Torchy Blane in Chinatown (1939) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Fitzhugh, Mansfield, and Captain Condon were the masterminds behind the entire operation. These three men were the adventurers who originally smuggled the Chinese jade tablets into the United States. They faked their own deaths to create the illusion of an oriental gang targeting them, then orchestrated the murder threats and ransom demand to extort $250,000 from Senator Baldwin.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show the three men together at the Adventurers Club, seemingly as vulnerable targets, which masks their true role as conspirators.

• Fitzhugh
• Mansfield
• Captain Condon
• conspiracy
• extortion
• faked deaths

Torchy discovered that fingerprints on Fitzhugh's card did not match the fingerprints of the body at the morgue. This proved that the man killed in the car was not the real Fitzhugh, exposing the entire scheme as an elaborate deception involving faked deaths and a cover-up.

Foreshadowing: The rushed nature of the murders and the quick disappearance of Mansfield's body hint that something unusual was happening with the evidence.

• fingerprints
• Fitzhugh
• morgue
• deception
• faked death
• evidence

Mansfield was killed by smoking a poisoned cigarette, which was part of the staged deaths. After his body was found, it mysteriously vanished before the coroner could examine it, further supporting the theory that the deaths were faked as part of the extortion plot.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes Mansfield as a doctor, giving him access to both poisons and the medical knowledge needed to fake a death convincingly.

• Mansfield
• poisoned cigarette
• faked death
• coroner

Torchy and Steve stowed away aboard a U.S. Navy submarine that Dick used to reach the ransom location at the last buoy in New York Harbor. When Dick approached the criminals to deliver the $250,000, the submarine surfaced at the critical moment, allowing Torchy and Steve to intervene and rescue him before the handover was completed.

Foreshadowing: The earlier scene where Torchy and Steve board the submarine establishes their unconventional plan to intercept to ransom operation.

• submarine
• Dick
• rescue
• harbor
• ransom
• interception

Senator Baldwin owned the world's largest Chinese jade collection, which included the tablets smuggled by the three adventurers. The conspirators exploited his connection to the valuable jade and his political influence to demand a massive $250,000 ransom, framing it as if an oriental gang was responsible.

Foreshadowing: The opening establishes Senator Baldwin as the wealthy collector who hired Steve McBride to investigate the threats surrounding his jade.

• Senator Baldwin
• jade collection
• ransom
• extortion

The three men were targeted because they were the original adventurers who smuggled the Chinese jade tablets into the United States. They faked their own deaths to make it appear an oriental gang was murdering them, creating a cover for their scheme to extort money from Senator Baldwin while keeping the jade valuable.

Foreshadowing: The initial plot setup mentions that three adventurers brought the jade tablets into the country, connecting them directly to the tablets at the center of the mystery.

• Fitzhugh
• Mansfield
• Captain Condon
• smugglers
• jade tablets
• victims

A warning note written in Chinese characters threatened doom at midnight unless a ransom was paid for the jade tablets. This note was part of the conspirators' plan to create the appearance of an oriental gang operating behind the threats, adding credibility to their extortion scheme against Senator Baldwin.

Foreshadowing: The very first scene introduces the Chinese note as the initial clue that sets the investigation in motion.

• Chinese note
• death threat
• midnight
• ransom
• jade tablets

Fitzhugh's murder was staged as part of the fake assassination plot. The drive-by machine-gunning of his car was orchestrated by the conspirators themselves to make it appear they were being targeted by the supposed oriental gang. A note left in the vehicle claimed Mansfield would be next victim, adding to the illusion of danger.

Foreshadowing: The note in the car explicitly names Mansfield as the next target, which aligns with the conspirators' pre-planned narrative.

• Fitzhugh
• drive-by shooting
• faked death
• machine gun

The priceless Chinese jade tablets smuggled into the U.S. by the three adventurers became the centerpiece of the extortion scheme. The conspirators used the tablets' value and mysterious origin to create fear around them, then faked attacks on themselves to force Senator Baldwin to pay $250,000 while blaming an oriental gang.

Foreshadowing: The film opens with the jade collection being established as extremely valuable and sought after, making it the logical motive for the entire conspiracy.

• jade tablets
• smuggling
• extortion
• motive
• conspiracy