dougdoepke Wacky programmer that fails for the most part. Looks like WB was trying to rival Charlie Chan with the much prettier Anna Mae Wong, except Mei Lei (Wong) uses astrology to crack cases instead of logic. Well that is a different approach, and the script's not shy about reinforcing Mei Lei's star-gazing powers. To make their premise go down easier, science is treated as supplementary to Libra, Taurus, et al, and not in conflict with them. I wonder how that goes down at Cal Tech or MIT. Wong is the best thing about the 65-minutes, treating a troublesome part with genuine authority. It's really she who deserves top billing even though Lindsey and Lane furnish abundant eye candy. Maybe my planets are in the wrong house, but I found the whodunit a messy bore. There's not much action, while the talkfest seldom leaves interior sets. All in all, I can see why there were no movie sequels, at the same time the ladies went on to bigger and better things. Anyway it's an oddball idea even for adventurous WB. (In passing-- Watch for Clayton Moore, TV's Lone Ranger {1949-57}, in a minor part as Ass't DA, but don't look for the mask or Tonto.)

rickrudge When Were You Born? (1938)An interesting angle on the murder mystery genre adding astrology to the caper flick. It's a simple B movie, but very entertaining. It comes off kind serious with a mysterious Manley P. Hall telling us about astrology (sort of like Ed Wood style). Naturally, all twelve characters of the zodiac will be featured in this film.Beautiful Anna May Wong is the Chinese-American astrologer, Mei Lei Ming, who has a lot of insight to the people she meets. She meets Phil Corey (James Stephenson) on board a ship from China to San Francisco, U.S.A. and predicts that he will die within a couple of days. When Corey is killed, Miss Ming is one of the prime suspects.Soon a very doubting taurus, Inspector Jim Gregg (Charles C. Wilson) considers having Miss Ming hang around just to give her insights over the various suspects.

Dewey1960 This supremely entertaining B-mystery from Warner Bros features a wonderful lead performance by Anna May Wong as an astrologer in San Francisco's Chinatown who helps the police solve a murder by using her uncanny star-gazing talents. Anyone even remotely interested in astrology will find the story-line quite pleasing (and pretty accurate, given the participation of Manly Hall, a noted astrologer of the day). Even those without much interest in astrology (except those who are stubbornly judgmental and predisposed to be negative about these things) should find this fast-paced, amusing mystery a cut well above the average. The adroitly talented supporting cast--including Margaret Lindsay, Lola Lane, Jeffrey Lynn, James Stephenson and Olin Howland--give the film an additional sheen. Highly recommended; definitely check it out whenever it turns up on Turner Classic Movies.

Klio I agree with the first reviewer that it's a bit much to believe the astrologer can be so accurate with every utterance, but the movie is light fun, and Anna May Wong gets a lot of good screen time. She doesn't just recite star charts; she also helps the police ferret out legitimate clues and solve puzzle or two. Don't take it too seriously.