Customer Reviews

Doomed to Die

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Another fine old who-dunnit with Karloff as the great detective. Mr Wong never quite caught on the way Charlie Chan and Mr Moto did. He did have his moments though. His films are well worth a look if you are a fan of these types of mysteries.

This is a terrific DVD for the atmosphere, the clever Mr. Wong, This is a B picture, to be sure, shot on a budget, but its great fun as Mr. Wong solves his case. The transfer is very good considering there is no restoration. The sound is very good as well. I love this series and Boris is the man to play the character.

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 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.

This is a good story that moves along well. Set in California just before the war, a shipping magnate is mysteriously murdered. The sole apparent witness - the fiancee of his daughter who is also the son of his principal business rival - is accused of the murder. So Mr. Wong is called in, to help a hapless cop who is followed around by an aggressive girl reporter. It is a vivid cast of characters, the acting is quite good, and the suspense is believable (for the time it is playing, of course). It is fun, even my kids watched it with me, and the ending was hard to predict. This is the kind of film that was shown on Sunday mornings, which I watched with my dad, though more often than not it was the superior Charlie Chan.

REcommended, mostly for nostalgia but also if you like old fashioned whodunnit fun.

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!

After Dracula and Frankenstein first came out Bella Lugosi and Boris Karloff each had the studios beating down their doors to cast them in more films. Lugosi took every role offered him and it killed his career. Karloff, instead, chose his roles wisely and for that reason every film he did is a class. Doomed to Die is no exception - though it is not a horror movie. Instead it's a looked room mysteray (guy is found dead in a room that no one could get in or out of) and the point of the film is to figure out who killed him and how. Karloff brings a touch of humantity to the role that is very distinct from Frankenstein. The remastering of the film is top rate.

I must admit that in spite of seeing Boris Karloff playing a person of Chinese heritage, I enjoyed this movie. Karloff played Chinese-American detective James Lee Wong in the sixth of seven films featuring the James Lee Wong character, though this film was Karloff's last appearance as this character - Keye Luke played James Lee Wong in the final film in this series.

Cyrus P. Wentworth is despondent over a fire and loss of life on his ship Wentworth Castle. The film footage of the ship on fire is actually that of the Morro Castle, which caught fire in 1934 and led to the loss of 137 passengers and crew. Overlaid on Wentworth's despondency is his ire that Dick Fleming, son of a rival, wants to marry his daughter. Wentworth essentially tells Fleming that he can marry his daughter over his dead body. You know the old saying that you should be careful what you ask for...

Since Dick Fleming was visiting Wentworth moments before his death, police Captain Bill Fleming decides that Fleming must be the killer. However, detective James Lee Wong is not so sure, and methodically follows the clues to track down his man.

I mostly liked this movie with the exception of obnoxious reporter Bobbie Logan and police Captain Bill Fleming. Both characters were, as often was the case in movies from this era, stereotypical and poorly developed. If either character had totally disappeared from the film I am not sure the plot would have suffered much. The rest of the movie was interesting though far from being politically correct.

The mystery was developed satisfactorily and would probably have been a greater shock to audiences of the era. I doubt the solution to the mystery would surprise many modern mystery fans. However, I still thought this movie was fun to watch and once I accepted Karloff as Wong I enjoyed Wong making fools of everyone who thought they knew how Wentworth died.

The sound and picture were reasonably good in this edition. Neither has been restored, that I can tell, but both were quite acceptable.

This movie will likely appeal to fans of films featuring Mr. Moto or Charlie Chan. I think the Charlie Chan films were better from the viewpoint of being detective stories. However, having a Caucasian portray an Asian is difficult to get around, though this movie was made in an era when such substitutions were considered acceptable. I thought it was interesting that Wong was clearly superior to the Caucasian investigators in the movie, who were either bumbling or incompetent. However, if you are very sensitive to issues of race you should probably avoid this film.

Good luck!

Doomed to Die, 1940 film

The story begins with a smoking ship at sea. This mystery blaze on the "Wentworth Castle" killed four hundred people. Newsboys hawk their papers. Cyrus Wentworth gets the insurance money. He made out a new will so everything will go to his daughter Cynthia. The Maritime Commission wants to talk to him about the disaster. Mr. Fleming Sr. visits and offers help (a consolidation of companies). Fleming's son Dick also drops by, he wants to marry Cynthia Wentworth. The people outside the office hear a loud argument, then a shot. Cyrus in on the floor, dead. The guard calls the police. Cynthia talks to reporter Bobbie Logan. Police Captain Bill Street considers this murder an open-and-shut case. Who was the last person to see Cyrus alive? The police arrest Richard Fleming and warn him that anything he says can be used against him. Famous detective Mr. Wong will work on the Wentworth case.

Captain Street interrogates Fleming (motive and opportunity). Mr. Wong reads the passenger list for clues. A revenge slaying? Wong seeks advice from a wise man in Chinatown. One passenger was on a secret mission, but he disappeared and the gold bonds as well. A passing car shoots at Wong and wounds him. A car chase with shooting provides action! Mr. Fleming has taken over the Wentworth Shipping Lines. Matthews sees where Fleming hid the gun! "It was a suicide" says Fleming. Captain Street questions Matthews and Fleming. Ludlow, the Wentworth chauffeur, was prowling on the fire escape. "It's gone!" Wong visits Cyrus' lawyer to ask questions. Money was missing from company funds! Will someone snoop in the Wentworth office? Carrying a pistol too! Wong questions Ludlow, who knows nothing. Infrared film can be used to photograph burned paper and reveal what was written there. Wong reads a name.

Wong goes to an address, Logan and Street go to a house. Logan finds a body. Who was in the smuggling business? They find the missing Wentworth servant! Wong identifies this man by his handwritten note. Lim How was killed by the same gun that shot Wentworth, but earlier. Dick Fleming tells what he witnessed to Wong. Captain Street listens in. Mr. Fleming gets a visit from Matthews, he wants more money. Will Fleming call the police? Wong arrives to name the murderer and explains the motives; he has the agreement and the murder weapon. The police make an arrest.

This is an original story, it did not come from the "James Lee Wong" series by Hugh Wiley in "Collier's Magazine". The mystery isn't solved until the last minute but you can figure out the likely suspect. The idea of a burning ship seems to be based on the "Morro Castle" disaster. This movie is an example of how a low-budget movie is improved by a good story. [And yes, some of the events seem improbable.]

"As a die-hard fan of Boris Karloff, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to view this fascinating murder mystery from the 40s. With vintage films having disappeared from movie houses and the television as well, it is very comforting to learn that a2zcds.com is preserving these Hollywood classics on DVD. I owe them a huge debt of gratitude. Thanks everybody at a2zcds. Keep them coming!"

The so-called "editorial review" contains not one word giving the slightest hint of the plot of this movie, or even very generally what the subject matter is. How totally absurd. Barnes and Noble gives real reviews. Buy your movies there.