Mr Wong, Detective ** (1938, Boris Karloff, Grant Withers, Maxine Jennings, Evelyn Brent) – Classic Movie Review 5597

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vlJ-HraBRY

Boris Karloff is oddly and uncomfortably cast as Chinese detective Mr James Lee Wong, in his first appearance in the short-running series of six films.

Mr Wong finds himself investigating a chemical manufacturer’s death, in Monogram’s modestly budgeted, modestly made, modestly achieved mystery crime thriller, directed by William Nigh in 1938.

Also in the cast are Grant Withers as Captain Sam Street, Maxine Jennings as as Myra Ross, Dayton’s Secretary, Evelyn Brent as Olga Petroff / Countess Dubois / Sophie Dome, George Lloyd as Detective Lt. Devlin, Lucien Prival as Anton Mohl, aka Baron Von Krantz, John St Polis as Carl Roemer, Poison Gas Inventor, William Gould as Theodore Meisel, Dayton’s Partner, Hooper Atchley as Christian Wilk, Dayton’s Partner, John Hamilton as Simon Dayton, President of the Dayton Chemical Company, Wilbur Mack as Russell, Dayton’s Office Manager, Lee Tung Foo as Tchin, Wong’s Servant, Lynton Brent as Detective Tommy and Grace Wood as Mrs Carl Roemer

It runs 70 minutes, is written by Houston Branch, based on the James Lee Wong series in Collier’s Magazine written by Hugh Wiley, is shot in black and white by Harry Neumann, is produced by Scott R Dunlap and scored by Art Meyer.

Sequels: The Mystery of Mr Wong (1939), Mr Wong in Chinatown (1939), The Fatal Hour (1940), Doomed to Die (1940), Phantom of Chinatown (1940).

It was remade as a Charlie Chan series film, Docks of New Orleans.

As the film’s copyright was not renewed, it is in the public domain.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5597

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com