Story: An executive at a chemical company has become suspicious, as he feels his inside knowledge of new developments could put his life at risk. After all, an innovation in poison gas would have immense interest from multiple parties, which means massive profits could be at stake. He is convinced a group within the company plans to steal the formula, so he reaches out to Mr. Wong (Boris Karloff), a master detective that he hopes can crack the case before its too late. Sadly however, when Mr. Wong arrives to meet with the executive, the man has been killed and while a gun is present, the gun wasn’t fired and no obvious cause of death is evident. Can Mr. Wong unveil the murderer or has he finally found a case that might best his skills?

Entertainment Value: This is a solid, well crafted old school murder mystery with a good cast, so it is easy to see how Mr. Wong, Detective spawned a number of sequels. The story is competent and unfolds in interesting ways, though there aren’t shocking twists and turns here. The narrative stays more grounded and relies on old fashioned detective work, rather than inexplicable story elements. I don’t mind wild twists, but this movie was able to keep me tuned in without the bells and whistles, since the basics were covered so well. I also appreciate how brisk the film is, clocking in under 70 minutes with no filler. A lean, effective murder mystery that wastes no time, but also takes enough time to build a narrative and some atmosphere. While it isn’t flashy or trend setting, Mr. Wong, Detective is rock solid and recommended.

Boris Karloff is here in the lead role and he would return to the character often, returning for several sequels as the master detective. The casting of Karloff is insensitive at best, especially through a modern lens, though the turn has dignity and isn’t played as a stereotype. Karloff seems dialed in and invested in the role, which leads to a strong effort that anchors the movie quite well. He seems right at home in the genre, just as adept in the world of mystery as he is in the world of horror. He has some fun lines as he investigates and he delivers them with firmness and certainty, as you’d expect from an elite level detective. In short, Karloff does some very good work here and I think fans of his will enjoy this performance. The cast also includes Maxine Jennings, Grant Withers, George Lloyd, and Evelyn Brent.

The Disc: Mr. Wong, Detective was released on Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics, as part of a five film box set, The Mr. Wong Collection. The movie looks fantastic in this treatment, with sharp and detailed visuals throughout and minimal signs of damage or debris. The black & white images show accurate contrast and overall, the movie looks terrific here. You can also listen to an audio commentary from two film historians, who provide some information on the production and its cast and crew.

Use this Amazon link to check out Mr. Wong, Detective and help support my site!