Story: The largest star sapphire in the world is The Eye of the Daughter of the Moon, a gorgeous gemstone that doesn’t just look good, but also carries a curse. The gem is to remain within China and if removed, the curse will kick in and bad luck awaits whoever was responsible. As it turns out, a wealthy American is determined to test the curse and while he expects some retribution, he pushes on with the theft of the gemstone. He might have doubts about the curse, but he does reach out to Mr. Wong (Boris Karloff) with his concerns over his safety and clues as to who to suspect if something happens to him. When he is murdered soon after, can Mr. Wong solve the riddle of this beautiful, but cursed gem?

Entertainment Value: This second installment in the Mr. Wong series sees the return of lead Boris Karloff and while this mystery wasn’t quite as good as the original, it is still a more than solid watch. The narrative is well written and has some effective detective work involved, so as with the previous movie, this one focuses on logic over inexplicable twists and turns. There are a few issues with the storyline, but they’re minor and in general, don’t impact the experience that much. I wouldn’t have complained with some more polish here in terms of the script, but this remains a solid murder mystery, regardless. The pace is brisk, with an under 70 minute runtime and little in terms of slow stretches. A few scenes do run a little long, never to the point of boredom however, so it is easy to overlook those slower moments here. If you need frills and flashiness, you might be let down, but if you’re after a solid old school murder mystery, give this one a look.

Screen legend Boris Karloff is back as Mr. Wong and once again, the casting choice is questionable, but he delivers once again. He seems to have settled into the role a little more this second time out, which leads a controlled, very effective performance. I love the scene where Wong gives a speech dressing down the culprit(s), as Karloff is in full roast mode and really projects surefooted confidence. This is true throughout the movie however, as he fills his take on Mr. Wong with confident skill, though this particular scene just emphasizes that. Karloff handles all the needs of the material and then some, elevating the picture in the process. Grant Withers also returns, as the rude, not really effective law enforcement representative. The cast also includes Dorothy Tree, Morgan Wallace, Craig Reynolds, and Ivan Lebedeff.

The Disc: The Mystery of Mr. Wong looks great in high definition, as part of KL Studio Classics’ release of the Mr. Wong Collection. The print looks clean, with minimal issues to contend with, while the black & white visuals are stark and well balanced as well. As you’d hope, this version shows remarkable detail and depth, so fans should be quite thrilled here. The box set also includes four other movies in the series, for a total of five Mr. Wong classics in one fell swoop.

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