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Phantom of Chinatown (1940)Detective James Lee Wong is on the scene as archaeologist Dr. John Benton, recently returned from an expedition in China where a valuable ancient scroll was recovered, is murdered while giving a lecture on the expedition. Director:Phil RosenWriters:George Waggner (screenplay) (as Joseph West) , Ralph Gilbert Bettison (original story) (as Ralph Bettinson) , 1 more credit » |
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Keye Luke | ... | ||
| Lotus Long | ... |
Win Len
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| Grant Withers | ... | ||
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Charles Miller | ... |
Dr. John Benton /
Cyrus Benton in Newspaper
(as Charles Miller)
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Huntley Gordon | ... |
Dr. Norman Wilkes
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Virginia Carpenter | ... |
Louise Benton
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| John Dilson | ... |
Charlie Frasier
(as John H. Dilson)
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Paul McVey | ... |
Detective Grady
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John Holland | ... |
Mason
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Richard Terry | ... |
Toreno
(as Dick Terry)
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Robert Kellard | ... |
Tommy Dean
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Willy Castello | ... |
Jonas
(as William Castello)
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Lee Tung Foo | ... |
Foo
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
In the middle of a pictorial lecture on his recent expedition to the Mongolian Desert, Dr. John Benton the famous explorer, drinks from the water bottle on his lecture table, collapses and dies. His last words "Eternal Fire" are the only clue Chinese detective Jimmy Wong and Captain Street of the police department have to work on. Win Lee, Benton's secretary, reveals the doctor's dying words refer to a scroll which tells the location of rich oil deposits. Wong and Street then begin the search for the killer among Benton's associates. Written by Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Taglines:
A Slight Case Of Murder... Solved by Jimmy Wong! See more »Certificate:
ApprovedParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
18 November 1940 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Het spook van Chinatown See more »Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Possibly the very first instance where Hollywood produced a 'prequel,' because this last entry in the series depicts the first meeting between Mr. Wong and Capt. Street. See more »Quotes
James Lee Wong: Greetings. Only the eyebrows of youth would have the temerity to call the beard of age at such an hour.See more »
The 6 Mr Wong films(five of which with Boris Karloff in the title role) are not great films, however they are all far from bad either. Phantom of Chinatown may not have Karloff but it is for whatever foibles it has one of the better films in the series. The photography can lack finesse in places while the film is scripted competently if routinely though with a fair few bright spots. And Grant Withers still doesn't do much for me, going for shouting his lines and frozen facial expressions, though not quite as badly as in Mr Wong in Chinatown, rather than subtlety. The sets are very nicely done though, and the music score is jaunty and eerie as to expect. There is some humour here and it manages to be of the funny and witty kind, the Chinese treasures and Washington Bones comparison agreed is the most inspired. The story is not exceptional but it is diverting and has a good deal of mystery and suspense. It also doesn't try to do too much so it is not as convoluted as a couple of Karloff's entries were, especially Mr Wong in Chinatown(you may have guessed already that that it is my least favourite of the 6, though it's still not a bad film). Luckily too, despite there being the risk of being there Chinese are portrayed sympathetically and any stereotyping(if any at all) is equally tastefully done, nothing at all to be offended at. Phantom of Chinatown moves along at a brisk pace, so the film was never a dull watch. Keye Luke may not be as enigmatic as Karloff but he for obvious reasons is still much more convincing as a Chineseman. He had big shoes to fill and fills them admirably, giving a very charming and sometimes amusing performance. Lotus Long is also wonderfully mysterious, and while not of the outstanding kind the supporting cast are competent at the least. To conclude, a decent film and one of the better Mr Wong films, even without Karloff. 7/10 Bethany Cox