When Were You Born (1938) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A fortune-teller assists a homicide investigation that exposes smuggling, deception, and a self-defense killing.

Story Structure — 6 Plot Phases

A Prediction at Sea

Mei Lei Ming predicts Phillip Corey's death during the voyage to San Francisco. Corey rejects her warning, but the prediction becomes significant when he is later found dead.

Key Events

• Voyage from the Orient — Mei Lei meets fellow passengers during the voyage to San Francisco. Characters: Mei Lei Ming, Nita Kenton, Phillip Corey Location: Ocean liner
• Corey's Death Prediction — Mei Lei predicts Corey will die within 48 hours. Characters: Mei Lei Ming, Nita Kenton, Phillip Corey Location: Ocean liner
• Corey Mocks Mei Lei — Corey dismisses Mei Lei's prediction as unscientific. Characters: Mei Lei Ming, Phillip Corey, Nita Kenton Location: Ocean liner
• Death at the Shop — Corey is found dead in his shop in an apparent suicide. Characters: Phillip Corey Location: Corey's shop

The False Suicide

Corey's death is initially presented as suicide, but Inspector Gregg suspects homicide. Mei Lei survives questioning and begins assisting the investigation.

Key Events

• Death at the Shop — Corey is found dead in his shop in an apparent suicide. Characters: Phillip Corey Location: Corey's shop
• Homicide Investigation Begins — Gregg treats Corey's apparent suicide as a homicide. Characters: Inspector Jim C. Gregg, Mei Lei Ming, Dr. Merton Location: Police station
• Mei Lei Questioned — Gregg questions Mei Lei, who convinces him of her innocence. Characters: Mei Lei Ming, Inspector Jim C. Gregg Location: Police station
• Gow Identifies Barrows — Gow recognizes Barrows during questioning about another crime. Characters: Frederick Gow, Inspector Jim C. Gregg Location: Police station

Letters and Hidden Crimes

Gow seeks letters from Corey's safe, drawing Mei Lei's suspicion. The coded message reveals that Corey and Gow were involved in drug smuggling.

Key Events

• Gow Identifies Barrows — Gow recognizes Barrows during questioning about another crime. Characters: Frederick Gow, Inspector Jim C. Gregg Location: Police station
• Letters from the Safe — Gow asks to recover business letters from Corey's safe. Characters: Frederick Gow, Mei Lei Ming, Inspector Jim C. Gregg Location: Police station
• Coded Smuggling Message — Mei Lei discovers coded evidence of drug smuggling. Characters: Mei Lei Ming, Frederick Gow, Phillip Corey Location: Police station
• Doris's Engagement Secret — Doris reveals Corey's blackmail and the unwanted engagement. Characters: Doris Kane, Phillip Corey Location: Police station

Suspects Close In

Doris exposes Corey's blackmail and describes her visit to his home. Camp's quarrel and the fired shot deepen the mystery while Shields remains a suspect.

Key Events

• Doris's Engagement Secret — Doris reveals Corey's blackmail and the unwanted engagement. Characters: Doris Kane, Phillip Corey Location: Police station
• Doris Visits Corey — Doris visits Corey to persuade him to end their engagement. Characters: Doris Kane, Phillip Corey Location: Corey's home
• Camp Follows Doris — Camp follows Doris and quarrels with Corey. Characters: Doris Kane, Larry Camp, Phillip Corey Location: Corey's home
• Shot at the House — A shot is fired, and Camp claims Corey fired at him. Characters: Larry Camp, Phillip Corey, Doris Kane Location: Corey's home
• Shields Becomes Suspect — Corey's valet Shields is investigated as a possible killer. Characters: Shields, Inspector Jim C. Gregg, Mei Lei Ming Location: Police station

Gow's Violent Cover-Up

Gow's deception of Barrows is exposed, and Barrows is killed after being lured away. Gregg and Mei Lei then connect Gow to the wider murders.

