quid pro quo

So, someplace where I was reading about Mr Moto they mentioned "the third great Oriental detective" series, Mr. Wong, also with a Caucasian in the title role - this time Boris Karloff. I had not heard of these movies, but got hold of them. They're very adequate B-movies for the time period and Karloff is quite good even though he's less Chinese than Lorre is Japanese!

However, in 1940 they made one last Wong (Karloff did five), and this one starred - hold onto your hats - Keye Luke. Yes. A Chinese guy playing the lead. It's kind of odd, because he's much younger than Karloff and played Wong as much younger, and as meeting the detective for the first time (all the Wongs take place in San Francisco, with a cop and reporter as regular characters), but there was no hint that this movie was supposed to be in the 20s or anything... Anyway, there was one astounding moment (for 1940). Wong has arrived at the house of the murdered archaeologist and there in the hall is a huge box. The dead man's partner informed him that it held "a Ming emperor!"

Wong responded: "Yes, I understand a Chinese delegation will be digging up George Washington in return."