Mr. Wong, Detetive

With one more picture to go on his Warners contract (the result "British Intelligence"), and seemingly no end in sight for Hollywood's infamous, self imposed horror ban, Boris Karloff was quick to sign on the dotted line with Poverty Row studio Monogram to begin a six picture stint as an Oriental crime solver in 1938's "Mr. Wong, Detective," which began Aug. 24 for October release, mere weeks after completing the Warners drama "Devil's Island." The actor was well known for portraying ethnic villains during the silent days, first attempting a Chinese character in 1932's "The Miracle Man," then starring as Wu Yen Fang in Warners' 1937 "West of Shanghai," so in the wake of Warner Oland's Charlie Chan and Peter Lorre's Mr. Moto, becoming the third Asian sleuth of the decade held much appeal for him, a heroic character under heavy makeup and hairpiece but no accent. By sheer coincidence, he was already a veteran of not one but two previous Chan titles, his talkie debut in 1929's "Behind That Curtain," in which his role as a Sudanese servant was actually larger than Chan himself (E. L. Park reduced to a cameo in his only screen appearance), and 1936's far better known "Charlie Chan at the Opera," which advertised 'Warner Oland vs. Boris Karloff' despite the stars sharing only a single scene together. The character was created by Hugh Wiley as a more genteel and well spoken response to Earl Derr Biggers' creation, his respectful manner, love of tea, and (unlike the pidgin English adopted for "West of Shanghai") eloquent speech revealing an Oxford education, all make him perfectly suited for the British actor. San Francisco provides the setting for the series, Wong initially retained by chemical manufacturer Simon Dayton (John Hamilton), who fears for his life after several mysterious 'accidents,' including the deliberate impersonation of his chauffeur in a failed kidnapping attempt. Wong shows up for his 10AM appointment at Dayton's office only to discover him already dead, shortly after being threatened by Carl Roemer (John St. Polis) for stealing the latter's formula for poison gas, along with both partners, Christian Wilk (Hooper Atchley) and Theodore Meisle (William Gould). Tiny pieces of broken glass put the bloodhound on the scent, revealing that odorless, colorless poison gas was released from inside the sphere when its brittle shell shattered from high pitched sound, such as the screech of a parrot. Suspects Wilk and Meisle, equal partners to inherit Dayton's shares, soon suffer the same fate, even when Wong is present in the next room while Wilk perishes behind the door of his locked study. Not to be overlooked are a trio of foreign spies seeking to stop the shipment of chemical weapons overseas to hurt their respective countries, it was they who sought to kidnap Dayton without success. Grant Withers sports the first name Sam in these first two entries, girlfriend Myra (Maxine Jennings) conveniently working as Dayton's secretary, never seen again in the series (Lee Tong Foo as Wong's manservant would return on three occasions). The identity of the culprit isn't half so puzzling as to how it's carried off, good enough for Monogram to warrant a remake 10 years later for Roland Winters' second Charlie Chan vehicle, "Docks of New Orleans," more threadbare yet still diverting. The second Wong entry would only begin after Karloff's triumphant return to horror in Universal's "Son of Frankenstein."

This obscure little movie is a delightful surprise for film buffs. The surprise is Boris Karloff in the role of the well mannered oriental detective. Yes, this is the same Boris Karloff who was Frankenstein the monster! He manages the role as if it were a well worn and comfortable pair of houseshoes, and it becomes unimportant, quickly forgotten and insignificant that a nonoriental is Mr. Wong.

A business man gets involved with a deal involving poison gas. When he is inexplicably found dead in his office under suspicious circumstances, Detective Street (Grant Withers) is called in on the case. The sharp tongued detective Street looks for the blatant and obvious clues, while he often misses what is going on beneath the surface in this mysterious case. Mr. Wong, a well known detective who was acquainted with the victim, begins to notice clues that Detective Street overlooks. The body count begins to mount as the partners of the dead business man also begin to die under strange circumstances. Mr. Wong must keep his mind open in this thriller when the obvious suspect first seems guilty, then innocent as other suspects turn up including a sinister Baron and a Countess. Maxine Jennings is great as Detective Streets lady friend, Myra. Snappy dialogue and good actors move the story along at a good clip. There are a couple of scenes that are shot in poor lighting, but they don't hinder this very good entry in the 1930's detective genre of movies.

This will be an entertaining movie for film buffs. I give it an 8/10.

Mr. Wong comes to the aid of a man who says his life is in danger. He was right, as he dies the morning Mr. Wong was to visit him. Boris Karloff makes his first appearance as the Collier's Magazine Oriental detective(in the same vein of Charlie Chan or Mr. Moto). Karloff is quite good in the role, and brings to it a good deal of class. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast does not play on his level, but everyone is adequate. Grant Withers as a hard-headed policeman easily gives the worst performance. The mystery in the film is(at least for me) somewhat easy to figure out, but the fun comes from Karloff's performance as the cunning Chinaman. Oriental prejudices abound, but this was the 30's. All in all, I found the film to be quite entertaining, although not on the same level of a good Chan or Moto film.

In the great tradition of Chinese detectives as Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto, Boris Karloff's Mr. Wong was a solid addition to that venerable kind of films. Is really difficult to think in Karloff as a Chinese person, but the British actor delivers a solid performance, if you can dig his weird accent. The plot is simple, the strange murders are against logic, but Mr. Wong's patience and intelligence can solve the mystery. The other actors are far below Karloff, but the overall fell of the movie is candid and likable. Another completely different Mr. Wong was played before by Bela Lugosi, a villain, but this detective deserves your interest if you are a fan of the genre.

I have the Mr. Wong series on DVD and find it quite enjoyable. You must immerse yourself in the ambience of sitting in a darkened movie theater circa 1939 watching a double bill of "B" movies to enjoy. By modern detective story standards it is creaky, but you don't watch it for the plot. I agree the sheer political incorrectness of the very British Boris Karloff playing a Chinese detective takes some getting used to, but he lends the role an air of dignity that a less talented actor would not be capable of expressing. Grant Withers is most famous for eloping with a seventeen year old Loretta Young before her rise to stardom. The later films in the series feature a cheeky Marjorie Reynolds and gives her ample room to display her comedic talents. All in all, suspend your modern frame of reference and enjoy!