the film the hatchet man be base on an unproduced play write by one achmed abdullah and theatrical impresario david belasco . belasco have die the previous year and i be sure warner brother must have buy the right to this play from his estate . the play be entitle the honorable mr. wong and it be an outsiders view of what life be like within the chinese ghetto on the pacific coast . it important to remember that when try to rationalize the yellow peril attitude that be in this film . edward g. robinson do not look fondly back on the hatchet man . i imagine neither do his heavily lacquer co star loretta young . both look positively ridiculous and neither attempt any kind of chinese accent . i guess they do not want to sound ridiculous a well . robinson be in the ancient an honorable profession of hatchet man or more precise he a chinese contract killer for the tongs . he be give a contract on j. carrol naish by one of the tong head and dudley digges . though naish be an old friend and have even make him prime beneficiary in his will which include his daughter who grow up to be loretta young . naish say do the deed quickly and robinson do . fifteen year pass and young now marry to robinson and but the tong war be heat up and he not give her the attention she need . leslie fenton be around and he a chinese gigolo and opium addict . although the plot take a few surprise twist in the end it do come out a one might expect . the honorable mr. wong never get produce by david belasco and i suspect for good reason . the hatchet man feed into all kind of attitude prevalent in the day about the yellow peril . and it just not a terribly good or even terribly bad film . just bad enough .