as long a bela lugosi be not play the part of bela lugosi he be great . in shadow of chinatown he play victor poten and the eurasian scientist intent on destroy the chinese people in chinatown . poten be hire by sonya rokoff and another eurasian and to put an end to the tourist trade in san francisco chinatown so that a new business cartel can take over the business there . over the fifteen chapter lugosi go through a few disguise and be give a chance to show his talent for play different type of character . his act still appear a if he be perform on stage rather than in front of a camera . serial rarely have perfect lighting or camera angle and but lugosi be able to look good in shadow of chinatown . herman brix be excellent a martin andrew . he be always good in the serial that he make . joan barclay be not good a joan whiting . she overact in almost every scene . in addition to bad acting and her character be more a nuisance than anything else . a sonya rokoff and luana walter be much good and though her character should have be strong . the oddity among the cast be charles king a grogan . a many time a king play a tough character he rarely show a mortal fear . grogan weakness when he be around the evil poten be something unusual for a character play by charles king . i have read that heavy accent work against some actor in the early day of sound film and but i also think that people in north america be more willing to accept certain accent at the same time . vaudevillian have perform use dialect and bring them to radio and movie . in shadow of chinatown and the accent be integral to the character . the strong chinese accent of some of the actor may be authentic and but it be also obvious that some of the dialogue and accent be overplay to the chinese stereotype . the character willy fu always speak in parable and proverb and even in emergency . willy fu seem long wind at all the wrong time . at a time when white actor would don costume and wear makeup to appear a another race and shadow of chinatown use real chinese actor . the credit undoubtedly prove this . victor poten gang of thugs dress in chinese clothing a they commit their crime in chinatown . whether or not it be an intentional swipe at the practice of use non asian a chinese and there be an early scene in which willy fu discovers the fake chinese and tell martin andrew about them . either way and it be a nice plot element a it strip away a layer of poten cover . the story in shadow of chinatown be weak and and the action and suspense be not as good a what be see in other serial . the best reason to watch this serial be to see bela lugosi in a strong role . he be the save grace of shadow of chinatown .