Oriental detective James Lee Wong was the creation of author Hugh Wiley, who wrote two dozen short stories about the character from 1934 until 1955; all but the last three stories appeared in Cosmopolitan, with the last story being a rewriting of a 1940 Mr. Wong story. Twelve of the stories were collected in 1951's Murder by the Dozen. The character was popular enough to spin off a series of six films from Monogram Studios, 1938 to 1940; the first five films featured Boris Karloff as Mr. Wong. The final film, Phantom of Chinatown replaced Karloff with an actual Asian -- Keye Luke, born in China but raised in Seattle; of the major Poverty Row oriental detectives -- Chan, Moto, and Wong -- this was the only film to feature and Asia playing an Asian in the lead. (Well, Charlie Chan's Warner Oland was one-quarter Mongolian on his mother's side. but would you have known that?)
For some reason, perhaps because audiences were used to seeing Keye Luke as Charlie Chan's young Number One Son (just a guess on my part; don't hold me to it), James Lee Wong became Jimmy Wong for this film.
The plot (per IMDb): "Southern University Archeology professor John Benton has just returned with his team from an expedition in Mongolia. One team member, Mason, the co-pilot, did not return as he went missing and is presumed dead. Benton is presenting his findings in a public forum, those findings which he purports will be of great significance to the Chinese government and the security of the Chinese people. Halfway through his presentation before he gets to the importance of his findings, Benton collapses. While the collapse was originally thought to be due to exhaustion, he shortly thereafter dies from what is eventually discovered to be from being poisoned. SFPD Bill Street with homicide leads the investigation. The primary suspects are anyone who went on the expedition, Benton's secretary Win Lin, and one of Benton's students, researcher James Lee Wong as he shows an inordinate interest in the case. Street begins instead to trust Wong as they investigate together."
One interesting bit of snark: When Street points to something and asks what it is, a character replies, "a sarcophagus from a Chinese tomb, sir., that once contained the body of a Ming emperor." To which, Wong says, "They tell me that a Chinese archaeological expedition is digging up the body of George Washington in exchange."
Directed by Phil Rosen, with a screenplay by George Waggner from an original story by Ralph Gilbert Bettison. Also featuring Lotus Long and Grant Withers.
A mild little programmer, but worthy enough to spend an hour of your time.
Enjoy.
https://archive.org/details/Phantom_of_Chinatown_1940
Actors I might look for again, in vain. George Waggner before he went waGGner (in his BATMAN credits).
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