The Fatal Hour

The body of Detective Dan Grady is found in the bay.  Captain Bill Street (Withers) was Dan's best friend and takes the news to heart.  He vows to find the truth and bring Dan's murderer to justice.  Mr. James Lee Wong (Karloff) volunteers to help with the investigation, while reporter Bobbie Logan (Reynolds) looks for her own answers.  They learn that Dan was investigating smugglers, and travel to the last place he was seen alive, the Neptune Club.

The Neptune Club is full of shady characters, including the disreputable owner Harry Lockett (Puglia), femme fatale Tanya Serova (Chevret), and her wealthy boyfriend Frank Belden Jr. (Reynolds).  They also discover that Dan was in possession of a priceless gem, which sends them to the jewelry shop owned by Belden's father Frank Belden Sr. (Atchley).  Can they solve the case before more bodies pile up?


This is the 4th of 6 films based on the "James Lee Wong" series.  Hugh Wiley wrote 12 short stories about Mr. Wong for Collier's Magazine from 1934-1938.  Monogram Pictures produced the films: Mr. Wong, Detective in 1938, The Mystery of Mr. Wong in 1939, Mr. Wong in Chinatown in 1939, The Fatal Hour in 1940, Doomed to Die in 1940, and Phantom of Chinatown in 1940.

The Good:
Boris Karloff starred in 5 of the 6 Mr. Wong films.  He is good in the role, smart and methodical and you trust that he will solve the case.  Once again he doesn't disappoint.  Grant Withers has good chemistry with Karloff, and his Captain Street gets a larger role here.  They utilized Marjorie Reynolds better in the film, and while I still don't love the character, I like Bobbie Logan more here.

The Bad:
The film is too short.  They tell the story, with all it's twists and turns in the 68 minutes of the film.  It cuts out the fluff, which is great... but it leaves you wanting more.

Other Comments:
-The mystery is good.  It seems predictable, but there are twists that you don't expect.
-Another interesting entry in the series.

The Fatal Hour (1940) 68 minutes
Director: William Nigh
Starring: Boris Karloff as James Lee Wong
Marjorie Reynolds as Roberta "Bobbie" Logan
Grant Withers as Captain Bill Street
Charles Trowbridge as John T. Forbes
Frank Puglia as Harry Lockett
Craig Reynolds as Frank Belden Jr.
Lita Chevret as Tanya Serova
Harry Strang as Detective Ballard
Hooper Atchley as Frank Belden Sr.