Behind That Curtain
Encyclopedia
Behind That Curtain is the third novel in the Charlie Chan
series of mystery novels by Earl Derr Biggers
.
(as opposed to Chan's native Hawaii
), and tells the story of the former head of Scotland Yard
, a detective
who is pursuing the long-cold trail of a murderer. Fifteen years ago, a London solicitor was killed in circumstances in which the only clue was a pair of Chinese slippers, which he apparently donned just before his death. Sir Frederic Bruce has been following the trail of the killer ever since. He has also been interested in what appears to be a series of disappearing women around the world, which has some connection to the disappearance of a woman named Eve Durand in rural India also fifteen years ago. Just when it seems he might finally solve the murder case, at a dinner party to which a number of important and mysterious guests have been invited, Inspector Bruce is killed -- and was last seen wearing a pair of Chinese slippers, which have vanished. It is left to Chan to solve the case and tie up all loose ends.
in 1929 and elements were used for Charlie Chan's Chance (now considered a lost film
) in 1932. The 1929 film was chosen to open the Fox Theatre
in San Francisco on 28 June 1929.
Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan is a fictional Chinese-American detective created by Earl Derr Biggers in 1919. Loosely based on Honolulu detective Chang Apana, Biggers conceived of the benevolent and heroic Chan as an alternative to Yellow Peril stereotypes, such as villains like Fu Manchu...
series of mystery novels by Earl Derr Biggers
Earl Derr Biggers
Earl Derr Biggers was an American novelist and playwright. He is remembered primarily for adaptations of his novels, especially those featuring the Chinese-American detective Charlie Chan.-Biography:...
.
Plot summary
It is set almost exclusively in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(as opposed to Chan's native Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
), and tells the story of the former head of Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
, a detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
who is pursuing the long-cold trail of a murderer. Fifteen years ago, a London solicitor was killed in circumstances in which the only clue was a pair of Chinese slippers, which he apparently donned just before his death. Sir Frederic Bruce has been following the trail of the killer ever since. He has also been interested in what appears to be a series of disappearing women around the world, which has some connection to the disappearance of a woman named Eve Durand in rural India also fifteen years ago. Just when it seems he might finally solve the murder case, at a dinner party to which a number of important and mysterious guests have been invited, Inspector Bruce is killed -- and was last seen wearing a pair of Chinese slippers, which have vanished. It is left to Chan to solve the case and tie up all loose ends.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
It was adapted for film as Behind That CurtainBehind That Curtain (film)
Behind That Curtain is a 1929 mystery film directed by Irving Cummings, starring Warner Baxter and featuring Boris Karloff. It was the first Charlie Chan film to be made at Fox Studios. It was based on the novel of the same name. Charlie Chan is played by Korean American actor E. L...
in 1929 and elements were used for Charlie Chan's Chance (now considered a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
) in 1932. The 1929 film was chosen to open the Fox Theatre
Fox Theatre (San Francisco)
The Fox Theatre was a 4,651 seat movie palace located at 1350 Market Street in San Francisco, California. It was designed by the noted theater architect, Thomas W. Lamb...
in San Francisco on 28 June 1929.
Release details
- 1928, USA, Bobbs-Merrill (ISBN NA), Pub date 1928, hardback (first edition)
- 1974, USA, Bantam (ISBN 0-553-08464-0), July 1974, paperback
- 1974, UK, Corgi Children's (ISBN 0-552-68464-3), October 1974, paperback
- 1984, USA, Buccaneer Books (ISBN 0-89966-078-9), December 1984, paperback
- 1987, USA, Popular Library (ISBN 0-445-40214-8), April 1987, paperback
- 2005, UK, Dodo Press (ISBN 1-905432-92-5), Pub date September 2005, paperback