Dangerous to Know
Director: Robert Florey
Year: 1938
Rating: 6.0
Anna May Wong and Akim Tamiroff pair off here as they would again a year later in King of Chinatown. It is an interesting and unexpected match since in both films there is some chemistry between them - in this one Wong's character loves him and in King of Chinatown Akim's character loves her. One rarely associates Tamiroff as a romantic figure as he was to make a good living playing various scoundrels in over 100 movies. He was born in Russia in 1899 of Armenian descent and came to America to live in 1927 - and began getting bit parts in films at first. He had a thick accent but used that to his benefit over the years because it was quite understandable but hard to pin down. That allowed him to play characters of all sorts with foreign backgrounds.



But this film and King of Chinatown are intriguing because along with Wong (who was given top billing in both) he gets the lead and is a commanding presence - exudes sexuality with his almost feminine eyelashes and ruthlessness at the same time. You might wonder if Paramount had hopes that they could turn him into an Edward G Robinson type - short of stature but believable as a tough guy with a sentimental side. That didn't happen as both films were of the low budget variety. Besides these two it has other fine cast members - Lloyd Nolan, a young Anthony Quinn and Gail Patrick (who later went on to produce the Perry Mason TV show for years).



Even with this talent this is still a middling melodrama with a criminal veneer based on an Edgar Wallace story. The nice thing about the Anna May Wong role is that though it is rather one-dimensional - it wasn't likely created with an Asian in mind. No Dragon Lady going on here. It could have gone to any actress but they chose Wong who wanted very much to get out of her Paramount contract. Much of the melodrama revolves around a lopsided perverse love triangle of the kind I thought only the French were allowed.



Recka (Tamiroff) runs the city - he has all the politicians and banks on the hook to him and if anyone gets out of line they find themselves falling out of a high window. Inspector Brandon (a jovial Lloyd Nolan) has been after him for years but Recka has too much pull and smarts. He has all the cards covered but one. His heart. Lan Ying (Wong) is his Hostess - no hanky-panky - she organizes parties and greets people and tells him the truth. She knows about his dark side but quietly loves him. But when he runs into high society in the form of Margaret Van Case (Patrick) he sees a chance to go where he really wants to. For all his success and money what he also craves is respectability and acceptance among the hoi polloi. She is his ticket and he sets up circumstances to get it.



Tamiroff creates an interesting and complex character, a crook, a killer, an immigrant who worked his way up (similar to King of Chinatown) the hard tough way but who gained culture along the way and you sense this isn't who he wants to be but he can't walk away from who he is. Nicely shot by director Robert Florey, who was behind a number of solid B films, in particular the last few minutes as Recka plays the piano realizing that his ambition is a fantasy and Lan Ying with a tear making its way down her face stands behind him as shadows play over their faces and he stares into the heavens.