The Secrets of Wu Sin (1932) / The Law of the Tong (1931)

After preventing down-on-her-luck writer Nona Gould from committing suicide, editor James Manning offers her a job at his newspaper. He assigns Nona to investigate the sudden increase of immigrant workers in San Francisco. Journeying to Chinatown, she discovers that gang leader Wu Sin is smuggling cheap labor into the city. Fearing exposure, the Oriental mastermind orders Manning murdered before his paper can publish the truth. Nona must act quickly to stop the sinister Wu Sin from killing the man who saved her life.

A taut thriller, The Secrets of Wu Sin is directed by the prolific Richard Thorpe. His over 40-year career encompassed entries in the popular Tarzan and Thin Man series, the historical dramas Ivanhoe and The Prisoner of Zenda (both 1952), and the Elvis Presley vehicle Jailhouse Rock (1957). Chinese-American actor Richard Loo, here only in his twenties, would later appear in prestigious features such as The Purple Heart, The Keys of the Kingdom (both 1944) and The Steel Helmet (1951), as well as the James Bond film The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) and countless TV appearances.

PLUS: The Law Of The Tong (BW, 1931): Joan Davis, an innocent girl trying to make her way in the big city, is kidnapped by the Tong, vicious gangsters who control New York's Chinatown. Forced into slavery, Joan's captivity is only made tolerable by Charlie Wong, a gang member who has fallen in love with her. But when the gang orders her execution, Charlie will have to choose between his feelings for the girl and loyalty to the Tong. Wong is played by Jason Robards, a one-time matinee idol who is now best remembered for being the father of the Academy Award-winning actor of the same name. Starring Jason Robards, Sr. and Phyllis Barrington. Directed by Lew Collins.

• mystery