That was an excellent one.

Am I Missing Something?

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

This is a Hard-Hitting, Mysterious Looking, Gaudy Movie that Exudes Enough Oriental Charm and Tong Gangsterism to Make it an Oddity Well Worth Seeing. It's a Pre-Code Entry and Therefore has some Welcome Violence and Drug Doings. Of Course, it Seems a Prerequisite to Mention that the Two Leads Playing Chinese are Not Chinese, but Edward G. Robinson and Loretta Young, both with the Help of Makeup and Silks can Pull this Off. So with Apologies to the Politically Correct, this is After All a Time Capsule and Cannot be Faulted for being what it is. A Racist Industry Reflecting a Racist Society Without Such Sensitive Concerns, So We have to Make Our Amends in Retrospect.This is a Gripping Story of Tradition and Circumstance and is a Darn Good Yarn. The Ending is Cutting Edge and the Film has Many Aspects that make it an Interesting Look Back on Hollywood and the Way it Presented Pictures to the Public. Overall, a Must See for Film and Cultural Historians. The Movie Looks Fantastic and is Shadowy and Sultry, Violent and Seductive.

***SPOILERS*** Hard to take movie about a Chinese hit man Wong Low "Get it" Get played by Romanian/Jewish American actor Edward G. Robinson heading an all non Asian cast. It's Wong who has to prove his worth to his Chinese Tong higher ups by following orders in icing, with a hatchet, anyone they feel is a threat to their power in the San Francisco Chinese/American community. That has Wong dispatch by hatchet his best friend who sailed together with him as a boy to America, from Shanghai, on the same boat Sun "Not" Yet Ming played by Irish/American actor J. Carroll Nash.Sun knowing that his best friend Wong is to do him in leaves all his earthly possessions including his six year old daughter Toya, Played by Luxenbourgian/American actress Loretta Young, to Wong as a gift to their life long friendship before Wong, off camera, hatchet-ed him to death. Now 15 years later Wong had become Americanized as well as a successful businessman in the export/import business and is ready to take the grown up and beautiful Toya as his lawfully wedded wife. But things start to heat up with a number of Chinese mobsters from New York's Chinatown together with local Irish mob boss J.C Malone, Ralph Ince, planing to muscle in on the local Tongs', in San Francisco, turf that touches off a full scale Chinese Tong war.***SPOILERS*** It's the Chinese bodyguard Harry En Hai,played Englishman Leslie Fenton, who's assigned to look after Toya who gets under Wong's skin by secretly romancing her causing him to lose face among his fellow Chinese gangsters. After a period of deep soul searching and facing disgrace, as well as bankruptcy, Wong gets back to his role as a Chinese hit or hatchet-man to even up the score with the back-stabbing bodyguard. Not willing to do Harry En Hai in after promising his estrange and cheating wife Toya he'll spare his life Wong almost by accident,in trying to porously miss him with his flying hatchet, hits his target from behind. Thus putting Harry away, with a hatchet in the back, for good while he was busy getting himself high in Mme.Si-Si's, Blanche Frederici, Chinatown opium den. P.S Despite his great success a few years earlier as an American gangster in "Little Caesar" Edward G. Robinson couldn't duplicate that role playing a Chinese one. In fact Robinson was far more convincing plying an American businessman then a Chinese hit or hatchet-man in the film. Which was a lot more then can be said about the cast of non-Chinese or Oriental actors and actresses who were stuck playing Chinese characters in the movie.

Hatchet Man, The (1932) *** (out of 4) Entertaining crime picture has Edward G. Robinson playing the title character, a hit man for a tong gang in Chinatown who must murder his best friend. Before the murder the man gives his daughter to Robinson so that he can marry her when she gets older. Years pass and Robinson and the girl (Loretta Young) are about to be married when another tong war breaks out. Director Wellman knows how to handle this material and does so very well and the film moves very fast and is over before you can blink. The fact that whites are playing all the Asian roles might bother some but nothing ever gets too offensive. Robinson gives a very good, quiet performance even though he's never believable as an Asian. He speaks with his normal voice so there's really never an attempt to come off Asian. Young is also very good in her role, although she isn't given a whole lot to do. I'm not sure if this is wrong or not but in her Asian make up she comes off as one of the most attractive Asian women I've seen. The supporting cast are all fine in their roles with J. Carrol Naish having a bit part. The story is pretty light weight but it remains entertaining through its 74-minutes.

Yes as many have stated, by today's standards, the casting of this movie seems ridiculous, but please keep in mind the time period that this movie was made. All things considered, even with the period specific "whites for ethnic minorities" casting mentality, respect for a certain amount of cultural authenticity was in this movie to a greater degree than in previous films of this era, and so I feel that in that respect this movie was ground breaking and helped slowly pave the way for minorities to eventually take center stage in great theatrical releases. Most other films before and since (until the late 70's early 80's) stereotyped Asian characters as clownish and comical to an absolutely racist degree. Not so here. Robinson (although he did use some stereotyping) created a character who was not only mysterious, but both an anti-hero as well as deep & complex the likes of which would not be seen for a great long time after. His acting ability was amazing and truly well showcased here. He was able to show what really made his characters great and not just the mugging gangster stereotype that became so exaggerated over time. Often people forget what a true talent Robinson was, and if you need to know why... See this one if you ever get the chance!!!