Mr. Wong in Chinatown

USA 1939
produced by
William T. Lackey (associate) for Monogram
directed by William Nigh
starring Boris Karloff, Marjorie Reynolds, Grant Withers, Huntley Gordon, George Lynn, Rilliam Royle, James Flavin, Lotus Long, Lee Tung Foo, Bessie Loo, Richard Loo, Ernie Stanton, Angelo Rossitto, Guy Usher, I.Stanford Stanley
screenplay by Scott Darling, based on characters created by Hugh Wiley, music by Edward J. Kay

Mister Wong

review by
Mike Haberfelner

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The Chinese princess Lin Hwa (Lotus Long) dies in Oriental detective Wong's (Boris Karloff) appartment, where she went to get help in an affair she can now no longer disclose, killed by a poisoned dart shot form a sleevegun. The only clue she leaves is a note saying "Captain J...", which first leads Wong - & his partners in crime(-fighting), police captain Street (Grant Withers) & reporter Bobbie Logan (Marjorie Reynolds) - to Captain Jaime (William Royle) of the Maid of the Orient, the ship she has booked a passage on, who claims to know nothing (even though we soon find out he knows a lot more), later to her banker Davidson (Huntley Gordon) & arms dealer Captain Jackson (George Lynn), whom she paid to smuggle her some tanks into China. A mute dwarf (Angel Rossitto) also seems to be somehow involved, & then someone makes an attempt on Wong's life ...

Soon though a story unfolds involving forged checks, the princess's account with Davidson's bank suddenly emptied & some unfulfilled payments to Jackson & Jaime. But before Wong can make anything of it, he & Davidson are kidnapped by Jaime & Jackson & brought aboard the Maid of the Orient. Good thing though that Street has picked precisely that time to pay the ship a visit, has found Wong & Davidson in no time & has Jaime & Jackson arrested.

However, while Jaime & Jackson are no doubt guilty of the kidnapping & the attempt on Wong's life, it's highly unlikely that they also killed the princess since they wanted her money ... So the only logical suspect remains Davidson, who did indeed empty her account out of pure greed (& because he could), & killed the princess before she could tell Wong. Of course Davidson gets his just desserts in the end.

One of the weaker instalments in the Mr. Wong-series, relieing too much on not-too-well-written dialogue with only a bit of action towards the end. Karloff of course proves again that he is both a good actor & no Chinese, & Grant Withers & Marjorie Reynolds as bickering cop-reporter couple add a bit of colour to the optherwise dull proceedings.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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