Filmed in 1940, "Phantom of Chinatown" is the last of the Mr. Wong series of films, but it's chronologically set as the earliest, featuring Asian actor Keye Luke as a young detective James Lee Wong, a role that British actor Boris Karloff parlayed into five films between 1938 and 1940. It's refreshing to see Luke in a mature role, contrasted with his mostly comic relief effort as Number #1 Son Lee to "Pop" Charlie Chan in the Fox Studio films of the late 1930's. However fans of the Chan films will recognize one lapse into the Lee Chan persona when Mr. Wong exclaims "That's it, I've got it" as he reviews photos of a crime scene. Also, in a later tribute to the Charlie Chan character, Wong uses the phrase "Thank you so much", but with a different inflection than his venerable "Pop".
The story itself involves a murder investigation of archeology professor John Benton, poisoned via a glass of water as he lectures about an expedition into the Mongolian Desert that produced a scroll holding the secret to the "Temple of Eternal Fire". The secret, it turns out, is a potentially huge oil deposit that may prove vital to the defense of China. With regard to the similar recurring story ideas used in both the Chan and Mr. Wong series, this is one theme that had not been used before, so score another one to "Phantom" for originality.
Joining Keye Luke in this flashback adventure is Grant Withers, a veteran of all the Karloff Wong movies, in his role as Captain Street of the San Francisco Police Homicide Department. Curiously, Street's first name is never revealed throughout the film; in the first two Mr. Wong movies he was Sam, while he finished the series as Bill. Characterwise, he's the same gruff, impatient detective, though with enough street smarts to allow Mr. Wong to join the case. In turn, they are aided by pretty Lotus Long as Benton's secretary Win Lee, who it turns out is also employed by the Chinese government. Her mission, even before Wong and Street get involved, is to determine the whereabouts and contents of the missing scroll that Benton returned to the States with.
For a real chuckle, (or groan as the case may be), pay attention as Mr. Wong tries to outmaneuver Captain Street in an early scene by turning a quick corner and pulling into a filling station. His price for a gas fill - $2.00!! For real die-hard fans of the Chan and Wong movies, there's a scene in which a stairway passage from a shop down to a harbor boat is used by some henchmen for a quick getaway. For now, I want to say that the same set was used in the film "Charlie Chan in Shanghai", but will have to research it to be sure.
All in all, I rather enjoyed "Phantom of Chinatown", particularly for it's casting of Keye Luke in the starring role, and it's play it straight story line, even allowing for the comic relief of Wong's cook Foo. Granted, there is the occasional racial epithet common for genre films of the era, such as the gratuitous "chop suey" remark regarding Win Lee's lunch preference. It's offset by the engaging mystery, and the intriguing Mongolian expedition reels shown during Professor Benton's lecture, another treat for those expecting a run of the mill Oriental Detective story.
The story itself involves a murder investigation of archeology professor John Benton, poisoned via a glass of water as he lectures about an expedition into the Mongolian Desert that produced a scroll holding the secret to the "Temple of Eternal Fire". The secret, it turns out, is a potentially huge oil deposit that may prove vital to the defense of China. With regard to the similar recurring story ideas used in both the Chan and Mr. Wong series, this is one theme that had not been used before, so score another one to "Phantom" for originality.
Joining Keye Luke in this flashback adventure is Grant Withers, a veteran of all the Karloff Wong movies, in his role as Captain Street of the San Francisco Police Homicide Department. Curiously, Street's first name is never revealed throughout the film; in the first two Mr. Wong movies he was Sam, while he finished the series as Bill. Characterwise, he's the same gruff, impatient detective, though with enough street smarts to allow Mr. Wong to join the case. In turn, they are aided by pretty Lotus Long as Benton's secretary Win Lee, who it turns out is also employed by the Chinese government. Her mission, even before Wong and Street get involved, is to determine the whereabouts and contents of the missing scroll that Benton returned to the States with.
For a real chuckle, (or groan as the case may be), pay attention as Mr. Wong tries to outmaneuver Captain Street in an early scene by turning a quick corner and pulling into a filling station. His price for a gas fill - $2.00!! For real die-hard fans of the Chan and Wong movies, there's a scene in which a stairway passage from a shop down to a harbor boat is used by some henchmen for a quick getaway. For now, I want to say that the same set was used in the film "Charlie Chan in Shanghai", but will have to research it to be sure.
All in all, I rather enjoyed "Phantom of Chinatown", particularly for it's casting of Keye Luke in the starring role, and it's play it straight story line, even allowing for the comic relief of Wong's cook Foo. Granted, there is the occasional racial epithet common for genre films of the era, such as the gratuitous "chop suey" remark regarding Win Lee's lunch preference. It's offset by the engaging mystery, and the intriguing Mongolian expedition reels shown during Professor Benton's lecture, another treat for those expecting a run of the mill Oriental Detective story.