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Dick Fleming is arrested and charged with the murder of Cyrus Wentworth, but female reporter Bobbie Logan believes him to be innocent. Logan enlists the help of detective James Lee Wong to find the real killer. Boris Karloff ... James Lee Wong Marjorie Reynolds ... Roberta 'Bobbie' Logan Grant Withers ... Capt. William 'Bill' Street (Homicide Squad) William Stelling ... Dick Fleming Catherine Craig ... Cynthia Wentworth Guy Usher ... Paul Fleming Written by Hugh Wiley and Ralph Gilbert Bettison Directed by William Night
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Looking and sounding about as Chinese as I do, Boris Karloff is once again on the case as the irrepressible Detective Wong in 1940's Doomed to Die. I know a lot of people love these Detective Wong movies for Boris Karloff, but I'm actually more partial to Grant Withers' performance as Captain Bill Street, the blustering homicide captain who keeps having his open and shut cases proven quite wrong thanks to the nosy interference of journalist Bobbie Logan (Marjorie Reynolds), with whom Street banters with throughout the entire film. Street and Logan are like cinematic professors of sharp and witty repartee, giving the film more than a few moments of humor.
You can hardly blame Captain Street for thinking this particular case basically solved itself. At least three people, including the boy's father, heard Dick Fleming (William Stelling) arguing with shipping magnate Cyrus P. Wentworth (Melvin Lang) in the man's office just seconds before hearing a gunshot and rushing in to see Wentworth fatally wounded - and no sign of Dick Fleming, who obviously fled out the back entrance to the office. The motive for the murder was plain to see as well - Dick had gone to tell Wentworth that he was marrying his daughter Cynthia with or without his blessing, a blessing that Wentworth would never give due to his personal and professional enmity with his main competitor Paul Fleming (Guy Usher). As Street's luck would have it, though, reporter Bobbie Logan just happens to be best friends with Cynthia, and she asks Detective Wong to take a look at the case in hopes of proving Dick's innocence. Wong, of course, quickly discovers that the case is much more complex than it would first appear. He thinks the murder has to be related in some way to the recent loss of Wentworth's flag ship, which burned at sea, especially when he learns that a fortune in bonds was being smuggled into the country on that very ship.
I love Boris Karloff as much as the next guy, and I enjoy watching these Detective Wong mysteries, but they just never seem to rise to the occasion in more than a four-star manner. Without the verbal jousting match between Captain Street and thorn-in-his-side reporter Bobbie Logan, Doomed to Die would probably tend to drag from time to time, especially since Wong tends to keep certain bits of information to himself until the time comes to reveal the identity of the murderer at the very end. Still, this is certainly an enjoyable little crime caper. Even if you buy it strictly for Karloff, you're bound to be entertained by the antics of Grant Withers and Marjorie Reynolds.
You can hardly blame Captain Street for thinking this particular case basically solved itself. At least three people, including the boy's father, heard Dick Fleming (William Stelling) arguing with shipping magnate Cyrus P. Wentworth (Melvin Lang) in the man's office just seconds before hearing a gunshot and rushing in to see Wentworth fatally wounded - and no sign of Dick Fleming, who obviously fled out the back entrance to the office. The motive for the murder was plain to see as well - Dick had gone to tell Wentworth that he was marrying his daughter Cynthia with or without his blessing, a blessing that Wentworth would never give due to his personal and professional enmity with his main competitor Paul Fleming (Guy Usher). As Street's luck would have it, though, reporter Bobbie Logan just happens to be best friends with Cynthia, and she asks Detective Wong to take a look at the case in hopes of proving Dick's innocence. Wong, of course, quickly discovers that the case is much more complex than it would first appear. He thinks the murder has to be related in some way to the recent loss of Wentworth's flag ship, which burned at sea, especially when he learns that a fortune in bonds was being smuggled into the country on that very ship.
I love Boris Karloff as much as the next guy, and I enjoy watching these Detective Wong mysteries, but they just never seem to rise to the occasion in more than a four-star manner. Without the verbal jousting match between Captain Street and thorn-in-his-side reporter Bobbie Logan, Doomed to Die would probably tend to drag from time to time, especially since Wong tends to keep certain bits of information to himself until the time comes to reveal the identity of the murderer at the very end. Still, this is certainly an enjoyable little crime caper. Even if you buy it strictly for Karloff, you're bound to be entertained by the antics of Grant Withers and Marjorie Reynolds.
Format:DVD
Based on a story by Hugh Wiley, that originally appeared in 'Colliers Weekly', this is a crime story starring Boris Karloff as James Lee Wong. When a shipping owner is shot in his office, it seems clear who the murderer is, and it is only a matter of hours beofre the police pick up the supposed culprit - but could they have the wrong man? When Wong is called in things take a more sinister turn, especially when Wong is shot at by a drive past killer.
Have the police got the right man, or will Wong show that the murder was indeed perpetrated by someone else? This is fun to watch, especially with Karloff's eyes altered with make-up to look more Chinese (although nothing can be done about his accent), the mystery element of this is ok, but it is the banter between Marjorie Reynolds and Grant Withers that really brings this to life.
Have the police got the right man, or will Wong show that the murder was indeed perpetrated by someone else? This is fun to watch, especially with Karloff's eyes altered with make-up to look more Chinese (although nothing can be done about his accent), the mystery element of this is ok, but it is the banter between Marjorie Reynolds and Grant Withers that really brings this to life.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This one kept me on the edge of my seat until the ending. And who knew that Boris Karloff looked so normal when he wasn't dressed up like Frankenstein! The movie is about a guy wrongly accuesed of murder who is sent to the electric chair. Karloff plays the private eye who has to find the real killer before he is exectued. I loved this movie.
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