the mysterious mr. wong be a mystery to me . star bela lugosi make some questionable career choice follow his success in dracula ( 1931 ) . this be certainly one of them . he accept many part from so call poverty row studio probably because he need the money . at this time he be about to embark on a trilogy of film with boris karloff ( the black cat and the raven and the invisible ray ) that should have solidify his career . unfortunately it do not . this mess of a movie cast lugosi a a chinese ( chinese . ) lord and fu wong and who be seek the 12 coin of chinese philosopher and confuscious . the coin it seem be give by confuscious on his death bed to 12 of his close friend . they have be pass down to their descendant . the 12 coin when gather together be suppose to confer untold power to their owner . the story open promisingly with three murder by unseen assassin . each of the victim have one of the fabled coin in his possession . it all downhill from here . the murderer report back to their bos and fu wong ( lugosi and complete with droop mustache and thick hungarian accent ) . he now have 11 of the twelve coin in his possession . he send his men out in search of the twelfth . now how in heaven name do these rare coin all wind up in the same city in the usa . the murder of the chinese be assign to fast talk reporter jay barton ( wallace ford ) who with bumble police officer mcgillicuddy ( robert emmett o connor ) investigate the death . in between barton manages to romance the comely young peg ( arline judge ) . a note leave by one of the victim lead barton to wong . he seek the aid of good chinese philosopher philip tsang ( e. alyn warren ) to translate the note . the note lead to the 12th coin and . lugosi be laughable a the hungarian chinese villain . he may have see karloff have success with the mask of fu manchu and want to emulate him and who know . wallace ford be about to escape b movie with a memorable role in john ford the informer ( 1935 ) . a dreadful movie . remember and confuscious say representactor with thick hungarian accent cast in part of chinese villain wind up in wong role .