The Fatal Hour (1940)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

William Nigh

Writers:

Scott Darling (writer)
George Waggner (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

15 January 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Plot:

When Captain Street's best friend Dan O'Grady is murdered, Street enlists the help of Chinese detective James Lee Wong...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Smuggling | Detective | Mr Wong | Sequel

Cast

Boris Karloff	...	James Lee Wong
Grant Withers	...	Capt. Bill Street
Marjorie Reynolds	...	Roberta 'Bobbie' Logan
Charles Trowbridge	...	John T. Forbes
Frank Puglia	...	Harry 'Hardway' Lockett
Craig Reynolds	...	Frank Belden, Jr.
Lita Chevret	...	Tanya Serova
Harry Strang	...	Det. Ballard
Hooper Atchley	...	Frank Belden Sr.
Jason Robards Sr.	...	Griswold (as Jason Robards)
Richard Loo	...	Jeweler
Jack Kennedy	...	Mike, Police Sergeant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
C.E. Anderson	...	Cap Anderson (uncredited)
Allan Cavan	...	Radio Station Owner (uncredited)
Tristram Coffin	...	Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Nick Copeland	...	The Crank Informant (uncredited)
Pauline Drake	...	Bessie, Switchboard Operator (uncredited)
Harry Harvey	...	Radio salesman (uncredited)
Elsa Janssen	...	Hotel Maid (uncredited)
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Soapy (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	The Drunk (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack	...	Police Medical Examiner (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Card Player (uncredited)
James C. Morton	...	Policeman Clancy (uncredited)
Paul Scardon	...	Homer Lyons - Informant (uncredited)

Directed by
William Nigh

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Scott Darling		writer
George Waggner		writer (as Joseph West)
Hugh Wiley		characters

Produced by
Scott R. Dunlap	....	producer
William T. Lackey	....	associate producer (as William Lackey)

Cinematography by
Harry Neumann

Film Editing by
Russell F. Schoengarth		(as R. F. Schoengarth)

Costume Design by
Louis Brown

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Charles J. Bigelow	....	production manager (as Chas. J. Bigelow)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
W.B. Eason	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Karl Zint	....	sound recording engineer

Music Department
Edward J. Kay	....	musical director
Edward J. Kay	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
E.R. Hickson	....	technical director

Production Companies

• Monogram Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Monogram Pictures Corporation (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• Classic Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Marengo Films (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Navarre Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Navarre Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Critics' Choice Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Liberty Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Passport Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Mr. Wong at Headquarters (UK)

Runtime:

68 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved | Sweden:15

Company:

Monogram Pictures Corporation

Movie Connections:

Edited into "Muchachada nui: (#1.12)" (2007)

A Cop Killing Brings In Mr. Wong

The Fatal Hour finds the Chinese scholarly detective James Lee Wong as played by Boris Karloff helping the police the murder of a colleague of Captain Grant Withers. In all the Wong mysteries Withers has absolutely no shame in requesting and getting help from his Oriental colleague.

Before the 68 minute running time of The Fatal Hour is over we've got three more murders and being this is a Monogram Studios Production the number of folks who could be the culprits falls drastically low. And Marjorie Reynolds is still forever trying to use boyfriend Withers to obtain yet another Lois Lane type scoop for her newspaper.

The deceased cop was on the smuggling task force of the San Francisco PD and Wong's investigation takes him to a respected jewelry store in the Bay City as well as the waterfront. By the time the film ends it can only be one of three suspects and I think you'll have figured it out before it's over.

It's a Monogram Picture so take it for what it is worth.