4/10
A Chip off the Old Block
21 July 2009
"A Singapore bar owner and his niece come into possession of a rare ruby, 'The Tear of Buddha', which is coveted by a ruthless criminal. The criminal succeeds in taking the gem and kidnapping the niece, while two police detectives hope to close in on him. When one of the officers is killed, his partner goes undercover to find the killer, rescue the kidnapped girl, and return the stolen gem," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

Lon Chaney Jr. dips into his dad's make-up bag of tricks; he plays the good-looking lead detective "Jack Wilson" and the villainous henchman of "Johnny Fly" (Manuel López), a dart-throwing and hard-drinking hulk named "Butch Curtain". Perhaps surprisingly, perhaps not, Mr. Chaney is better as the relatively straight detective, especially after he switches identities with his thuggish look-alike. A fair bang, for the budget.

**** A Scream in the Night (1935) Fred C. Newmeyer ~ Lon Chaney Jr., Manuel López, Sheila Terry
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