Key Events

• Shields Becomes Suspect — Corey's valet Shields is investigated as a possible killer. Characters: Shields, Inspector Jim C. Gregg, Mei Lei Ming Location: Police station
• Gow Deceives Barrows — Barrows realizes Gow had deceived him into believing Gow was Corey. Characters: Frederick Gow Location: Street
• Barrows Is Silenced — Gow lures Barrows away, and Barrows's body is thrown from a car. Characters: Frederick Gow Location: Speeding car
• Search of Gow's Apartment — Gregg and Mei Lei search Gow's apartment with police officers. Characters: Inspector Jim C. Gregg, Mei Lei Ming, Frederick Gow Location: Gow's apartment

The Hidden Passage Truth

Gow escapes through a secret passage and takes Mei Lei captive. Shields kills Gow, then confesses that he shot Corey in self-defense after being accused of theft.

Key Events

• Search of Gow's Apartment — Gregg and Mei Lei search Gow's apartment with police officers. Characters: Inspector Jim C. Gregg, Mei Lei Ming, Frederick Gow Location: Gow's apartment
• Escape Through Passage — Gow escapes the police search through a hidden passage. Characters: Frederick Gow, Inspector Jim C. Gregg, Mei Lei Ming Location: Gow's apartment
• Mei Lei Taken Captive — Gow takes Mei Lei captive, while Shields follows through the passage. Characters: Frederick Gow, Mei Lei Ming, Shields Location: Gow's reading room
• Gow Is Shot — Shields shoots Gow after seeing him take Mei Lei captive. Characters: Shields, Frederick Gow, Mei Lei Ming Location: Gow's reading room
• Shields Confesses — Mei Lei recognizes Shields as an expert gunman and coaxes his confession. Characters: Shields, Mei Lei Ming Location: Gow's reading room
• The Murder Reconstructed — Gow hired Barrows to open the safe; Shields shot Corey in self-defense. Characters: Shields, Phillip Corey, Frederick Gow Location: Corey's home

Story Breakdown

• Voyage and Prediction — Mei Lei encounters Corey and predicts his imminent death during the voyage.
  • Ocean Liner Meeting — Mei Lei meets Nita and Phillip Corey aboard the liner.
  • Forty Eight Hours — Mei Lei tells Corey that he will die within 48 hours.
• Apparent Suicide — Corey's death turns a mocked prediction into a homicide investigation.
  • Body at the Shop — Corey is found dead in his shop.
  • Gregg Suspects Murder — Gregg rejects the apparent suicide explanation.
• Coded Smuggling — Business letters reveal the criminal partnership behind Corey's affairs.
  • Gow Seeks Letters — Gow asks to recover letters from Corey's safe.
  • Hidden Drug Network — Mei Lei deciphers evidence linking Corey and Gow to drug smuggling.
• Romantic Suspects — Doris's unwanted engagement and Camp's rivalry create plausible motives.
  • Doris's Blackmail — Doris explains how Corey pressured her through her mother.
  • Household Gunshot — Camp quarrels with Corey and reports that Corey fired first.
• Gow Silences Witnesses — Gow attempts to conceal his criminal activities after Barrows recognizes him.
  • Barrows Recognizes Gow — Barrows realizes Gow deceived him by posing as Corey.
  • Body from Car — Gow lures Barrows away, after which Barrows's body is thrown from a speeding car.
• Apartment Confrontation — Gregg's search forces Gow into an escape and a final confrontation.
  • Secret Passage Escape — Gow escapes the police search through a hidden passage.
  • Mei Lei Captive — Gow takes Mei Lei captive in his reading room.
• Self Defense Revealed — Shields ends Gow's threat and reveals the true circumstances of Corey's death.
  • Shields Shoots Gow — Shields kills Gow after following him through the passage.
  • Corey's Final Reconstruction — Shields admits he shot Corey after Corey accused him of theft.

Directed by

William C. McGann

Key Cast

• Margaret Lindsay — Doris Kane
• James Stephenson — Phillip Corey
• Lola Lane — Nita Kenton
• Anna May Wong — Mei Lei Ming
• Anthony Averill — Larry Camp