kapelusznik18 ****SPOILERS**** Narrating a film he made on his expedition in the Mongolian Desert archaeologist Dr. John Benton, Charles Miller, just when he's about to reveal his findings suddenly drops dead, in fact he was officially declared dead a few hours later, in front of the shocked audience in attendance! With Dr. Genton's death declared a homicide, someone slipped poison in his drink, San Francisco police Captain Street, Grant Winters, is put on the case with Chinese history professor Jimmy Lee Wong, played by Charlie Chan #1 Son Keye Luke, doing the important leg work or investigating for him.It soon comes out that Dr. Benton had uncovered the tomb of the Emperor Ming, no not the guy in the Flash Gordon serial, of China in the 10th Century that had information in it about a secret map that leads to a massive oil reserves in the Mongolian Desert. It was one of the persons on Dr. Benton's expedition who's suspected in doing him in to get the map and sell it, for millions if not billions, to an either friendly or unfriendly country as well as oil conglomerate as long as it can some up with the cash!****SPOILERS**** Jimmy knowing his way around Chinatown and speaking the local lingo, Mandarin Chinese, slowly uncovers a plot to get the map but at the same time eliminate all those, except him or herself, involved so he wouldn't have to split the money, from the oil companies, with them. Setting a trap for Dr.Benton's, and later butler Mason's-John Holland-killer, Jimmy Leee Wong floats this made up story that the pilot on the expedition Jonas, William Costello, who was reported lost in the Mongolian Desert has shown up alive and is , after recovering from heat stroke, about to talk in who's responsible in Dr. Benton's murder not disappearance! How he could have known that in being some 7,000 miles away from the murder scene, is never explained? With him impersonating the at first dead now fully alive Jonas Jimmy Lee Wong has Dr. Benton's killer come out of the shadows and into the, in a well lit hospital room, light! Just as Captain Street and a half dozen members of the SFPD make the pinch on him as well as, this is the big surprise in the movie, his accomplice!

Michael O'Keefe An archaeologist, Dr. Benton(Charles Miller)returns from a camel caravan across Mongolia returning with a valuable ancient scroll. During his fact-finding lecture at Southern University, Benton collapses...he's dead. Key Luke(better known as Charlie Chan's number-one son)steps in for his predecessor Boris Karloff; Detective James Lee 'Jimmy' Wong at your service. He calls himself a researcher when San Francisco Police Captain Street(Grant Withers)at first considers him a suspect. The investigation has several people of interest like Win Len(Lotus Long),Benton's secretary;Dr. Wilkes(Huntley Gordon),Benton's partner and Charles Frasier(John Dilson),the expedition's photographer. The plot is very simple and very inexpensive to film; after all its a Monogram Pictures 62 minute mystery. A few twists and turns keeps the story moving at a nice pace. This is the sixth and final film based on stories by Hugh Wiley. Take note that out of all the Asian detective films(Charlie Chan, Mr. Moto and Mr. Wong), Key Luke is the first actual Asian to play the lead role. Also in the cast:Virginia Carpenter, John Holland and Lee Tung Foo.

robcat2075 Not a major film, but interesting for it's unique elements. Boris Karloff made some "Wong" films and was criticised for not affecting a Chinese accent. But here we have a real Chinese actor playing the Chinese detective role and he didn't go for the Chinese accent either. Neither does the Chinese leading lady. Maybe that's why they didn't make another "Wong" with this cast; audiences probably didn't want to be challenged by the notion of foreigners who could speak English as well as anyone else.the George Washington bit was a surprise. I had to rewind just to see if I had actually heard what I thought I heard.

John Seal Smilin' Leonard Maltin rates this one a bomb, but he couldn't be more wrong. It's a real forgotten gem and the best of the Mr. Wong detective series. Why? For whatever reason, the producers decided to cast Keye Luke--an Asian actor--in the role of the cinematic sleuth. Many similar films were made throughout the 30s and 40s, with Warner Oland and Sidney Toler cast as Charlie Chan and Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto. Luke was preceded by Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff as Wong. This seems to be the only example of an Asian detective being played by an Asian actor, and I'd love to know how Luke's casting came about. He's merely adequate as an actor, but his work gives the film an appealing realism (albeit as much as a film about an eternal flame and a lost scroll can be realistic). There are also reasonably good supporting roles for Asian actors, including Lotus Long as the leading lady, Lee Tung Foo in a comic role, and other uncredited actors. Series regular Grant Withers is on hand, wearing a rather unattractive and ill-fitting hat, as the bumbling police detective who needs Wong's help to crack the case. The film actually seems to take place in a somewhat realistic world, San Francisco's Chinatown, where Asian-Americans miraculously man and operate the telephone exchange! At 61 minutes the film is brisk entertainment that will keep your attention. It also manages to feel fresher than better acted and better budgeted genre films of the same period. Strongly recommended to sleuthing fans.