Boris Karloff is private detective James L Wong in this slow-moving potboiler. None of the characters outside of Karloff's are the least bit interesting, and the dialog and acting are sub-par, but the mystery is quite clever and almost worth the wait.
Unlike Lugosi's Wong character in The Mysterious Mr. Wong, this fake Asian is a good guy and not demeaned in the portrayal. Still, Karloff is the wrong man for the part, and the whole production suffers. The character was made popular in a series of Collier's Magazine stories, and it's understandable why. Wong is a sort of Chinese-American Sherlock Holmes, with a calm, thoughtful manner that encourages confidence in him. This is not the aphorism-spewing Charlie Chan, but a smart detective who happens to be Asian. That doesn't make up for the dragging plot or the weak supporting characters, but it does make this a mildly interesting entry in the old-time mystery genre.
Unlike Lugosi's Wong character in The Mysterious Mr. Wong, this fake Asian is a good guy and not demeaned in the portrayal. Still, Karloff is the wrong man for the part, and the whole production suffers. The character was made popular in a series of Collier's Magazine stories, and it's understandable why. Wong is a sort of Chinese-American Sherlock Holmes, with a calm, thoughtful manner that encourages confidence in him. This is not the aphorism-spewing Charlie Chan, but a smart detective who happens to be Asian. That doesn't make up for the dragging plot or the weak supporting characters, but it does make this a mildly interesting entry in the old-time mystery genre.