Boris Karloff in "Mr. Wong in Chinatown" (1939) feat. Marjorie Reynolds & Lotus Long

In San Francisco’s Chinatown, the urbane detective James Lee Wong (Boris Karloff) is drawn into a baffling case when a prominent Chinese merchant, John Benton (Marjorie Reynolds), collapses after a public banquet celebrating a cultural society. Though Benton appears to have died of heart failure, Wong notices a faint odor of bitter almonds and suspects poison. Captain Street (Grant Withers) of the police is inclined to accept a natural cause, but Wong’s instincts—and his quiet pride in protecting his community—push him to investigate further.

Wong begins by interviewing Benton’s anxious daughter, Win Len (Lotus Long), who fears her father had been threatened over a priceless ceremonial jade necklace recently brought from China. The necklace, intended for display at the society, has vanished. Suspicion falls on several figures who hovered near Benton that evening: the ambitious attorney Robert Stanton (Craig Reynolds), who handled Benton’s American investments; the smooth-talking nightclub owner Victor Marlowe (Ivan Lebedeff), rumored to traffic in stolen art; and Benton’s loyal secretary, Foo Ling (Richard Loo), whose devotion masks hidden resentments.

As Wong reconstructs the banquet’s events, he uncovers that Benton had planned to revise his will, potentially disinheriting Stanton from a lucrative partnership. Meanwhile, Marlowe pressures Win Len to sell the necklace quietly, claiming it will bring unwanted attention. When Foo Ling is found murdered in an alley, clutching a scrap of embroidered silk from the banquet decorations, the case deepens. Wong deduces that the same rare poison used on Benton was administered to silence Foo Ling.

Through careful questioning and a subtle trap involving a counterfeit jade necklace, Wong exposes Stanton’s scheme. Stanton had learned of Benton’s will change and poisoned him during a ceremonial tea pour, counting on cultural unfamiliarity to deflect suspicion. He then killed Foo Ling, who had witnessed the tampering and threatened to speak. Marlowe’s bluster proves a diversion, and Win Len’s innocence is confirmed.

In a tense final confrontation within the society’s temple, Wong reveals the chemical proof and Stanton’s forged documents, forcing a confession. Captain Street acknowledges Wong’s brilliance as the necklace is restored and Benton’s legacy secured. The mystery resolved, Wong reflects that justice, like jade, must be patiently carved to reveal its true luster.

A 1939 American Black & White mystery film directed by William Nigh, William T. Lackey associate producer, Scott R. Dunlap in charge of production, screenplay by Scott Darling, based on the "James Lee Wong" series in Collier's Magazine by Hugh Wiley, cinematography by Harry Neumann, starring Boris Karloff, Marjorie Reynolds, Grant Withers, Huntley Gordon, George Lynn (as Peter George Lynn), William Royle, James Flavin, Lotus Long, Lee Tung Foo, Bessie Loo, Richard Loo, Ernie Stanton, I. Stanford Jolley, and Angelo Rossitto. Released by Monogram Pictures.

Marjorie Reynolds' character of intrepid gal reporter Bobbie Logan would be reprised in the next two Mr. Wong films as well, "The Fatal Hour" (1940) then "Doomed to Die" (1940). She is arguably best remembered for playing the long-suffering wife Peg in "The Life of Riley" (1953), and for her role in "Holiday Inn" (1942), in which she was Fred Astaire's partner for a drunken New Year's Eve dance routine and was the blonde to whom Bing Crosby first sang the Oscar-winning song "White Christmas."

This was Monogram's third entry in their six picture "Mr. Wong" detective series. Monogram remade it as "The Chinese Ring" (1947), part of the studio's "Charlie Chan" series.

Second of three films in the Mr. Wong series in which Lotus Long appears, the first being "The Mystery of Mr. Wong" (1939) and the last being "Phantom of Chinatown" (1940). She portrays a different character in all three.

Lotus Long (1909-1990) born Lotus Pearl Shibata in New Jersey, was an Asian-American film actress. She came to Southern California during the 1920s to act in Hollywood films and usually portrayed ethnic Asian female characters in supporting roles. Due to her professional surname, people generally assumed that she was of Chinese ancestry. During World War II she used this name to avoid incarceration in American internment camps with other persons of Japanese ancestry, which included both legal permanent residents and American citizens. Her most infamous roles was in Lew Landers' movie "Tokyo Rose" (1946), She was a pioneer for future Asian-American actresses in film, and a role model.

A routine whodunnit with shades of political intrigue, and a.superb self-effacing performance from Karloff. The filmmakers tried to turn up the action and energy, for this third installment. But this is Monogram, not MGM, thus the B-Movie production values. It offers an exciting climax. Recommended for Boris Karloff completists and fans of the old detective films of the 30s and 40s.

Видео Boris Karloff in "Mr. Wong in Chinatown" (1939) feat. Marjorie Reynolds & Lotus Long канала Donald P. Borchers