Available at Amazon.com
Mr. Moto’s Gamble
Director:
James Tinling
Cast:
Peter Lorre….Kentaro Moto
Keye Luke….Lee Chan
Dick Baldwin….Bill Steele
Lynn Bari….Penny Kendall
“Slapsie Maxie” Rosenbloom….Knock-out Wellington
Lon Chaney Jr….Joey
Fox Home Video presents Mr. Moto’s Gamble. Screenplay by Charles Belden & Jerome Cady. Running time: 60 minutes. Unrated. Theatrical release March 25, 1938. DVD released Feb. 13, 2007.
Mr. Moto’s Last Warning
Director:
Norman Foster
Cast:
Peter Lorre….Kentaro Moto
Richard Cortez….Fabian the Great
Virginia Field….Connie Porter
John Carradine….Danforth
George Sanders….Eric Norvel
Fox Home Video presents Mr. Moto’s Last Warning. Screenplay by Norman Foster & Philip MacDonald. Running time: 71 minutes. Unrated. Theatrical release Jan. 20, 1939. DVD released Feb. 13, 2007.
Mr. Moto in Danger Island
Director:
Herbert I. Leeds
Cast:
Peter Lorre….Kentaro Moto
Warren Hymer….Twister McGurk
Amanda Duff….Joan Castle
Charles D. Brown….Col. Tom Castle
Jean Hersholt….Mr. Sutter
Fox Home Video presents Mr. Moto in Danger Island. Screenplay by Peter Milne. Running time: 64 minutes. Unrated. Theatrical release April 7, 1939. DVD released Feb. 13, 2007.
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
Director:
Norman Foster
Cast:
Peter Lorre….Kentaro Moto
Joseph Schildkraut….Hendrik Manderson
Lionel Atwill….Prof. Hildebrand
Virginia Field….Eleanore Kirke
Honorable Wu….Wong
G.P. Huntley….Archibald Featherstone
Fox Home Video presents Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation. Screenplay by Norman Foster & Philip MacDonald. Running time: 65 minutes. Unrated. Theatrical release July 7, 1939. DVD released Feb. 13, 2007.
The Movies
In the era of the Hayes Code, it’s a miracle that Mr. Moto was able to establish himself on screen. The movies of the late ’30s were filled with All-American heroes, but along came Moto, a Japanese citizen with an edge. White actors being transformed into Asian-American detectives were featured in popular movie series including Boris Karloff as Mr. Wong and Warner Oland as Charlie Chan. Both of those characters were devoted to legal standards and American citizens. Moto didn’t care about justice and was a Japanese citizen. His ruthless qualities overwhelmed his sense of merely upholding the law. He didn’t amble around the room collecting clues. He kicked ass with his martial arts skills. He didn’t worry about tossing another body into the case file. He also never defined his job. Was he a detective, an Interpol agent, a treasure hunter or something more suspicious? As an early film declared, he was The Mysterious Mr. Moto.
This second volume collects the remaining four Mr. Moto films that Peter Lorre made for Fox’s B movie division. Even though Lorre was Hungarian, he didn’t play the character as an outrageous Japanese stereotype. He doesn’t come close to Andy Rooney’s performance in Breakfast at Tiffany’s: the gold standard in embarrassing Asian stereotypes. Lorre’s acting style nails Moto’s wild card attitude. Behind his round glasses lurk eyes that are calculating not deducing.
The earliest film in this boxset contains a kind, gentle Moto. Mr. Moto’s Gamble was supposed to be a Charlie Chan mystery. Warner Oland freaked out and left the production shortly after it started. The producers quickly tweaked the script and brought in Lorre. The source material is exposed by having Chan’s Number One Son, Keye Luke, playing Moto’s sidekick. Moto spouts Chan’s Oriental truisms. He teaches a class in how to be a detective that seems so out of character for a guy who keeps his secrets tight.. Gamble lacks the amoral Moto elements as he searches for the culprit that poisoned a boxer. It’s a fun B-movie, but it would have worked better as a Chan mystery.
Mr. Moto in Danger Island sends him to Puerto Rico to investigate the contraband diamond trade. The case gets nasty when a rapidly growing body count connected to the hot rocks. There’s a thrilling action sequence when Moto first encounters the smuggling ring with feet flying and bullets zinging. Moto gets assistance from a pro wrestler in his battle. The wrestler’s loud behavior contrasts perfectly with Moto’s reserve. This helps keep the film from becoming way too dark.
