Fox pulls 'insensitive' Chan films

The channel website explains the decision in a statement

A season of classic Charlie Chan mystery movies has been pulled from US TV following complaints that the films were racially "insensitive".

The 23 restored films were showing on the Fox Movie Channel on cable TV.

But a notice on the channel website said they were stopped after the potentially "sensitive" nature of the films was pointed out by viewers.

More than 40 Charlie Chan detective movies were made in the 1930s and 1940s, based on the novels by Earl Derr Biggers.

Each featured a different actor as the super sleuth Chan - but none of them was really Chinese.

Fox Movie Channel realises that these historic films were produced at a time where racial sensitivities were not as they are today

Fox Movie Channel statement

The actors were white Americans and the films have been increasingly considered demeaning to ethnic minorities.

The Fox statement said that following the decision to schedule the Charlie Chan season, the channel had been "made aware" that the films could be offensive to some viewers.

"As a result of the public response to the airing of these films, Fox Movie Channel will remove them from the schedule," the statement said.

The Charlie Chan movies were all made by 20th Century Fox, which restored a large proportion of the series in response to the demand of fans and those interested in film preservation, said the statement.

Fox also wanted to show the films in recognition of their "positive aspects", including the skill involved in the complex plots.

Since the Charlie Chan movies were taken off, Fox has been inviting comment from viewers on the matter.

Among the many Charlie Chan fans on the internet with access to the Fox channel, there has been a dismayed reaction to the move.

The message board on Charlie.Chan.net, for example, shows the screening of the films in the first place was the source of much excitement.

Since they were taken off, disappointed fans have been urging others to contact Fox to register their complaints.