The Mysterious Mr. Wong

Rating:
Summary: Classic Lugosi
Review: "Mysterious Mr. Wong" (1935) is great fun for Bela Lugosi fans. It's a low-budget melodrama with Bela making the most of his footage in the title role. He is properly sinister throughout. Unlike other public-domain Lugosi titles, the video's print quality is quite good.

Rating:
Summary: Vintage Lugosi
Review: "Mysterious Mr. Wong" (1935) is great fun for Bela Lugosi fans. The horror icon makes the most of his unusual role and remains properly sinister throughout. Unlike other public-domain Lugosi titles, the print quality is quite good. Though no classic, Bela's performance makes this low-budget melodrama worth seeing.

Rating:
Summary: Bela Lugosi is the wrong Mr. Wong
Review: I halfway enjoyed the series of Mr. Wong Chinese detective films made starring Boris Karloff, so when I stumbled on this film, boy, was I surprised. Especially since this 1935 film, which is only an hour-long, is directed by William Nigh, the same director as Karloff's Mr. Wong films. Go figure. Anyhow, the story is certainly interesting as the title character is a mysterious figure who stops at nothing to obtain the twelve coins of Confucius, which have all managed to end up in New York City's Chinatown. But I just cannot get past the idea of Bela Lugosi playing a Chinese villain replete with Hungarian accent. Still, the man does know what to do with instruments of torture. Certainly worth a look and if it inspires you to check out the "other" Mr. Wong, so much the better.

Rating:
Summary: Bela Lugosi is the wrong Mr. Wong
Review: I halfway enjoyed the series of Mr. Wong Chinese detective films made starring Boris Karloff, so when I stumbled on this film, boy, was I surprised. Especially since this 1935 film, which is only an hour-long, is directed by William Nigh, the same director as Karloff's Mr. Wong films. Go figure. Anyhow, the story is certainly interesting as the title character is a mysterious figure who stops at nothing to obtain the twelve coins of Confucius, which have all managed to end up in New York City's Chinatown. But I just cannot get past the idea of Bela Lugosi playing a Chinese villain replete with Hungarian accent. Still, the man does know what to do with instruments of torture. Certainly worth a look and if it inspires you to check out the "other" Mr. Wong, so much the better.

Rating:
Summary: The OTHER Mr. Wong
Review: The last film I ever expected to be re-released on DVD, yet it's enjoyable. For those of us who have seen Bela Lugosi as a bad guy (in most of his films) and a good guy (in a few others) here's your chance to see him in a dual role. One, an obsessed mandarin trying to acquire coins which will give him power. The other, a knowledgable collector who hopes for his (the bad guy's downfall). Not a 5 star film but good. I also recommend the Boris Karloff Mr. Wong set.

Rating:
Summary: The OTHER Mr. Wong
Review: The last film I ever expected to be re-released on DVD, yet it's enjoyable. For those of us who have seen Bela Lugosi as a bad guy (in most of his films) and a good guy (in a few others) here's your chance to see him in a dual role. One, an obsessed mandarin trying to acquire coins which will give him power. The other, a knowledgable collector who hopes for his (the bad guy's downfall). Not a 5 star film but good. I also recommend the Boris Karloff Mr. Wong set.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best of the "Bad" films.
Review: This is one of the best of the cheap "Chinatown" mysteries. A real classic. The more you watch it, the more it grows on you.
DVD picture quality is pretty good, the sound is OK, but what can your expect from Monogram pictures. Buy it!

Rating:
Summary: Not Bela's Best!
Review: We are told in the prologue that Confucius, on his death-bed, handed out 12 coins to twelve friends. Apparently, if any one man gets a hold of all of these coins together, he will be the supreme ruler of the Chinese province of Keelat. Bela Lugosi plays plays Fu Wong, a sinister Chinaman with a heavy Hungarian accent, who will stop at nothing to get his hands on the coins. Wallace Ford is a wise-cracking reporter on his trail of murder and torture. It all boils down to a crock of creaky,B-grade nonsense. Really! If you like this sort of thing, the cheap Alpha DVD has a reasonable VHS quality picture on it but the sound is a bit woolly and gets worse towards the end. I lost interest about half-way through but if it's your bag.... Go for it!