So That's Who It
Was
Director: John English
Year: 1958
Rating: NR
Anna May Wong has a large role in this Darren
McGavin episode of Mike Hammer. Keye Luke has a small role. These McGavin
Hmmer tv shows are pretty solid. Shot in black and white and only 30 minutes
long. In this one Hammer is stopped in Chinatown by a down and out tramp
who knows Hammer. He gives Hammer a tie and gets $5 in return. Later in the
week the man is found dead on the streets of Chinatown and Hammer feels the
need to investigate. It leads him into a few beatings that he gives as good
as he gets and to Madame Chu, played by Anna May Wong. At the end of line,
he realizes it was the $5 he gave that kickstarted the events.
Wonge is the widow of a dead man who was killed two nights before in the
same spot as the beggar was found. Keye Luke runs a fantan gambling room.
She was 53 years old at the time and for most purposes had retired
during WWII to help the Chinese war effort. Every now and then she appeared
in an episode of a TV show. She was to die three years later of a heart attack.
This is up on YouTube.
