''Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture'' is a

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means ...

directed by Seymour Friedman, starring

Chester Morris John Chester Brooks Morris (February 16, 1901 – September 11, 1970) was an American stage, film, television, and radio actor. He had some prestigious film roles early in his career, and received an Academy Award nomination for ''Alibi'' ( ...

. This was the last of Columbia's 14 ''

Boston Blackie Boston Blackie is a fictional character created by author Jack Boyle (1881–1928). Blackie, a jewel thief and safecracker in Boyle's stories, became a detective in adaptations for films, radio and television—an "enemy to those who make him an ...

'' pictures (1941–49). Richard Lane, as long-suffering Inspector Farraday, was the only other character who appeared in all of the Boston Blackie films.

George E. Stone George E. Stone (born Gerschon Lichtenstein; May 18, 1903 – May 26, 1967) was a Polish-born American character actor in films, radio, and television. Life and career Stone was born Gerschon Lichtenstein in Łódź, Congress Poland, into ...

, playing Blackie's sidekick The Runt, missed the first and the last films in the series due to illness. In ''Chinese Venture'' Stone was replaced by Sid Tomack as "Shorty."

Plot summary

Boston Blackie (

) and his sidekick Shorty (Sid Tomack) are seen exiting a Chinese laundry where the proprietor is soon found murdered. The suspects include a bored tour guide, a B-girl in a tavern, the inhabitants of an old Chinatown tenement, and Blackie and Shorty themselves. Investigating the murder one jump ahead of the police, Blackie and Shorty uncover an illegal gambling ring.

Cast

as Boston Blackie *

Maylia Fong Gloria Suie Chin (; November 10, 1925 – October 16, 2016), known professionally as Maylia Fong, was an American actress. Career Fong was cast in her first film as the character Ming Ling in the 1947 romantic film Singapore (1947 film), ''Sing ...

as Mei Ling * Richard Lane as Inspector William R. Farraday * Sid Tomack as Shorty *

Frank Sully Francis Thomas Sullivan (June 17, 1908 December 17, 1975), known professionally as Frank Sully, was an American film actor. He appeared in over 240 films between 1934 and 1968. Today's audiences know him best as the dumb detective in the ''Bost ...

as Detective Sergeant Matthews * Don McGuire as Les, the tour guide *

Joan Woodbury Joan Elmer Woodbury (December 17, 1915 – February 22, 1989) was an American actress beginning in the 1930s and continuing well into the 1960s. Early life Woodbury was born in Los Angeles, California on December 17, 1915. Her father was Elmer ...

as Red, the bar girl *

Charles Arnt Charles E. Arnt (August 20, 1906 – August 6, 1990) was an American film actor from 1933 to 1962. Arnt appeared as a character actor in more than 200 films. Arnt was born in Michigan City, Indiana, the son of a banker. He graduated fr ...

as Pop Gerard *

Luis Van Rooten Luis d'Antin van Rooten (November 29, 1906 – June 17, 1973) was a Mexican-born American actor. He was sometimes credited as Louis Van Rooten. Van Rooten was born in Mexico City, Mexico, and emigrated to the United States with his parents when ...

as Bill Craddock (as Louis Van Rooten) *

Philip Ahn Philip Ahn (born Pillip Ahn (), March 29, 1905 – February 28, 1978) was an American actor and activist of Korean descent. With over 180 film and television credits between 1935 and 1978, he was one of the most recognizable and prolific Asi ...

as Wong Chung Shee

References

External links

* * * * 1949 films 1949 mystery films American black-and-white films American sequel films American mystery films American detective films Columbia Pictures films Films directed by Seymour Friedman Boston Blackie films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films {{mystery-film-stub