The Hatchet Man (1932)

I'm sure everyone has to mention the most obvious thing about this movie, that nearly all the characters are Chinese played by non-chinese actors. But this is no Charlie Chan with silly accents. None of the actors engage in cheap stereotypes. There's nothing here that's anywhere near as embarrassing as Mickey Rooney's Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany's... or, much more recently, Johnny Depp's version of Tonto in The Lone Ranger. The story itself depicts the Chinese American community in a generally favorable light... despite its focus being on the Tongs of San Francisco's Chinatown. Robinson's Tong assassin is an honorable and admirable man, despite his profession.So with that out of the way, this was a pretty great story and Robinson's character is complex. He wants to be free of his violent past as an assassin for the Tong, he wants to acclimate to life in the U.S. and be a good citizen... but he's also tied to tradition and sworn oaths. It's was less formulaic than I'd expect, I wasn't quite sure where it was leading till I was 3/4 through it. Seeing as it's pre-code it's not as overtly moralistic as later films. It looks great too. There are some nice sets and costumes and Ms. Young was particularly elegant. It's not a happy story, but it's entertaining and unusual. I'm kind of surprised someone hasn't remade it, with a less controversial cast.

The film The Hatchet Man is based on an unproduced play written by one Achmed Abdullah and theatrical impresario David Belasco. Belasco had died the previous year and I'm sure Warner Brothers must have bought the right to this play from his estate. The play was entitled The Honorable Mr. Wong and it was an outsiders view of what life was like within the Chinese ghetto on the Pacific coast. It's important to remember that when trying to rationalize the yellow peril attitudes that are in this film.Edward G. Robinson did not look fondly back on The Hatchet Man. I imagine neither did his heavily lacquered co-star Loretta Young. Both look positively ridiculous and neither attempts any kind of Chinese accent. I guess they didn't want to sound ridiculous as well. Robinson is in the ancient an honorable profession of Hatchet Man or more precise he's a Chinese contract killer for the Tongs. He's been given a contract on J. Carrol Naish by one of the Tong heads, Dudley Digges. Though Naish is an old friend and has even made him prime beneficiary in his will which includes his daughter who grows up to be Loretta Young. Naish says do the deed quickly and Robinson does.Fifteen years passed and Young's now married to Robinson, but the Tong Wars are heating up and he's not giving her the attention she needs. Leslie Fenton is around and he's a Chinese gigolo and opium addict.Although the plot takes a few surprise twists in the end it does come out as one might expect. The Honorable Mr. Wong never got produced by David Belasco and I suspect for good reason. The Hatchet Man feeds into all kinds of attitudes prevalent in the day about the Yellow Peril. And it's just not a terribly good or even terribly bad film. Just bad enough.

I Saw This Movie Many Many Years ago,And I Still Remember Whar A Great Movie It Was. The Hatchet Man Has Without A Doubt, The greatest Ending of Any Movie That I Have Ever Seen, And I've Seen A Few In My Day,Being 80 Years Young///It's Hard For Me To Believe That The Hatchet Man Has Never Been On TAPE OR DVD////I Will Order It The Minute That It Is On DVD///Why Edward G Robinson Was Never Nominated Or Won An Academy Award Is Beyond Reason//Hollywood Must Have Been Blind And Deaf,For Edward G.Robinson Was Truly A Great Natural Actor//I'm Even Amazed That Hollywood Has Not Tried To Remake This Movie,And As I Have Said Before/ This Movie Has The Greatest Ending Of All////So Please You People Out There Who Make These DVDS//Please Please Put The Hatchet Man Out On DVD Thanking You In AdvanceStanley Cooper / Jupiter Florida

It is very surprising to see great actors like Edward G. Robinson, Loretta Young and J. Carroll Naish performing as Chinese. However, in the 1930's, actors had no choice to refuse the casting director's wishes. Most of these actors were under contact to act and portray characters of different races other than themselves which is not practiced in this century in Hollywood. Edward G. Robinson (Wong Low Get), "The Red House" '47, was a sort of hit man for the Chinese community of San Francisco. Loretta Young (Sun Toya San)," The Stranger",'46, played a very outstanding role, who charmed Wong Low Get. It was also surprising to see J. Carroll Naish,(Sun Yat Ming), "The Beast with Five Fingers"'46, who often played roles of Italian subjects in most of his films. I am grateful for all these great actors who acted as Chinese citizens and made it possible for us to view this great film TODAY ! William Wellman, director of this film also created "Public Enemy" '31 with Jimmy Cagney.