Chinatown at Midnight

"Chinatown at Midnight" is ample proof that B-movies are not synonymous with bad movies. Despite its relatively low budget and a quick run time, it's a terrific film...great for anyone who likes see realistic police dramas.

Hurd Hatfield plays a very cold-blooded killer. During a robbery of a curio store in Chinatown, he not only murders the man at the counter but he goes into the back room looking for witnesses...and kills the woman there! And then, to throw the police off his trail, he calls in and reports the robbery...in Chinese! No, his character isn't even Asian...he just wants the police looking for someone who is! Obviously, this killer is not only a sociopath...but a darned clever one who leaves few actual clues.

Unlike many police movies of the era, the cops in this film are smart and work hard connecting the dots and figuring out what really happened. And, you get to follow their thinking and procedures...making it not just entertaining but educational. Well made...and such a scary and awful villain!