Mr. Wong, Detective

source: Mr. Wong, Detective

Mr. Wong, Detective

Having seen the others of the Wong canon earlier, and this being the first, I believe it to be superior to those. Karloff appeared to take the role seriously. The plot to use the poison gas is clever. The potential for a terrorist act is always there. There are also lots of dynamics at work. Wong is so under control. He bides his time and lets the young police detective make a fool of himself, using heavy handed tactics on those he is interrogating. What's interesting is that Wong seems to have respect for this guy who knows nothing and acts so irrationally. Wong eventually moves in and gets the information he needs in a gentle manner. While much of this strains the limits of believability, it shows Karloff to be a pretty good actor. These series things are really throwaways and yet he seems to care how his character comes across. Whenever there is a closeup, it's hard to imagine him being Asian, but there was a lot of that going around in those days.

This was the first of a modest series of Monogram films to star horror heavyweight Boris Karloff as an Asian sleuth, most likely to try and capitalize off the highly successful Charlie Chan saga from Fox. As a Karloff fan myself, he was my sole reason to take the plunge with this series and this film is pretty much an average affair. The British Boris doesn't seem authentic at playing a Chinese detective, and I had a difficult time buying into him as such with his blackened, slicked-back hair-comb. The plot itself is intriguing enough, with Mr. Wong trying to find out how a poison gas is killing people, and who's the mastermind behind it. I've read that MR. WONG, DETECTIVE is the "best" of this bunch, which leaves me concerned as to what may lie ahead. ** out of ****

As a fan, even connoisseur, of B and C movies, I think this one is very well done. The sets are especially impressive, and the detail -- especially the interiors -- are pretty amazing. Good story, good plot, even though the death weapon is a duplicate of "Charlie Chan in Egypt." Boris is enjoyable as Mr. Moto. The makeup artist is far less talented than the set designer; Boris' hair looks like it is lacquered to his skull. Still, you like him, and that's what counts. Grant Withers is too loud (vocally, that is) but gives an honest performance as a crabby, dim-witted police detective. John St.Polis is a standout as Roemer. Fun to watch and worth the time.

Mr. Wong (Boris Karloff) investigates the death of the president of a chemical manufacturing company and finds the trail leads to foreign agents. Asian detectives were all the rage in the '30s, with Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto both successful franchises at Fox. Poverty Row studio Monogram throws their hat into the ring with the Mr. Wong series starring Boris Karloff. Karloff's screen presence is the movie's primary selling point. Grant Withers plays the clichéd police detective who spends the whole movie barking at everybody and being annoying. Weaselly Lucien Prival plays one of the bad guys. There's something about this actor that always creeped me out. Poor production values and an unimpressive supporting cast puts this one well below the standards of the Chan and Moto series. But Boris Karloff and a decent mystery make it worth checking out.

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!

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.

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.