Boris Karloff stars as Mr. Wong in Monogram's answer to Mr. Moto and Charlie Chan. Set in San Francisco, Mr. Wong is called to investiage a murder involving some Chinese jewels. Wong is mostly in the shadows, observing the inapprorpiate behavior of the suspects. If Mr. Wong looks bored, then blame the boring suspects.
Despite the static phtography and the drab sets, "The Fatal Hour" features some interesting technology of times, circa 1940. Mr. Wong learns about "a remote controllled radio tuner" and sees how it was involved with one of the many murders.