Lotus Long Movies
- 1956
Almost a throwback to the silent "docudramas" of Robert Flaherty, The Tahitian was filmed on location with a largely native cast. Taia Tepava plays a tribal medicine man who resists all efforts by the local authorities to bring modern medical advancements to his people. He is particularly obstreperous when it comes to introducing an anti-malaria vaccine. Only when his old son hovers between life and death does the medicine man agree to give the scientists' newfangled methods a try. The film's romantic subplot is carried by a pair of beautiful young Tahitians, male and female, billed only as Vahio and Ana. Shot on 16-millimeter film, The Tahitian was blown up to 35-mm for theatrical distribution; the film was coproduced by former actress Lotus Long. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1949
The "Rose," we suppose, is Myrna Dell, because it sure as heck ain't leading man Steve Brodie. Brodie plays a US Army officer sent to Alaska to investigate reports of the appearance of a supposedly dead man. Upon arriving in the Great White North, Brodie locates his man (William Wright), a disgraced officer wanted for murder. A dog-sled race evolves into a life-and-death chase, but Brodie collars his quarry. Myrna Dell shows up principally to show a lot of decolletage in a saloon gal getup and to warble the film's only song. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1945
Tokyo Rose is a standard wartime melodrama with the slight advantage of topicality. Lotus Long plays the title role, an American-educated Japanese woman broadcasting enemy propaganda to American troops. Captured GI Pete Sherman (Byron Barr) is one of a group of POWS slated to be interviewed on Tokyo Rose's radio program. Instead of advising his comrades to surrender (as ordered), Sherman uses his innate Yankee knowhow to hoist the treacherous oriental deejay on her own petard. Managing to make his escape, Sherman hooks up with the Japanese Underground, convincing anti-militarist Charlie Otani (Keye Luke) to aid in a kidnapping plot aimed at Tokyo Rose. This story wasn't any more believable when it was done on TV's Hogan's Heroes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lotus Long, Byron Barr, (more)
- 1941
A Clarence Buddington Kelland story was the source for the mildly farcical For Beauty's Sake. If he wants to inherit a fortune, bookish astronomy professor B. E. Dillsome (Ted North) must operate his aunt's beauty parlor for a two-year period. Business is very, very slow, prompting Dillsome's girlfriend Dime Pringle (Marjorie Weaver) to bring in a hot-shot press agent Jonathan B. Sweet (Ned Sparks) to publicize the establishment. Before long, our benighted hero finds himself mixed up in a murder plot and a blackmail scheme. The raucous comedy relief of Joan Davis and the patented deadpan asides of Ned Sparks more than make up for the film's plot deficiencies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ned Sparks, Marjorie Weaver, (more)
In the last of Monogram's "Mr. Wong" whodunits, Keye Luke takes over from Boris Karloff as the Chinese detective Jimmy Lee Wong, more of an amateur sleuth, really, than his eminent predecessor. The subject for Wong's examination is the poisoning of Dr. Benton (Charles F. Miller), the leader of an expedition to Mongolia and the possessor of a mysterious and seemingly deadly scroll. With Captain Street (Grant Withers) and the dead man's Chinese secretary (Lotus Long alternately aiding and obstructing the investigation, Wong gets to the bottom of things within the expected 68 minutes or so by using himself as a decoy. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keye Luke, Lotus Long, (more)
A mysterious visitor is found murdered in Mr. Wong's study in this, the third of Monogram's low-budget thrillers, featuring Hugh Wiley's Chinese detective. A startled Wong (Boris Karloff) learns from enterprising girl reporter Bobby Logan (Marjorie Reynolds) that the murder victim is Princess Lin Hwa (Lotus Long), in San Francisco to buy airplanes for her brother's army. Both the princess' traveling companion (Bessie Loo) and a mysterious dwarf (Angelo Rossitto) become victims of a mystery killer, who uses an ancient Chinese dart as his weapon of choice. The trail leads to a steamer in the San Francisco harbor, whose captain, Jalme (William Royle), is highly suspicious. Also among the would-be murderers are a phony airplane manufacturer (Peter George Lynn) and a local banker (Huntly Gordon). Although kidnapped by Jalme, Mr. Wong manages to unmask the real culprit. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Grant Withers, Marjorie Reynolds, (more)
The second film in the mystery series about a Chinese sleuth, this one concerns the theft of the "Eye of the Daughter of the Moon," the largest star sapphire in the world, which is stolen from China and turns up in the possession of an unscrupulous gem collector, who receives a death threat containing clues to the potential murderer's identity and calls in Mr. Wong. During a game of charades, the lights mysteriously go out and the collector is shot, and the chase is on. ~ Steve Huey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Boris Karloff, Grant Withers, (more)
- 1937
