Boris Karloff as Mr. Wong in "The Fatal Hour" (1940) - feat. Grant Withers & Marjorie Reynolds

Описание: n San Francisco, a police officer investigating a waterfront smuggling ring is murdered and dumped in the bay, his death traced to illegal activity centered on the Neptune Club, a fashionable nightclub on the docks. The case draws the attention of criminologist James Lee Wong (Boris Karloff), whose quiet intelligence and disciplined reasoning make him an invaluable consultant to the police. Wong works with Captain Street (Grant Withers), who is eager for quick results but soon learns the value of Wong’s patient, methodical approach.

Wong discovers the murdered officer had been tracking a shipment of stolen industrial diamonds being smuggled through the harbor and hidden within the club’s operations. Suspicion initially falls on Tom Jordan (Craig Reynolds), a former boxer associated with the club, and on his wife Marjorie Jordan (Marjorie Reynolds), a singer whose nervous behavior suggests she is under pressure. Wong senses that Marjorie’s fear is born of coercion rather than guilt, and that someone is deliberately steering suspicion toward Jordan to protect himself.

As Wong reconstructs the officer’s last movements, additional murders occur, each silencing a witness connected to the diamonds. Wong notes that the killings follow a precise pattern, with clues carefully planted to mislead investigators while creating the illusion of random violence. He studies relationships within the Neptune Club, observing how loyalty, fear, and greed are exploited to maintain control and discourage anyone from speaking openly.

Through quiet observation, logical reconstruction, and subtle interrogation, Wong uncovers how the diamonds were concealed, transferred, and used to finance the smuggling ring. Pretending the investigation has stalled, he arranges a controlled exchange of the remaining gems, correctly predicting that the murderer will attempt to seize them and eliminate the final obstacle. During the confrontation, Wong calmly reconstructs the crimes step by step, exposing the killer’s method and motive.

The culprit is arrested before he can escape, the diamonds are recovered, and those falsely suspected are cleared. With the smuggling ring dismantled, Captain Street acknowledges Wong’s decisive role. Wong reflects that crimes driven by greed and deception inevitably collapse, and justice is restored at the fatal hour through patience, reason, and moral clarity.

A 1940 American Black & White thriller crime mystery film (aka "Mr. Wong at Headquarters") directed by William Nigh, Scott R. Dunlap in charge of production, associate producer William Lackey, screenplay by Scott Darling, adaptation by Joseph West, based on the "James Lee Wong" series in Collier's Magazine written by Hugh Wiley, cinematography by Harry Neumann, starring Boris Karloff, Grant Withers, Marjorie Reynolds Charles Trowbridge, Frank Puglia, Craig Reynolds, Lita Chevret, Harry Strang, Hooper Atchley, Jason Robards Sr., Richard Loo, and Harry Harvey. Released by Monogram Pictures Corporation.

Fourth installation in a series of six Mr. Wong films, a series which allowed Karloff a chance to play against type as a heroic sleuth. The picture was followed by the sequel "Doomed to Die" (1940), which also stars Karloff, Reynolds and Withers.

Craig Reynolds' second and final appearance in the "Mr. Wong" series of movies, after "The Mystery of Mr. Wong" (1939). He portrays a different character in the two films.

Richard Loo's second of three appearances in the "Mr. Wong" series. He portrays a different character in this movie as opposed to the first and third, "Mr. Wong in Chinatown" (1939) and "Doomed to Die" (1940), where he plays a Tong leader.

Directed by the very professional William Nigh, aa prolific director of B-Movies, who has more than 200 notches on his directorial gun. Nigh also directed four other films in Monogram Pictures' Mr. Wong series. Before turning to directing, Nigh had been an actor, whose credits include being one of the original Keystone Kops in silent comedies for Mack Sennett.

The radio with the wireless remote control is a Philco model 40-205RX with the "Mystery Control" wireless remote. The rotary dial on the remote selected one of eight preset stations, turn the volume up or down and turn the radio off (but not on). 5,050 of this model were manufactured and it sold for $159.50. There is an article about the radio on CNet called "Back to the future: 1939 wireless remote control!" The article's subtitle reads: "Philco's Mystery Control (1939) was a battery-operated radio transmitter, so it didn't have to be in the same room as the radio it was controlling."

This routine murder-mystery is an inventive, and implausible whodunnit that pays off as being clever. A slow start, but interesting once it picks up. Not as predictable as it may seem. Class cast, class script and fun to watch. Its value is watching Karloff go Chinese, which can be quite amusing. Recommended for Boris Karloff completists and fans of detective stories.