Some time ago, I came across a web cam that was located on Treasure Island and gave a live view of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco skyline and the Oakland Bridge. I used this web cam to view the “YM Warranty” as she entered and left the Port of Oakland. There did not appear to be much development on this island and I thought nothing more about it. Until tonight. A Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) movie, “Charlie Chan at Treasure Island – 1939” came on (YouTube). Another Charlie Chan movie had just ended which had Chan on an ocean going vessel, and there was a hunt for parts of a treasure map. Briefly, I thought this might just be the previous movie starting to replay again because of the word, “treasure” in it’s title. But, then I vaguely thought of “Treasure Island” as referring to the web cam Treasure Island that I knew about.

I then googled for Treasure Island and found it’s rich history. This island was man-made about 1936 in preparation for the “Golden Gate International Expo” held in 1939.

• Map for Expo

I was just reading about Warner Olan, who played Charlie Chan before Sidney Toler. To my surprise Olan was actually born in Sweden. And, Olan had a drinking problem. Apparently, he walked off the set, during filming of a Charlie Chan movie and the movie had to be abandoned. Olan also died in the same year, 1938. Sidney Toler was hired to play Charlie Chan later that year and had already made two other Chan movies before “Charlie Chan at Treasure Island – 1939.” *I personally like Toler as Chan more than Olan, but all the Chan movies are pleasing. The character of Chan is like that of Simon Templar, the Saint, or Hercule Poirot. Wherever any of these three personas go, they are greeted with a warm welcome, a handshake or a pat on the back, and treated as noted personalities, and old friends “with a positive history.”