Boris Karloff is a wonderfully terrifying Frankenstein’s monster and, in general, a beautifully gifted actor. He, however, is not Chinese and is quite incapable of portraying one on screen (regardless of one’s ability to suspend their disbelief). While his ability to act is quite irrefutable, it was clear from the moment he stepped on screen in this film that he would make it very difficult to appreciate either him or his character. This incling was entirely accurate as the rest of the film (while difficult to enjoy anyway) was hindered by director William Nigh’s choice to cast Karloff in the role of James Lee Wong. Mysteries, whether in novels, television series or films, often come with suspense, character development and an interesting plot twist; this film had none of these. It cannot be clear what Nigh was thinking when directing this film as it appears to lack any and all of the elements to be a successful mystery film. Nothing is done to help develop characters or allow audiences to become attached to them, and everything that takes place is about as straightforward as possible, not allowing the audience to consider what could be. There were no exciting twists and turns along the way, there was nothing to help the audience stay engaged and there was nothing about the dialogue that made the characters even the slightest bit interesting. Nigh took one of the most prolific horror actors of all time and threw him into a film that lacked any spine. How he was unable to develop Karloff’s character, in the slightest, with his talent and the already significant following of the character through previous films is mind-boggling. Nigh, and the rest of the cast, failed to deliver a final product that, in any way, is worth spending your time watching. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032457/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
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