San Pedro News Pilot, Volume 19, Number 299, 12 February 1947 — Sidney Toler, 'Charlie Chan' of Movies, Dies at Home [ARTICLE]

Sidney Toler, 'Charlie Chan' of Movies, Dies at Home

HOLLYWOOD, (IP) Sidney Toler, veteran stage and screen actor best known in recent years for his characterization of Charlie Chan, the Chinese detective, died today at his home. He had been bedridden by intestinal cancer for seven months. His‘widow said he was 59. He gave his age as 53, however, when they were married three years ago, and a theatrical biograpny puts his birth date as 1874, which would make him 72. His widow is 34. The Missouri-born son of Col. H. G. Toler, famous Kansas breeder of trotters, ran away from home at 18 to go the stage,

and a year later had his own company. He was the author of several plays, including “The Dancing Master” and “Ritzy”, the latter with Viva Tattersall, who became Mrs. Toler in 1943 after the death of his wife of 18 years, Vivian.In recent years he had made more than 25 films of the Charlie Chan series, completing two of them simultaneously late last summer, so ill he could barely walk. His widow said that, despite an operation in 1943 from which he never fully recovered, Toler was unaware of the nature of his disease. Toler was born in Warrensburg, Mo.