This is a surprisingly mediocre Mr. Wong film. It has two titles: MR. WONG AT HEADQUARTERS, and THE FATAL HOUR. Marjorie Reynolds reappears as the girl newspaper reporter who makes a cute nuisance of herself but ends up saving people from being killed. Grant Withers as the Detective Inspector continues to be highly annoying because of his shouting and bad acting, though in the early part of the film he does have some quiet moments because his best friend has been killed and he is upset. We do not see anything of Mr. Wong's house and butler in this film. Perhaps that is why one of the film's titles says he is 'at headquarters' (of the police). Had the house interior set been dismantled? Were they trying to save money? This film is a rather boring run of the mill murder mystery. The villains this time are engaged in smuggling priceless Ming Dynasty jade pieces to America from 'recently captured territories' (by the Japanese) in China. And they don't mind killing people along the way.
Review of The Fatal Hour
