...even though it was a Ralph M. Like production and even that was a better joke than any featured in the film. Billy Gilbert had an early role as dim witted Dooley, the chief of police whose humour consists mainly of talking slang and sneezing at inappropriate times!! Even though forgotten today, Carmel Myers had a big career in the silents, going right back to the mid teens when as a young teen herself she worked at Universal. But by 1931, even though only in her early 30s, she was considered too old for leading lady parts and may have jumped at this chance to portray a character role. In this film she played Madame Ying Su, or Poppy, a smoothly seductive dragon lady.
A real mish mash of a movie, begins abruptly with Ralph Bonner (Frank Mayo) being entrusted with a priceless heirloom, a Chinese dagger, that he has to bring to America so Lee Fong (Edmund Breese) can give his ward, Lotus, a chance to start life with her own people. Ralph, who realises he has been followed during the voyage, is killed after he hands the dagger over and soon Fong has been murdered as well. Enter Ralph's brother Jim (Rex Lease) who wants to find his brother's murderer and also wants to protect the vulnerable Lotus. He is shaping up as the lead suspect but he has his own ideas and is keeping a careful watch on Poppy who just happened to be nearby when both murders took place.
I often wonder what these poverty row films would look like all cleaned up - maybe you could praise the authentic looking Oriental sets, the wall hangings and even the costumes. Unfortunately, no praise for this movie. Lotus is played by Barbara Kent who started off as an insipid leading lady but films such as "Lonesome" revealed her talent and hidden glamour.
A real mish mash of a movie, begins abruptly with Ralph Bonner (Frank Mayo) being entrusted with a priceless heirloom, a Chinese dagger, that he has to bring to America so Lee Fong (Edmund Breese) can give his ward, Lotus, a chance to start life with her own people. Ralph, who realises he has been followed during the voyage, is killed after he hands the dagger over and soon Fong has been murdered as well. Enter Ralph's brother Jim (Rex Lease) who wants to find his brother's murderer and also wants to protect the vulnerable Lotus. He is shaping up as the lead suspect but he has his own ideas and is keeping a careful watch on Poppy who just happened to be nearby when both murders took place.
I often wonder what these poverty row films would look like all cleaned up - maybe you could praise the authentic looking Oriental sets, the wall hangings and even the costumes. Unfortunately, no praise for this movie. Lotus is played by Barbara Kent who started off as an insipid leading lady but films such as "Lonesome" revealed her talent and hidden glamour.