Mr. Wong Collection Blu-ray - Boris Karloff / Marjorie Reynolds @KinoLorber (Patreon)

BONUS CAPTURES:

Mr. Wong Collection Blu-ray - Boris Karloff / Marjorie Reynolds @KinoLorber

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OUR REVIEW:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film11/blu-ray_review_173/mr_wong_collection_blu-ray.htm

Film legend Boris Karloff (Frankenstein, The Raven, Black Sabbath) commands the role of James Lee Wong, the eminent gentleman-sleuth of the printed page, in five taut tales of mystery and murder for Monogram Pictures and director William Nigh (The Ape). Grant Withers (Goin’ to Town) co-stars as Wong’s fellow case-cracker, the irascible Police Captain Street.

Mr. Wong, Detective (1938) — Upon the discovery of a strange glass globe, Mr. Wong delves into the death of a chemical company bigwig. With Maxine Jennings.

The Mystery of Mr. Wong (1939) — Mr. Wong works to crack the killer riddle of an exquisite gemstone known as the Eye of the Daughter of the Moon. With Dorothy Tree.

Mr. Wong in Chinatown (1939) — There’s murder in the house of Mr. Wong when death by dart comes to Princess Lin Hwa (Lotus Long). With Marjorie Reynolds.

The Fatal Hour (1940) — Mr. Wong tracks the treacherous trail of a corpse to a jewel-smuggling ring on the San Francisco waterfront. With Marjorie Reynolds.

Doomed to Die a.k.a. Mystery of the Wentworth Castle (1940) — When a shipping magnate is mysteriously shot, Mr. Wong springs into action. With Marjorie Reynolds.

***

Kino's two Blu-rays of the first five Boris Karloff 'Mr. Wong' films is "B" movie detective-yarn pleasure. They are all directed by William Nigh and involve poison gas, largest star sapphire in the world, a murdered Chinese Princess via a poisoned dart, gemstone smuggling on the San Francisco waterfront, and a romance between the killer and the murdered man's daughter... who are engaged to be married. All without a Fu Manchu type criminal mastermind of Chinatown - previously played by Karloff in The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932.) They can be formulaic and a definite response to the success of 20th Century Fox's pot-boiler Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) and Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre) film series but enjoyable when in the mood for vintage film fans. Karloff does a great job as the the fictional Chinese-American detective created by Hugh Wiley - later replaced in the sixth, and last film, by actor Keye Luke (the first Asian lead in Hollywood.) Recommended to the right crowd - you can throw these on at any time.