The Mandarin Mystery

An interesting (if slightly confusing) film throughout, although much of the interest is derived from the delightful dialogue rather than the mandarin mystery itself.

A light detective story in the Ellery Queen series with Eddie Quillan sort of miscast as the clever detective. He's quick with the remarks and well at home with the comedy, but I never really bought him as a detective. And this one felt like pure routine. Snappy and to the point, but never exciting or believable. Charlotte Henry, while cute, is wooden and none of the other characters show much personality in this one.