William Nigh, born in 1881 in Berlin, Wisconsin, was a prolific American director known for his work in the mystery genre. He directed Mr. Wong, Detective (1938) and Mr. Wong in Chinatown (1939), both featuring the iconic character of Mr. Wong, a Chinese-American detective navigating crime and intrigue. With a career spanning over three decades, Nigh's contributions to the genre helped define the early cinematic portrayal of detective stories, blending suspense with cultural representation.
Mr. Wong in Chinatown
A pretty Chinese woman, seeking help from San Francisco detective James Lee Wong, is killed by a poisoned dart in his front hall, having time only to scrawl "Captain J" on a sheet of paper. She proves to be Princess Lin Hwa, on a secret military mission for Chinese forces fighting the Japanese invasion. Mr. Wong finds two captains with the intial J in the case, neither being quite what he seems; there's fog on the waterfront and someone still has that poison-dart gun...
