''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 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...

mystery film A mystery film is a 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 of clues, ...

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 was originally depicted as a jewel thief and safecracker in Boyle's stories, and became a private detective in adaptations for films, radio and televisi ...

'' pictures (1941–49).

Plot

Boston Blackie and his

sidekick A sidekick is a close companion or colleague who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to those whom they accompany. Origins The first recorded use of the term dates from 1896. It is believed to have originated in pickpocket slang of ...

Shorty are seen exiting a

Chinese laundry Laundry is the washing of clothing and other textiles, and, more broadly, their drying and ironing as well. Laundry has been part of history since humans began to wear clothes, so the methods by which different cultures have dealt with this uni ...

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 Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...

tenement A tenement is a type of building shared by multiple dwellings, typically with flats or apartments on each floor and with shared entrance stairway access. They are common on the British Isles, particularly in Scotland. In the medieval Old Town, E ...

, and Blackie and Shorty themselves. Investigating the murder one jump ahead of the police, Blackie and Shorty uncover an illegal gambling ring.

Production and reception

The film went into production under the title ''Boston Blackie's Honor''; the title was changed in July 1948. Richard Lane, as long-suffering Inspector Farraday, was the only other character who appeared in all of the Boston Blackie films. George E. Stone, 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."

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

had been gradually curtailing its "B" film series; most of them ended in 1948 and 1949. The previous film in the ''Boston Blackie'' series was ''

Trapped by Boston Blackie ''Trapped by Boston Blackie'' is a 1948 American crime drama directed by Seymour Friedman. It is the thirteenth of fourteen Columbia Pictures films starring Chester Morris as reformed crook Boston Blackie, and the final film with George E. Stone ...

'' (1948), and the assignment was given to promising first-time director

Seymour Friedman Seymour Friedman (August 17, 1917 – April 2, 2003) was an American film director. He later worked as a production manager in television. Friedman began his career as an assistant director, before enlisting for military service following America ...

. Friedman had been an assistant director who had filmed several scenes for Columbia's major musical '' Down to Earth''. He was promoted to full-fledged director in December 1947. Friedman did such a good job with the Boston Blackie picture that the series was extended for one more outing. Friedman returned as director of ''Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture,'' which began filming in June 1948. The finished film was released on March 3, 1949. The trade critics gave it passing marks. Publisher Pete Harrison called it "Nothing sensational, but it is a good Boston Blackie melodrama; it holds the spectator's interest pretty tense icall the way through... The acting, as a result of the fairly skillful direction, is good." It was the least expensive entry in the ''Boston Blackie'' series, filmed in only 10 days''Motion Picture Production Encyclopedia'', Hollywood Reporter Press, 1950, p. 436. with a running time of 59 minutes (a new low for the series).

Cast

as Boston Blackie *

Maylia Fong Gloria Suie Chin (; November 10, 1925 – October 16, 2016), known professionally as Maylia Fong, was an American actress. Acting career Fong, still Gloria Chin, was spotted in a Paramount studios canteen by the wife of producer Sidney Buchman ...

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 '' ...

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 from ...

as Pop Gerard * Luis Van Rooten as Bill Craddock (as Louis Van Rooten) *

Philip Ahn Philip 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 Asian-American char ...

as Wong Chung Shee

References

External links

* * * {{Seymour Friedman 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 English-language mystery films