Phantom of Chinatown (1940) * 1/2 (out of 4)An archaeologist returns from an expedition in China and is giving a lecture on a scroll that he discovered. Just as he starts to talk about the curse surrounding it he falls to the ground. At first people think he's just tired but it turns out that he was poisoned and now he's dead. Mr. Wong (Keye Luke) is put on the case and tries to determine what happened with the aide of Captain Street (Grant Withers).PHANTOM OF CHINATOWN would be the sixth and final film in Monogram's Mr. Wong series. The first two films with Boris Karloff were better-than-average "B" movies but his three follow-ups were fair at best. This sixth film had Karloff being replaced by Luke who was well-known for his appearances in the Charlie Chan movies but sadly this is the worst in the series.Yes, it's nice seeing an Asian actor in the lead role and many of the supporting parts are played by Asians as well. The problem is that Luke just wasn't very good here. In fact, he just wasn't the greatest actor out there and I had a major problem believing that he was the character. A smart and brilliant detective is not what I saw from Luke and this damaged the film. The screenplay didn't do the character much justice and the same is true for Withers who turns in his worst performance in the series.The biggest problem with the movie is the fact that the story and mystery are just way too bland for their own good. The film really gets off to a good start but after the man dies everything just falls apart. There's no drama, no tension and just nothing here that holds your attention. Even the 61-minute running time drags by.

Theoretically, "Phantom of Chinatown" is the last one of the "Mr. Wong" detective series that had been starring Boris Karloff, where Monogram had tried in a rather mediocre way to 'copy' 20th Century-Fox' hugely successful 'Charlie Chan' series. But, even in story, directing and acting this movie is way above the 'British Chinese detective' films - and what's much more, it stars not only a REAL Chinese as the detective, but someone known VERY well to fans of the genre in general and to fans of the 'Charlie Chan' movies in particular: Keye Luke, who had played Charlie's 'number one son' Lee in the Warner Oland Charlie Chans...And now he becomes a detective 'in his own right' at last - and a very clever one, too! He does some nice teamwork with the typically American 'flatfoot' Captain Street (Grant Withers), but there's no doubt that the Chinese is smarter - which was a pretty unusual thing at the time: an Asian as protagonist, and being more intelligent than the average US policeman; and on top of it all, 'Jimmy Wong' even makes QUITE a daring remark about all the archaeological excavations being done in China by Americans, suggesting that maybe Chinese archaeologists might dig up George Washington's grave for a change!! Generally, this is a very neat and unusual little 'flag waver': Chinese and Americans work hand in hand for a HUGELY important purpose - the 'Eternal Fire' that the leader of the archaeological expedition had discovered in Mongolia is of such vital importance that it must not under ANY circumstances fall into the hands of both countries' enemy...But it's also a VERY entertaining, suspenseful mystery thriller, where nothing's missing, neither a creepy atmosphere nor some REAL good jokes nor a beautiful romantic element; it can surely compete with almost any of the best crime movies of its time (and especially taking into account that it was made on a budget incomparably smaller than that of the big studios' productions) - and it owes the biggest part of its liveliness and freshness that remains until this day to its wonderful cast; with first and best Keye Luke.

Apart from the whodunit element of the film which drives the narrative in an entertaining way there are other interesting things in the film. Several James Lee Wong films had been made previously with Boris Karloff in the title role, who as the elderly 'Chinese cop' solved several mysteries and although he was made up to look oriental (skin colour etc.) there was always that beautiful English voice spoiling the effect. The films were nevertheless good mystery stories, filmed in Monogram's low budget efficient way.In 'Phantom of Chinatown' James Lee Wong is played by Keye Luke, a rare leading role then for an Asian actor. He is not a detective but a student and younger. (Confusingly Grant Withers who plays Inspector Street was in the earlier Karloff films and this one but treats Wong like he had never met him before. Perhaps this is a prequel!) Keye Luke is excellent and it is a shame he didn't make any more Mr Wong films as he is definitely shines in this. Charming and bright and capable. He has a nice line in humour too. The other members of the cast are OK. Grant Withers as Street is his usual grouchy self. Lotus Long as the Chinese secret agent is particularly delicious. A series with her and Luke would have been great. Oh well.It also has a very sympathetic view of the Chinese people. Wong is definitely the most able character in the film. Furthermore at the beginning as the professor shows film of the expedition and what appears to be ungainly dancing to which the academics in the audience laugh patronisingly, until they are reminded sharply that the Chinese were civilised long before the west. In another scene at the murdered man's house when people are questioned about their movements Captain Street assumes that all Lotus Long would eat for lunch would be "chop suey" and is surprised to learn she had coffee and apple pie. A nice inversion of a cliché. The best gag in the film is when Keye Luke compares the acquisition of Chinese treasures to digging up Washington's bones in the USA. As a positive picture of Asian Americans the film stands out for its time.

Poverty Row programmers like this may now seem incredibly hokey, but at the same time they're fascinating time capsules of American mores of those bygone (and maybe not so bygone) days. This one is routinely scripted and handled with little inspiration (though lots of pace), yet it's quite idiosyncratic for its time. Most obviously, a real Asian (Keye Luke, better known as Charlie Chan's Number One Son) is finally given the opportunity to play an Asian detective. The screenwriters certainly take advantage of the unique casting, turning a lot of the expected racially-insensitive material on end -- Luke gets in a real zinger when he brashly compares the looting of a Mongolian sarcophagus to having a Chinese adventurer dig up and purloin George Washington's corpse from its tomb. Also relevant to the 21st century is the fact that the tomb raiders are not so much seeking the legendary Eternal Flame for cultural or historic reasons, but due to the conjecture that it is produced by a hidden treasure trove of priceless oil. Quite refreshing attitudes for a 40s B-movie, with some vivid scenes of Chinatown life and interesting travelogue footage of a seemingly authentic excursion to Northern China.