The Mandarin Mystery (1936)

So, here’s the thing about The Mandarin Mystery – it’s one of those odd, slightly dusty gems from way, way back, directed by Alan Crosland, who, by the way, did The Jazz Singer. I remember mumbling to a mate at Filmstaden, “Crosland again, but no singing… just murder and stamps? Okej då.”

You’re thrown into this whirlwind plot about a bunch of folks chasing after a super-rare stamp. The lead, Eddie Quillan (yeah, that’s our Ellery Queen here), gives off that schlager-charm, all fidgety and nosy, like he’s a journalist on Aftonbladet sniffing around for the juiciest scandal. Gail Patrick lights up the screen, all icy looks, sly glances – she could probably freeze a whole sjö with her gaze.

But wait, this one’s not all smooth. The pacing’s like a slow SL-buss on a rainy November afternoon. Some scenes zip by, others just…idle around, and you can almost hear people in the audience in 1936 rustling their popcorn. Those classic wisecracks land now and again, though. And I swear, the villain (Paul Cavanagh!) twirls that metaphorical moustache almost like he’s auditioning for some Gustaf Molander melodrama.

Personal story? When I was a kid, my mormor had this old stamp album that smelled of dust and childhood afternoons. Watching The Mandarin Mystery brought me right back, fingering through her collection looking for the “rare one,” just like everyone in the film. Of course, I never found a treasure – just a Danish Christmas stamp from ’72.

If you’re into old-school whodunits, check this one out with some polarbröd and tea. Just…don’t expect it to change your life. Oh, and if someone offers you a mandarin-coloured envelope at Centralstationen, maybe skip it. Trust me.

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