Absolutely Fantastic

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

The Mystery of Mr. Wong (1939) ** 1/2 (out of 4)An antique dealer comes into possession of a rare Chinese artifact and before long he is dead. At first it appears to have been a stunt gone wrong but soon Mr. Wong (Boris Karloff) realizes that it was murder but was it connected to the artifact?THE MYSTERY OF MR. WONG was the second of six films that Monogram did in the series. If you're a fan of the first then you'll probably enjoy this one, although there's no question that it's not quite as good. Still, for a "B" movie from this era there are enough entertaining moments to make it worth watching and especially if you're a fan of Karloff.As you'd expect, Karloff is the main reason to watch the picture as he turns in another good performance as Mr. Wong. He's certainly not believable as an Asian but I guess this was to be expected. With that said, he doesn't even appear to be trying to come across as Asian but I still enjoyed his performance for the laid-back approach that he took with the character. Grant Withers returns as Captain Street but the screenplay doesn't offer him as good as a role. The supporting cast is mostly good with the exception of Dorothy Tree who plays the victim's wife.The biggest issue with this film is the fact that the story itself isn't quite as interesting as that of the first film. There's really not as many interesting supporting characters and this here takes away from the whole film. With that said, it's a "B" movie and on that level it's entertaining enough for what it is.

Having a popular, first-rate actor like Boris Karloff in the title role of its Mr. Wong mystery series added an unaccustomed touch of class to poverty row studio Monogram's usual low-budget lineup of undistinguished programmers. The portrayal of the genteel Chinese detective must have likewise been a nice change of pace for the refined Englishman from the run of monsters and other sinister types he had been typically cast. Okay, so Karloff looked about as much like a Percheron ice wagon horse as a Chinaman. Let's just assume he was one of a those half-British Hong Kong Wongs. In any case he manages to project a convincing Oriental ambiance with only a minimum of makeup, while showing the maximum of sophisticated acting talent his fans have come to expect. Monogram seems to have responded by giving the Mr. Wong series the best staff and the biggest budget the financially disadvantaged studio could scrape together to support Karloff, who was a bigger name than they were used to having around.The Mystery Of Mr. Wong, second in the series, is immeasurably better produced than the first entry. Nice sets, both interior and exterior, smart, well-lighted cinematography and tight editing complement William Nigh's sharp direction. A full-bodied, original score by Edward J. Kay enhances the drama, action, and suspense while setting the just-right mysterious, exotic, and sometimes spooky atmosphere. The Scott Darling screenplay is complex and intelligent with engaging, at times even snappy, dialog. It presents a classic drawing room style mystery. The principle murder victim is a cad hated by all, which makes practically every character a suspect. Clues appear and disappear, sometimes even falling out of pictures on the wall. Karloff gets a competent supporting cast including elegant, if not so well-known leading lady Dorothy Tree, polished, oft-seen character actor Holmes Herbert, and stalwart Grant Withers in his reoccurring role as tough cop Captain Street. The police in this one are portrayed as less overbearing and bumbling than in the previous entry -- perhaps there were complaints from the policemen's benevolent associations. It's a mixed blessing. While the cops here are more efficient and less disruptive to the cagey Mr. Wong's efforts to solve the case, they are inevitably and sadly less humorous. While those of the politically correct persuasion may complain about an Occidental playing the Chinese detective, these little movies nevertheless gave good employment to a number of Oriental supporting actors, notably in this one Lotus Long, as a maid who knows more than she should about the mystery, Chester Gan as the no-nonsense butler who tries to help the police, and Lee Tung Foo in a reoccurring role as Mr. Wong's efficient manservant. The producers of the series gave pretty Ms. Long parts in two other Mr. Wong numbers, including the leading lady role in Phantom Of Chinatown (1940).The Mystery of Mr. Wong nimbly belies its cheap origins all the way through -- so well put together, intriguing, smoothly paced, and entertaining, it seems almost like an "A" picture, or at least a big studio a "B" production. Karloff is a delight. Viewing the first two movies in the set, has made the fifteen bucks I sprang for VCI's well restored two-disk album of all six Mr. Wong movies look like the shopping coup of the season. If you like off-beat little mystery potboilers that pack a load of entertainment into a short running time, then Mr. Wong is wight for you! Sorry, I couldn't resist.

The Mr. Wong series by Monogram Studios was an attempt by this tiny poverty row studio to cash in on the success of Twentieth-Century Fox's Charlie Chan. In many ways, the two series were very similar, though Wong (played by Boris Karloff) was played less like a stereotypical Asian and the scripts, unfortunately, were generally not as good as the Chan scripts.Here, in a completely average film, Wong is investigating the death of a rich jerk who is proud that he owns a stolen treasure from China. Considering how arrogant and unlikable he is, it isn't at all surprising that he's soon murdered--and in a rather clever way. The actual mystery is only moderately suspenseful by B-mystery film standards, but the film's lack of comic relief may appeal to those who dislike this aspect of the Chan films.As for the acting, this film is unusual in that all the actors were good except for one whose performance really stood out from the rest--it was THAT bad. Dorothy Tree, who played the wife of the murdered man, was simply horrible. Every time she opened her mouth, she over-emoted and enunciated like she was in a diction class. When I checked her biography on IMDb I discovered two things--that she was a reasonably prolific actress AND that she was a singing and diction coach. That really helps to explain her performance as did a quote from Ms. Tree concerning the role of proper diction in advancing feminism--"more resonance, clear speech and a better vocabulary." Well, sometimes more isn't better! A decent time-passer--provided you don't mind wading through Ms. Tree's impassioned acting.By the way, the copy I watched clocked in at 70 minutes--2 minutes longer than the time listed on IMDb.

This Mr. Wong film has been shown many many times over and years ago was shown along with a double feature back in the 1940's. These pictures were cheaply made and called B flicks. Brandon Edward (Morgan Wallace) a gem dealer obtains the largest star sapphire in the world, the "Eye of the Daughter of the Moon" which was stolen from China. Brandon exhibits the precious gem at a party in his home, at the same time, he tells Mr. Wong (Boris Karloff) his life is in great danger. During the course of time, Brandon is killed and the gem is missing. Mr. Wong finally turns the true killer over to Capt. Street (Grant Withers) This film is somewhat an interesting murder mystery, but does not keep you spellbound and becomes boring. Karloff with his British accent is still an effective Chinese Detective, but entirely out of character from his past roles.