Mr. Moto’s Last Warning has a historically unsound plot twist. Moto must stop saboteurs from blowing up the French fleet and blaming it on the English. Strange as it sounds, we’re supposed to believe a Japanese agent can prevent a sneak attack on warships and avoid World War II from breaking out. Last Warning didn’t get much play after Pearl Harbor. It’s hard to tell who is creepier in this film: John Carradine with a Rasputin worthy beard or a ventrioquist dummy covered in pearl buttons.
Mr. Moto Takes A Vacation has Moto helping an expedition dig up the Queen of Sheeba’s crown in Egypt. Because of a rumor that a equally mysterious criminal known as Metaxa wants to claim the ancient prize, Moto provides security. On a cruise he disguises himself as a typical Japanese tourist. This illustrates how painful his performance could have been. The filmmakers lighten up this final installment with comic relief in the form of ditzy Englishman Archibald Featherstone For those offended by Lorre’s playing Asian, Featherstone slaps on the blackface to double the politcally incorrect cringe.
If you’re not uptight about a Hungarian playing Japanese, the Mr. Moto series are worth collecting. They push the limits of B-movies with their above average scripts, dynamic action sequences and passion for high adventure. Peter Lorre over the years has been reduced to the sniveling guy in Casablanca who needs Bogart’s help. But watching him as Moto, you realize that the Nazis needed protection from Lorre. Mr. Moto was a founding Badass of cinema.
The DVDS
VIDEO:
The picture is 1.33:1. There’s a restoration demo that allows you to see how much work went into cleaning up the black and white films. They probably haven’t looked this good since Fox hid them after 1941.
AUDIO:
The soundtrack is Dolby Digital mono and stereo. They did a good job tweaking and cleaning the soundtrack. It stays at a steady level and doesn’t sound like it was mixed with a bowl of Rice Krispies. The subtitles are in English and Spanish.
EXTRAS:
Mr. Moto Meets Mr. Chan – The Making of Mr. Moto’s Gamble (16:18) explains how this film came around. It does a great job at setting the timeline for the production being salvaged from Charlie Chan at Ringside. There’s lot of detail on Warner Oland’s final days. Plus it explains how contrary to film lore, Oland died after this film was finished.
Mr. Moto’s Creator: The Late John P Marquand (19:18) is a detailed tribute to the novelist behind Mr. Moto. He won the Pulitizer Prize for fiction in 1938 so he wasn’t merely cranking out pulp fiction. Both his son and grandson talk about the writer.
Meet Mr. Moto (14:10) analyzes of the character of Mr. Moto. Is he a reporter, a detective, a fortune hunter or an agent for Imperial Japan? There is talk about how John P. Marquand developed the character as a follow up for Charlie Chan. The story progresses from how the books became part of Sol Wurtzel’s “Sausage Factory” at Fox. We learn the Lorre was really smacked up on drugs during this period.
The Return of Mr. Moto (1:10:40) is the 1965 revival of the character with Henry Silva as Moto. How could they cast the 6’2″ actor as Moto? Perhaps the producers remember him playing a Korean houseboy in The Manchurian Candidate? Silva doesn’t play Moto as Japanese. He’s just a spy wrapped up in oil related espionage. The movie looks more like a cranked out B-movie than any of the Lorre productions. As a bonus to this bonus feature, Silva gives a commentary track. He’s very engaging and excited in the recording booth. The film itself is dull so you’re better off sticking with Henry’s track.
Moto is Missing (18:44) deals with how this film series vanished from theatrical release because of World War II and later from TV after complaints from Asian groups. There’s great propaganda footage used to illustrate the points of the speakers.
Trailers include the original coming attractions for Mr. Moto’s Gamble, Mr. Moto’s Last Warning, Mr. Moto Takes a Chance, Mysterious Mr. Moto, Think Fast, Mr. Moto and The Return of Mr. Moto.
The Inside Pulse
The Mr. Moto films aren’t shown on TV because of vocal protests from groups that don’t like seeing Peter Lorre playing a Japanese detective. Fox didn’t merely put these DVDs out to appease collectors. They’ve done a first rate job in restoration and bonus features that put the series in context. Relish Lorre defining the amoral detective during an era when we’re used to only clean cut good guys getting to play the hero.
