When Were You Born

1938
Approved
1h 5min

NOTE IMDb

5,8/10

437

MA NOTE

Anthony Averill, Lola Lane, Margaret Lindsay, Leonard Mudie, and Anna May Wong in When Were You Born (1938)

Mei Lee Ling, an astrology expert, tells one of her fellow passengers on a ship, that he will die within two days and the next day he is dead. The police suspects that Mei does know something, but she doesn't.

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Film Noir Whodunnit Comedy Crime Mystery Romance

Ajouter une intrigue dans votre langueMei Lee Ling, an astrology expert, tells one of her fellow passengers on a ship, that he will die within two days and the next day he is dead. The police suspects that Mei does know somethin... Tout lireMei Lee Ling, an astrology expert, tells one of her fellow passengers on a ship, that he will die within two days and the next day he is dead. The police suspects that Mei does know something, but she doesn't. But to clear herself she offers her help to solve the murder. Soon she... Tout lireMei Lee Ling, an astrology expert, tells one of her fellow passengers on a ship, that he will die within two days and the next day he is dead. The police suspects that Mei does know something, but she doesn't. But to clear herself she offers her help to solve the murder. Soon she and the police find themselves in a web of crime and false identities.

Réalisation
- William C. McGann
Scénario
- Anthony Coldeway
- Manly P. Hall
Casting principal

Voir les informations de production sur IMDbPro

NOTE IMDb

5,8/10

437

MA NOTE

Réalisation
- William C. McGann
Scénario
- Anthony Coldeway
- Manly P. Hall
Casting principal

Voir les informations de production sur IMDbPro

Avis des utilisateurs20

5,8437

Avis à la une

Kittyman

Remake

When Were You Born (1938) is an non-credited remake of From Headquarters (1933).

The plot is the same. The differences are WWYB introduces an astrologer to aid the police, while FH is a straight police procedural.

While both are interesting "B" pictures, FH is, in my opinion, the better of the two. It has more stylish photography, moves along a bit faster, and has a somewhat better cast (though Margaret Lindsay appears in both films as a lead).

Watch closely in this version, however, and you will see TV's The Lone Ranger (Clayton Moore) without his mask. (by Dr. Charles G. Waugh)

cinema_universe

Astrology may be bunk, but this film is fun.

This B-movie murder mystery is unquestionably different than most films of it's time. The clap-trap about using astrology as a crime fighting tool is an odd gimmick, but what the heck?

This sort of programmer benefits from the unusual astrology "window-dressing", and though it is supposedly solved by using astrology, this pat little mystery can be figured out by the characters simply using their heads, anyway!

The cast is entirely competent, and the pace is swift. The pre-war San Francisco Chinatown background, the hidden passage-ways in the Chinatown home, and Miss Wong's monkey, all add to the enjoyment of this film.

As a devoted fan of B-movie murder yarns of this period, I may be somewhat prejudiced, but I loved watching this film, and highly recommend it to fellow fans of the genre.

--D.--

robersonlinda

Love this movie!!!

Love this time period especially the murder mysteries. Caught this movie recently and watch it over and over. It's addicting!! It's fascinating. I really love it!! Mei Ling is a wonderful character & so interesting. I don't believe in Astology but this is just a fun and intriguing movie! It has a good cast of characters and keeps you guessing until the very end about who committed the crime. The pieces of evidence as presented keep you fascinated as the police attempt to solve the crime. I loved the Mei Ling character and wish there were many more movies made like this. A series like they did with Charlie Chan would have been nice!! I highly recommend it for a good flick.

Klio

Plot may strain credibility, but nice work from Anna May Wong

I agree with the first reviewer that it's a bit much to believe the astrologer can be so accurate with every utterance, but the movie is light fun, and Anna May Wong gets a lot of good screen time. She doesn't just recite star charts; she also helps the police ferret out legitimate clues and solve puzzle or two. Don't take it too seriously.

9stoneyburke

Not to be taken seriously..a fun who-done-it

Oh heck...I gave it practically a rave review because I was not bored for one minute. Those that stated the astrological slant being ridiculous due to so few facts to cast a chart...well...the movie is for astrology semi-buffs that do nothing more extensive zodiac-wise than read their daily horoscope.

It was a neat tale supported on GENERAL characteristics of each of the zodiac signs. All the actors were great and seemed to be treating the material with respect.

For the plot read the others' reviews.. I just had to put my two-cents in by saying, PLEASE do not take this fun short film too seriously.

Histoire

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Anecdotes
The film was meant to be the first in a low-budget franchise starring Anna May Wong as a amateur detective who uses astrology to solve crimes.

Gaffes
Anna May Wong's character is depicted as a Chinese native, but she practices Western astrology instead of Chinese astrology.

Citations
Phillip 'Phil' Corey (Libra): She's just asking questions. I don't like curious people.

Crédits fous
In the opening credits, each of the 12 main actors is billed with his or her character's astrological sign; naturally, there is one for each sign.