Mr. Wong, Detective

Mr. Wong, Detective (1938)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A business man fears for his life so he pays a visit to Detective Wong (Boris Karloff). The next day the man is dead and a suspect is arrested but Wong isn't so sure they've got the right guy. Soon other murders are committed and it's up to Wong and Captain Street (Grant Withers) to try and solve them.

With the likes of Fu Manchu and Charlie Chan being so popular, Monogram decided to get in on the Asian characters and they ended up doing six Mr. Wong pictures, five with actor Boris Karloff. None of the films were all that great but there's no question that this first one was the best of the lot.

This one here benefits from a somewhat better than normal screenplay that offers up an interesting murder scheme and for the most part I thought it played out quite well and the ending was fun and believable. It also doesn't hurt that Karloff himself was so good in the role of Wong.

Yes, we can argue about a white actor playing an Asian character but this is how it was done back in the day, for better or worse. I thought Karloff was really good at playing the low-key and rather laid back character and even though he doesn't talk or move quickly, he's still very much entertaining. I also thought Withers was fun in the role of the typical Detective in these type of movies. You know, the tough guy whose toughness never gets anything done.

THe film certainly shows it's "B" quality production but there's no doubt that it's a mildly entertaining film.

Having been a fan of Charlie Chan I was not familiar with Mr Wong but to my surprise the story itself was worthy of a Charlie Chan. Over look Boris Karloff as an oriental will allow you to enjoy this film. Film opens fast with a frighten man seeking help from Mr Wong. His murder is a mind bender in the tradition of Chan films as no one can figure out how a man in a locked room is killed with the police right outside of the door. Many suspects and more of the mysterious murders makes this a film "most enjoyable" for the "detective" in each of us.

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!

Considering its age (almost 65 years old), this movie has held up reasonably well. Granted, it is a bit slow and dull (it runs only 69 minutes but it feels MUCH longer), and Boris Karloff is not convincing, of course, as an Oriental. However, he does capture the Oriental philosophy of his character, and the plotting itself (particularly the killing method) is ingenious, worthy of a fine crime novel. (**1/2)

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.