Sly, suave Oriental sleuth James Lee Wong (the always excellent Boris Karloff) investigates the murder of fierce shipping tycoon Cyrus P. Wenthworth (a brief, but memorable turn by Melvin Lang) and uncovers a plot to smuggle contraband bonds into the country. He's assisted by gruff, hard-nosed cop captain William "Bill" Street (a perfectly huffy portrayal by Grant Withers) and perky reporter Roberta "Bobbie" Logan (the delightfully spunky Marjorie Reynolds). Competently directed by William Nigh, with a tight, clever script by Michael Jacoby, a flavorsome score, acceptable cinematography by Harry Neumann, a constant snappy pace, plenty of sharp, witty dialogue (the sarcastic rat-a-tat banter between Street and Logan is often quite funny), a couple of rousing well-staged action scenes, and a pleasingly trim 67 minute running time, this film makes for a hugely enjoyable diversion. The sound acting by the supporting cast helps a lot: Gary Usher as Wentworth's laid-back rival Paul Flemming, William Stelling as Fleming's affable son Dick, Catherine Craig as Wentworth's sweet daughter Cynthia, Wilbur Mack as sleazy blackmailer Matthews, and Kenneth Harlan as shady chauffeur Ludlow. Moreover, it's a real treat to see Karloff in a juicy change-of-pace non-horror lead role. An entertaining romp.
Review of Doomed to Die
