Unfortunately, it seems that Mr.Wong detective movies simply burned themselves out too fast - director William Nigh made five of them rapidly between 1938 and 1940 (two were released in 1940) and this was final, actually Monogram Pictures decided to try with a completely different team and "Phantom of Chinatown" being third Mr.Wong movie in 1940 was simply not so successful. First of all, its a different director, than most importantly there is no more wonderful Boris Karloff in the main role - Karloff didn't look Asian at all but he gave the movies certain dignity and star attraction. Gone is also delightfully dizzy journalist Marjorie Reynolds and basically the only familiar face left is Grant Withers as police captain, who suddenly looks and feels depressed without his pals.
As Mr.Wong now we have real Chinese actor Keye Luke - he is fine and politically correct Wong but its difficult to inherit the role so strongly identified with another actor. It actually took me some time to realise there is no Karloff in the movie and I wondered what is this guy doing in here. The only female role is now played by Lotus Long who is mysterious enough that audience can't understand her motives. Although there is a typical Mr.Wong plot (connected with secret Temple of Eternal Fire) the huge change of the familiar cast makes it feel somehow less interesting and contrived - audiences probably felt the same, because this was the last Mr.Wong movie. Its really pity and sad end of really wonderful old fashioned detective saga. Guess I should have stopped with previous "Doomed to Die" movie, because without Karloff its simply not the same.
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