陳查禮

"Ching Chong Chinaman sitting on a fence,
Trying to make a dollar out of fifteen cents.
Along came a choo-choo train,
Knocked him in the cuckoo-brain,
And that was the end of the fifteen cents."

當美國的黃口小兒唱著這首充滿辱華意識的兒歌時，陳查禮出現了！

〝He was very fat indeed, yet he walked with the light dainty steps of a woman. His cheeks were as chubby as a baby’s, his skin ivory tinted, his black hair close-cropped, his amber eyes slanting. “Amos!”cried Miss Minerva. That man—why he—” “Charlie Chan,” Amos explained. “I’m glad they brought him. He’s the best detective on the force.” “But—he’s Chinese!〞

陳查禮貌不驚人，而且是〝中國佬〞，但他卻是美國作家 Earl Derr Biggers (1884-1933）筆下，警隊中最優秀的偵探。

陳查禮自 1919 年在 Earl Derr Biggers 的小說中面世後，在不同的媒介中頻頻出現。單單電影就有接近五十套，其中有幾套還是中國人拍的華語電影〔當中一套有白燕扮演陳查禮的女兒〕。

陳查禮的原型是夏威夷華探 Chang Apana 鄭阿平 ( 1871 – 1933)。

鄭阿平身高不足五呎，人仔細細，卻是智勇雙全。他曾經單人匹馬，用一條皮鞭制服了四十多個壞人，英雄事蹟燴炙人口。

Earl Derr Biggers 與鄭阿平素昧平生，他是在一次夏威夷渡假中，從報章上的報導認識他的。

至於〝陳查禮探案〞的內容？

當然是純屬虛構囉！

資料圖片：電影中的陳查禮〔Warner Oland 飾演〕和兒子陳旺〔陸錫麟飾演〕