this show was good at six years old. Having never seen any of the old Charlie Chan movies, I always believed this concept had to do with the unavailability of an actor, possibly Keye Luke, to portray Chan's son in a movie, so it was recast and we had number two son. This cartoon merely sought to carry it all the way to ten kids.

Keye Luke was the connection. Having played Number One Son in the old movies to Warner Olandt as Detective Charlie Chan, he now did the voice of the father. Luke is possibly better known to a later generation as the Ancient One on the seventies show, Kung Fu, with David Carradine as Grasshopper. I would like to think he had fun doing this cartoon.

The Chan Clan was another Scooby Doo clone and this time seemed to have a Partridge Family influence, which I didn't remember. I have seen episodes since on Cartoon Network. Several of the older kids had a band and performed, and very forgettable songs are played. Look for one child to be playing the drums in one scene and another child is playing them in the next scene.

If the show had any thing going for it, it was the kids' stereotypical characters; the smart one, the obese one, the beautiful one, the tomboy one, the bossy one, the stylish one (funny for the seventies), even an Oriental Shaggy one. A turnoff is the adventures and I do recall disliking the pet, Chu-Chu. It was joked in one episode as to if it were a cat or a dog and I didn't like that it was unclear. I think now it was a dog. I had also totally forgotten the Chan van that can change appearance.

Robert Ito, who did the voice of the oldest son, Henry Chan, is perhaps better known for appearing on the seventies show, Quincy, with Jack Klugman, and funnily enough, when the children who did the voices had too thick accents and couldn't be understood and were recast with obviously Anglo children, Jodie Foster, about ten or eleven years old at this time, came in and did the voice of the tomboy.

Not the greatest cartoon. If you can't get enough Scooby Doo in your system, you can check this one out. I remember thinking the beautiful one was like an Oriental version of Daphne Blake in Scooby Doo.