2
(nothing substantial)
7
(implied violence)
5
(worth seeing once)
"Doomed to Die" is another Detective Wong murder mystery starring Boris Karloff (#5 of 6 I believe though they don't really have to be seen in any particular order). In this one a troubled shipping magnate is dead set against his daughter marrying the son of his greatest rival. The old man is shot moments after having an argument with the boy and nobody else had access to the victim. Dick’s fiancé, daughter of the victim, is good friends with Bobbie (the reporter in many of the Wong flicks) who calls in her friend Detective Wong. Wong is not convinced the case is as clear as Capt. Street (another regular in these stories) believes (obviously or there would be no story).
The mystery here is interesting and complicated by a money smuggling ring that gets involved and needs Wong out of the way. It begins to drag somewhat and is not as gripping as some of the other Wong tales as the story unfolds. It does come to a satisfying conclusion, though.
The performances are mostly quite good. Karloff is terrific though you have to look past the fact that he’s playing a Chinaman when he’s not the right nationality (it would be a disaster in lesser hands than Karloff's). Bobbie and Capt. Street are returning characters from other Wong movies and are welcome returns at that. The characters specific to this story are solid though not particularly memorable.
It has a Sherlock Holmes feel to it. Wong is the detective that solves the case when everyone else is stumped. Neither Wong nor his adventures are quite as memorable as Holmes', but he’s close enough to rouse my interest. The whodunit aspect of Wong movies is typically better than many modern movies (they tend to reveal the killer early in order to develop the character or try so hard to surprise the viewer that it feels forced). One reason I like the show "CSI" is because it often does a good job with the mystery, but Wong has much more of the classic detective feel which I sometimes miss in even good contemporary mysteries.
Morality
There is some suggestion of violence, this is a murder mystery after all, but there is little if any of it depicted on screen. It’s nothing more than comments of the crime and a look at the crime scene (remarkably bloodless considering the guy was shot).
There is no strong language, sexuality, or nudity – typical of black-and-white movies.
Spirituality
As much as the shipping magnate is a victim of murder he is also the victim of his own hatred. He passes judgment on Dick because of a rivalry with the boy's father. Is this prejudice what gets him killed? That I'm not revealing, but his attitude doesn't produce anything positive for him, that's for sure.
Final Thoughts
This is an enjoyable movie if you want an old detective story to watch. The Wong movies are not the pinnacle of perfection, but I tend to like them all.
Buying Guide
Like other old public domain flicks, you may feel doomed when you start trying to sort through all of the "Doomed to Die" releases out there. Unlike many, though, it does actually have a couple that stand out.
You can get this on any number of stand-alone DVD's listing the same specs as every other: 1.33 full-frame image, 1.0 mono sound, no extras. There are nearly as many different combo packs that appear to be no better and no worse, but there there are 3 Mr. Wong box sets that might be worth a glance and a Karloff Collection.
First is “Mr. Wong Detective – The Complete Collection.” This one is not the same as the set I describe below despite having the same title. It's by VCI and is a 2 disc set. It's not labeled a “collector's edition” like the other one is but is really more deserving of such a designation. This one lists the typical 1.33 ratio and has been digitally remastered according to one reviewer. What's more is that the set offers a handful of extras including some bios, a photo gallery, some classic cartoons (no details of what), and “Red Barry” chapter 1 (whatever that is).
Next up is “Mr. Wong Detective Complete Collection” a 6 DVD set by Alpha Home Ent. Unfortunately details on this particular set are scarce and reviews of it nonexistent. It looks more like a bundle than a true box set but does include all of the Mr. Wong movies in individual cases with different cover art and such. Beyond that I don't see anything to suggest that the presentation is anything special, and there are no extras listed.
The Karloff Collection offers numerous old Karloff movies including all the Wong movies he was in. That's good if you're wanting his films specifically, but it excludes the "Phantom of Chinatown" which stars Keye Luke as a younger Mr. Wong.
Final Recommendation:
If you're looking for the various Wong movies I say give one of those box sets a shot. I had my eye on the VCI set, but the price shot up to astronomical levels when I was looking to buy. It's more reasonable again so maybe you'll have more luck than I did as it appears to be the most desirable of the lot. The “collector's edition” set is not impressive, but it does offer all the films at reasonable quality if you find it for a decent price. It's probably the next best choice but appears to now be out of print. The 50 Horror Classics version is not bad as far as a cheap way to get a hold of a bunch of classic movies, but keep in mind that only a couple of the Wong movies are included in that set.
Mr. Wong Detective The Complete Collection Collector's Edition is a 3 disc set that offers all 6 Mr. Wong films.
Video
1.33:
Despite this being remastered the video is still pretty bad. It is a bit washed - out sometimes badly - trashy, grainy, and just generally unclear. It may be marginally better than the other version I've seen but is still far from impressive.
Audio
2.0 PCM:
This is still a mono mix, and while the white noise is still present the dialogue volume is stronger than the other version.
Packaging
The 3 DVD's are housed in a typical but sturdy plastic case.
Extras
There are none.
Next up is the 50 pack of “Horror Classics.”
Video
1.33:
The image shows the movie's age having a fuzzy picture with some lines and trash. It's washed out with weak contrast which buries some of the details.
Audio
2.0 mono:
This is a mono even if it's encoded as Dolby stereo. It's pretty typical of the old unrestored movies. I could understand all the dialogue, but it has plenty of white noise and other blemishes.
Packaging
This particular disc is housed in a cardboard sleeve contained in a Velcro-fastened box. Later versions are repackaged in plastic.
Extras
There are none.