Instant Favorite.

Absolutely Fantastic

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Mr Wong returns in another murder mystery! This time, a wealthy shipping magnate is trying to cope with the burning of one of his ships which has caused the deaths of hundreds of people, when he's shot and killed in his office. Mr Wong's got his work cut out for him this time, as Detective Street thinks he's already got the culprit – the son of the businessman's rival who was in the office about ten seconds before the guy got shot. We all know that's too easy, right? You've got all manner of suspects here, from the shady business partner, the lawyer, the rival or even the weird guy who keeps handing around on the fire escape. With plucky female journalist on hand, Wong sets out to get his man.While not as good as the other Wong film I've seen (The Fatal Hour), Doomed to Die still holds its own. It takes a while to get going, but once Wong starts doing his investigations, things pick up a bit. He visits the local Tong, gets shot at, discover secret passageways and a corpse, and generally runs rings around everyone else in the film. I wouldn't like to say too much without giving away the plot, mind you. It's just what it is, a solid mystery film that won't take up too much of your time. I quite like the way that Karloff, although playing a Chinese guy, doesn't overdo it and carries Wong with a certain quiet dignity.

If you've seen even one "Mr. Wong" film before, you pretty much know what to expect. Unfortunately, "Doomed To Die" gives you the talky, often dull parts, WITHOUT the ingenious final twist that would make it all worth sitting through. There is nothing particularly clever about the way the murder is executed, and although the identity of the killer may (or may not) be a surprise, it doesn't seem to matter much because the motive is murky at best (and I've seen the film twice). Even Boris Karloff seems rather disinterested in the whole project. Of all the "Mr. Wong" films I remember seeing, this one is probably the worst. At least there is a funny closing gag. ** out of 4.

"When 'The Wentworth Castle' (a ship) catches ablaze, killing numerous people, shipping tycoon Cyrus Wentworth is distraught over the loss, and is found shot dead in his office. Dick Fleming is the prime suspect in the mind of the none-to-bright (sic) police captain Bill Street. Dick is a business rival, and happens to be in love with Wentworth's daughter Cynthia. When cub reporter Bobbie Logan puts Mr. Wong on the case, the result is a foregone conclusion," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.Boris Karloff politely bows out of the lackluster "Mr. Wong" series, after this entry.This time, as always, Wong uses his wiser "oriental mind" to unravel a mystery that nobody else can see (don't bother trying to solve it at home; there really isn't a solvable mystery to be found). Cute and bubbly Marjorie Reynolds (as Bobbie Logan) does appear. So does Grant Withers (as Bill Street), who, as Ms. Logan notes, "always arrests the wrong man." The film makes good use of stock footage. The uncredited cast is good; for example, catch Angelo Rossitto as a newsboy in the opening, and Gibson Gowland as the doctor who treats Karloff's "flesh wound".** Doomed to Die (1940) William Nigh ~ Boris Karloff, Marjorie Reynolds, Grant Withers

I'd heard of these Mongram potboilers but never seen one before, and while Karloff is the marquee attraction, several of the other actors steal large chunks of the show. There's a wise cracking chauffeur who's always climbing up fire escapes, and then there's the thick headed police captain and the chirpy news reporter - are they sleeping together - they sure bicker like a married couple. The mystery isn't too involving, and the flick suffers from the shoestring budget - the sets, the music, some of the other actors, all could have been better if more money had been spent. It's too bad for Karloff to be stuck in such a film, but everybody's got to eat.