A couple of American soldiers of fortune are hired by the wife of a Chinese general to deliver a priceless diamond to a shopkeeper in Shanghai in this low-budget whodunit from the RKO "B"-unit. Just as the gem reaches its destination all hell breaks lose. When the dust settles, the diamond is gone and Tom Baldwin (Vinton Haworth) and sidekick Joe Dugan (Gordon Jones) are left with a group of highly suspicious witnesses. The entire assembly, including pretty but mysterious Jane Dunn (Constance Worth), then boards a liner headed for San Francisco. After several shipboard murders and the revelation that Jane is a custom agent, the culprit is caught red-handed. A lady detective ought to have made a refreshing change but, sadly, China Passage delivers few surprises and the armchair detective is never truly tested. Usually a supporting player of little merit, Vinton Haworthproves a rather weak-chinned hero and is certainly no match for the ash-blonde Worth, an Australian actress turned Queen of Hollywood B-movies. The rest of the supporting cast perform their assignment in the expected manner, Dick Elliott being the standout as an eternally tipsy traveler. China Passage was directed by Edward Killy, who later helmed the studio's series of Tim Holt B-Westerns. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Constance Worth, Vinton Haworth, (more)
- 1937
Think Fast, Mr. Moto was the first of 20th Century-Fox's movie series based on the wily Japanese sleuth created by J. P. Marquand. Moto (Peter Lorre) seems to be a criminal this time around, involved with a gang of international smugglers. Virginia Field is a White Russian expatriate who likewise appears to be an agent of the criminals. The adventure takes Moto, Ms. Field and the son of a legitimate gem dealer (Thomas Beck) from San Francisco to Shanghai. During the inevitable showdown with the head of the smugglers (Sig Rumann), Virginia turns out to be an unwilling pawn of the crooks, while the inscrutable Mr. Moto reveals himself to be a special agent of the International Police. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Lorre, Virginia Field, (more)
- 1936
Eskimo actor Ray Mala (real name: Ray Wise) relocates to the South Seas in Last of the Pagans. Mala (as he is billed) is cast as Taro, one of dozens of natives exploited by the white owners of the tin mine. The story is based on Herman Melville's Typee, which was in part a condemnation of white intervention in the South Sea islands. This aspect of the story is completely forgotten when Taro rescues a white overseer during a cave-in, leading to happiness, harmony and understanding all around. There's also a hurricane and a few hula dancers thrown into the stew. Lotus Long, who'd previously co-starred with Mala in MGM's Eskimo, is here cast as Taro's island sweetheart Lilleo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lotus Long
- 1936
John Wayne steered clear of westerns for the most part during his year-long contract with Universal Pictures. In The Sea Spoilers, Wayne is cast as Bob Randall, temporary skipper of a Coast Guard cutter. Randall knows that a gang of seal poachers are operating within his jurisdiction but can do little about it, since head crook Morgan (Russell Hicks) has kidnapped Bob's sweetheart Connie Dawson (Nan Grey). Relying more on brains than brawn in dealing with Morgan's minions, Bob is finally able to secretly summon reinforcements via two-way radio. He also finds time to straighten out Lt. Mays (William Bakewell), the outwardly cowardly son of a Coast Guard commander. Sea Spoilers set up its basic premise in the first reel, devoting the remainder of the running time to a tense game of seaborne cat-and-mouse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Nan Grey, (more)
In this mystery, an international news correspondent is fatally shot with three bullets. Now three men stand accused of the crime. All three confess their guilt and receive the death penalty, but only one of them is really guilty. Fortunately, a professor has invented a new kind of lie detector. He uses it to reveal the real killer's identity and save the lives of the others. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conway Tearle, Mary Doran, (more)
To the world at large, Mr. Wong (Bela Lugosi) is a harmless shopkeeper in the Chinatown district (where no one seems unduly put off by his Hungarian accent) In truth, however, Wong is an eeeeevil Mandarin who'll stop at nothing to get his hands on the Twelve Coins of Confucious, which according to legend will allow him to rule over the Chinese province of Keelat. In his efforts to obtain these coins, Wong leaves a trail of corpses behind, eventually arousing the suspicions of wisecracking reporter Jason Barton (Wallace Ford). Narrowly escaping assassination in a Chinese restaurant, Barton and his sweetheart Peg (Arline Judge) take refuge in Wong's humble shop, where they stumble into a gathering of the villain's henchmen. Will our hero and heroine escape in time to thwart the sinister, seemingly all-powerful Mr. Wong? Boasting a full-blooded performance by Bela Lugosi and campy dialogue to spare (much of it astonishingly racist!), Mysterious Mr. Wong is a bad-movie buff's delight. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bela Lugosi, Wallace Ford, (more)
- 1929
Several of Hollywood's best Chinese actors are prominently featured in the mystery melodrama Peacock Fan. The titular prop is a priceless Chinese artifact, which has brought tragedy to all of its owners. When the latest possessor of the precious fan is murdered, half-caste detective Chang Dorfman (Lucien Prival) launches an investigation. Also involved in the case is police sergeant O'Brien (Tom O'Brien), who is briefly diverted by the charming and mysterious Feliti (Lotus Long). Peacock Fan was produced by Chesterfield Pictures, a specialist in this sort of atmospheric exotica. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dorothy Dwan, Tom O'Brien, (more)
