Orla Zuniga
It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review
Tyreece Hulme
One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
Portia Hilton
Blistering performances.
Darin
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
Leofwine_draca
THE MYSTERIOUS MR. WONG is an old-time crime movie that boasts a starring role for Bela Lugosi as the titular villain (he doesn't attempt an accent other than his usual DRACULA one). He plays a megalomaniac desperate to get his hands on twelve rare coins which he believes will grant him wealth and power; his modus operandi is to kill anyone in possession of said coins in order to steal them for himself. The film is a brisk and cheerful effort, with a wisecracking hero who seems to take forever to get to any kind of conclusion, but the Chinatown setting is an enjoyable one and there's plenty of murderous mayhem to see it through.
JohnHowardReid
Bela Lugosi (Wong), Wallace Ford (Jason H. Barton), Arline Judge (Peg), Robert Emmett O'Connor (McGillicuddy), Fred Warren (Tsang), Lotus Long (Wong's niece, Moonflower), Edward Peil (Jen Wu, a Wong henchman), Luke Chan (Professor Fu), Lee Shumway (Brandon, the editor), Ernest F. Young (Chuck Roberts), Chester Gan (Tsang's agent), Theodore Lorch (incompetent Wong henchman), James B. Leong (Wong henchman), Richard Loo (bystander).Director: WILLIAM NIGH. Screenplay: Nina Howatt. Additional dialogue: James Herbeveaux. Adapted by Lew Levinson from the story "The Twelve Coins of Confucius" by Harry Stephen Keeler. Photography: Harry Neumann. Film editor: Jack Ogilvie. Art director: E.R. Hickson. Music director: Abe Meyer. Sound recording: J.A. Stransky. Producer: George Yohalem. Executive producer: Trem Carr.Copyright 12 January 1935 by Monogram Pictures Corporation. Filmed at RKO-Pathé studios in Culver City. New York opening at the Criterion: 6 March 1935. U.S. release: 25 January 1935. 7 reels. 63 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Under the guise of a tong war in Chinatown, the ambitious Wong attempts to gain possession of the twelve coins of Confucius which promise unlimited power to their owner. NOTES: One of only two movies made from the oddball mystery/crime writings of the highly idiosyncratic American novelist, Harry Stephen Keeler. The other, also released by Monogram Pictures Corporation in 1935: "Sing Sing Nights".Dorothy Lee was originally cast as the heroine, now played by Arline Judge.COMMENT: Some smart, wisecracking dialogue for brash reporter Wallace Ford and a nicely timed comic performance by Irish cop-on- the-beat Robert Emmett O'Connor, helps out a rather corny plot in which Bela Lugosi attempts (not too convincingly) to impersonate a typical Fu Manchu character. He seems hampered rather than helped by his make- up and costumes. The sprightly heroine is also forced to do battle with an unappealing outfit (the one with a ridiculously wide collar). Director Nigh (aided by Neumann's glossy black-and-white cinematography) does his best to keep the action moving along. Production values are comparatively lavish by Monogram standards, and include some unexpectedly large sets, doubtless courtesy of RKO.Sample dialogue:BRASH REPORTER: The paper sent me over to do the murder.IRISH COP: You're too late. It's already been done.
Michael_Elliott
The Mysterious Mr. Wong (1934) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Reporter Jason Barton (Wallace Ford) begins to investigate a murder, which leads him to a set of twelve coins, which legend has can help a person control the world if they posses all of them. This investigation leads to Mr. Wong (Bela Lugosi) who appears to be willing to stop at nothing to get the final coin that he needs.THE MYSTERIOUS MR. WONG is exactly the type of "B" film you'd expect Monogram to release during this era. Obviously Fox was doing outstanding business with their Charlie Chan series so smaller studios were taking Asian characters and doing their own thing. This low- budget movie is pretty typical for the era but with Lugosi in the lead that adds a lot more fun to it.I said typical of the era because if you watch enough movies from this period then you'll realize that all sorts of them dealt with a reporter doing some sort of investigation. A lot of times these reporters were wise-cracking joksters who like to flirt with the ladies while throwing their nose at the real police. That form pretty much holds true here but thankfully Ford is a likable actor so he too helps keep the entertainment level high.As far as Lugosi goes, that accent certainly doesn't help his Asian character but it's Monogram so who cares, right? He's fun in the lead role and certainly helps keep the film moving at a nice pace even though the story is nothing special. William Nigh does a nice job with the movie and keeps it running at a good pace through its 62- minutes.
Hitchcoc
I've always been intrigued with Bela Lugosi. It's been an ambition of mine to see all the films he made. This effort must have been done to capitalize on his star power. For whatever reason, he (as Mr. Wong), is collecting Confucian coins. Men who possess them are being murdered and Wong's henchmen bring the coins to him. A silly reporter and his girlfriend get wrapped up in the case and find their way to Wong's lair. Leading up to a somewhat interesting conclusion, are a series of lame, tiresome interactions within the evil man's lair. Lugosi looks ridiculous and speaks with that heavy European accent, and, of course, Hollywood's version of an Asian. There is a lot of political incorrectness and Chinese stereotyping. It's interesting that so many movies have a criminal genius who does stupid things and gets himself caught. Even though a murderer, Mr. Wong doesn't kill the person who is the most danger to him. Then, again, it's all based on the cliffhanger and killing off the hero wouldn't be much fun.