Phantom of Chinatown (1940)

****SPOILERS**** Narrating a film he made on his expedition in the Mongolian Desert archaeologist Dr. John Benton, Charles Miller, just when he's about to reveal his findings suddenly drops dead, in fact he was officially declared dead a few hours later, in front of the shocked audience in attendance! With Dr. Genton's death declared a homicide, someone slipped poison in his drink, San Francisco police Captain Street, Grant Winters, is put on the case with Chinese history professor Jimmy Lee Wong, played by Charlie Chan #1 Son Keye Luke, doing the important leg work or investigating for him.It soon comes out that Dr. Benton had uncovered the tomb of the Emperor Ming, no not the guy in the Flash Gordon serial, of China in the 10th Century that had information in it about a secret map that leads to a massive oil reserves in the Mongolian Desert. It was one of the persons on Dr. Benton's expedition who's suspected in doing him in to get the map and sell it, for millions if not billions, to an either friendly or unfriendly country as well as oil conglomerate as long as it can some up with the cash!****SPOILERS**** Jimmy knowing his way around Chinatown and speaking the local lingo, Mandarin Chinese, slowly uncovers a plot to get the map but at the same time eliminate all those, except him or herself, involved so he wouldn't have to split the money, from the oil companies, with them. Setting a trap for Dr.Benton's, and later butler Mason's-John Holland-killer, Jimmy Leee Wong floats this made up story that the pilot on the expedition Jonas, William Costello, who was reported lost in the Mongolian Desert has shown up alive and is , after recovering from heat stroke, about to talk in who's responsible in Dr. Benton's murder not disappearance! How he could have known that in being some 7,000 miles away from the murder scene, is never explained? With him impersonating the at first dead now fully alive Jonas Jimmy Lee Wong has Dr. Benton's killer come out of the shadows and into the, in a well lit hospital room, light! Just as Captain Street and a half dozen members of the SFPD make the pinch on him as well as, this is the big surprise in the movie, his accomplice!

The 1940 film is quite good in it's mood and theme. It is a detective film that keeps you engaged and moves in a fast pace. The film stars an Asian actor, Keye Luke and Mr Luke does a very fine job playing an alert intelligent detective that could be set in today's times. This was produced in the WW2 years and it is interesting to see that this film was made with many Asian actors. Sadly that would not continue with the anti-Asian hysteria of the war years. Mr Luke survived on with a long and memorable movie & TV career with his major role as the High Lama/teacher in TV's 'Kung-Fu'. IN this film a murder strikes during a lecture on the discovery of a lost Mongolian tomb. A scroll with a valuable secret is missing. It's up to Jimmy Wong and the Homicide Squad to find the killer and learn the tomb's secret. This was the last of the Mr Wong serials. Enjoy it.

Final film in the Mr Wong series loses Boris Karloff and in its place has Keye Luke as James Wong detective. Luke best known as Charlie Chan's number one son was forever in support so its nice to see him in a lead role. It also gives mystery, and especially Charlie Chan fans a glimpse at how Luke might have played the classic detective.The mystery here is rather bland. During a lecture about an expedition to China the professor giving the talk is killed right in front of everyone. The question is how was it done and by who. You'll have to see the film to find out the why and who, I will tell you why, and thats because of the information that is contained on a scroll that was found in a tomb that will lead to great riches. Its a been there done that sort of affair that reminded me of one of the Mr Moto movies. Its not bad, certainly the cast is game, however the script just doesn't have any real life in it. It just doesn't have any life in it.Still, I have to say that bland or no its an okay time passer best left for a late night or rainy day movie marathon when these kind of movies seem oh so much better.

Smilin' Leonard Maltin rates this one a bomb, but he couldn't be more wrong. It's a real forgotten gem and the best of the Mr. Wong detective series. Why? For whatever reason, the producers decided to cast Keye Luke--an Asian actor--in the role of the cinematic sleuth. Many similar films were made throughout the 30s and 40s, with Warner Oland and Sidney Toler cast as Charlie Chan and Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto. Luke was preceded by Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff as Wong. This seems to be the only example of an Asian detective being played by an Asian actor, and I'd love to know how Luke's casting came about. He's merely adequate as an actor, but his work gives the film an appealing realism (albeit as much as a film about an eternal flame and a lost scroll can be realistic). There are also reasonably good supporting roles for Asian actors, including Lotus Long as the leading lady, Lee Tung Foo in a comic role, and other uncredited actors. Series regular Grant Withers is on hand, wearing a rather unattractive and ill-fitting hat, as the bumbling police detective who needs Wong's help to crack the case. The film actually seems to take place in a somewhat realistic world, San Francisco's Chinatown, where Asian-Americans miraculously man and operate the telephone exchange! At 61 minutes the film is brisk entertainment that will keep your attention. It also manages to feel fresher than better acted and better budgeted genre films of the same period. Strongly recommended to sleuthing fans.