Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

JohnHowardReid NOTES: As a general rule, picturegoers and TV viewers don't like spoofs unless they are warned beforehand – in which case they probably won't watch the movie at all. The 1934 novel depends upon "Alice in Wonderland" for some of its scenes and characters, but the 1936 movie version goes the whole way. Republic made the mistake of publicizing the "Alice" connection in their initial pressbook. As a result, the movie was subsequently blackballed by most of the trade. It had no New York release and had to wait six months for a spot in Los Angeles.COMMENT: Not so much a picturization of Ellery Queen's 1934 "The Chinese Orange Mystery", this flick is a take on Paramount's 1933 "Alice in Wonderland", with Miss Henry snugly and smugly repeating her part as the innocent abroad, while Eddie Quillan makes impotent if cheeky woo as the bungling knight. Alas, although the knight's role is little more than a cameo in "Alice", the writers here have mercilessly expanded the part, even though it meant treading on the lines of more capable players like break-your-heart Rita La Roy (a most engaging and super-attractively regal young duchess) and Kay Hughes' pleasing Cheshire Cat who, as we might expect, disappears from the action, alas, for long spells. We are left too often with Wade Boteler's far too bellicose Queen (which although rather cleverly based on the "Alice" Queen becomes rather monotonous when played on the one note for this length of time), and are also forced to suffer far too much tiresome comic relief from Tweedledum's Franklin Pangborn, although admittedly William Newell's occasional input as Tweedledee is just about right.Worse still, Ralph Staub (who squeezed maybe a dozen feature assignments in between his excruciating "Screen Snapshots" series) has handled "TMM" in a mercilessly heavy-handed and thoroughly routine style that almost totally smothers every latent spark of wit in a screenplay that was none too promising to begin with. Photographer Jack Marta also follows the "Alice" line by smothering the sets with far too much light. Routine "B" production values don't help either. (Available in Mill Creek's 250 Mystery Movies Collection).

didi-5 This adaptation of an Ellery Queen mystery concerns the theft of a rare Chinese stamp (the Mandarin of the title), which takes place in a hotel with several shifty characters and an hysterical manager (the priceless Franklin Pangborn). The mystery, such as it is, concerns both the stamp theft and two murders, and shows Ellery and his father the Inspector as a team rubbing together just enough to solve the case.As Ellery Queen, Eddie Quillan is all wrong - he was more at home in light comedy and musicals, and this is the way he plays the character. As the heroine/chief suspect, Charlotte Henry (only remembered nowadays as 'Alice in Wonderland') isn't too bad, while others who have some impact in the cast include Rita Le Roy and Kay Hughes as sisters, and Wade Boteler as Queen senior.

bensonmum2 Josephine Temple (Charlotte Henry) arrives in New York with a very valuable stamp known as the Chinese Mandarin. Her intention is to sell the stamp to Dr. Alexander Kirk (George Irving), a noted stamp collector. But before she can go through with the sale, the stamp is stolen and the thief is found dead in a locked room. The police, including Inspector Queen (Wade Boteler), naturally suspect Miss Temple of having committed the murder. Fortunately for Miss Temple, however, the Inspector's son, Ellery Queen (Eddie Quillan), has taken a liking to her and will prove she couldn't possibly be guilty.I can think of far worse ways to spend an hour than watching The Mandarin Mystery. I'm sure that movie fans more accustomed to modern, thrill-a-minute movies would find it all so dull and boring (even I'll admit that at times it can be creaky), but it worked pretty well for me. The Mandarin Mystery is one of those mystery/comedies that seem to have been popular in the 30s. The mystery elements were interesting and even the comedy bits generally hit their mark. It wasn't uproariously funny or anything, but it was amusing. I've seen Eddie Quillan in a few other movies and he's honestly never impressed me much. He's seemed capable enough, but not really noteworthy. With The Mandarin Mystery, he makes the movie work. The on-screen relationship with Wade Boteler, who played his father, is very entertaining. Finally, I enjoyed the final reveal. I won't give it away other than to say it works.

cutterccbaxter Eddie Quillan struck me more as a second-banana comic-relief type actor than one who can carry a film. But such is the casting in many a B film. The script and Eddie's acting sets up Ellery Queen as some kind of goof ball crime solver. Eddie pretty much grins his way through the movie. I kept expecting another actor to show up with more gravitas, push Eddie aside, and say, "Thanks for filling in Eddie, I'll take over now." As the fussy hotel manager, Franklin Pangborn was his usual reliable self as he provided the best comedic moments in a film that otherwise really struggled to be funny. The mystery aspect of the story wasn't too bad. The killer certainly made good use of a dead body.