Mysterious Mr. Moto (1938) User Reviews

Mr. Moto: Another Likable Asian Crime Hero

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 11 January 2008]

This was my first look ever at Peter Lorre's "Mr. Moto" character, and I couldn't help but compare and contrast him to the famous "Charlie Chan" of a similar period. "Mr. Moto" is charming but isn't the comedian or the proverb-quoting Chan. I would have to watch a few more Moto movies before I could really compare the two fairly, as for quality and entertainment value, but what I saw in this film impressed me. My guess is that both of them are winners. I'm anxious to watch another Mr. Motor adventure, after seeing this.

I think both characters did a lot - or at least I hope they did - to put Asians in a favorable light. Hey, Chan and Moto are the heroes in their movies, and the smart and courageous guys who solve the murders. These series had to be a boost to the Asian-American community.

In this story, Moto pretends to be a fugitive from Devil's Island, one of two escapees who wind up in London. That was the idea all along for Our Man as he hoped his fellow man-of- flight, "Paul Brissac" would lead to him to bigger fish in the criminal world, specifically "The League of Assassins."

Just when I thought this film was starting to get a tiny bit slow, it picked up nicely and had very good last 20-some minutes with a suspenseful ending. The actions were hokey but so what? The film is 70 years old so I don't expect state-of-the-art special-effects. In spots, it was so corny it made it fun. I was shocked how physical little Mr. Moto was, throwing bodies around like a WWF bruiser!

Two quality actors, in addition to Lorre, had key roles in here: Leon Ames ("Brissac") and Henry Wilcoxon ("Darvak"). There's some good direction in here, too, by Norman Foster, who not only directed some Mr. Moto films, but a few Charlie Chan movies, too. He also married Claudette Colbert.

In addition, the restoration job on the DVD transfer makes this a good-looking film.

"Softly, softly, catchee monkey".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 8 March 2007]

It's interesting that this movie had a Scotland Yard connection, one might have expected Sherlock Holmes to make an appearance. Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre) assumes the identity of a Japanese houseboy to Parisian criminal Paul Brissac following their escape from a Devil's Island prison camp. Once situated in London, Moto begins his investigation into an international 'League of Assassins', who have targeted industrialist Anton Darvak (Henry Wilcoxon) for his newly developed steel formula.

Moto manages to dodge Scotland Yard detectives as well as nasty League henchmen in order to uncover the head of the assassins. In one of those films where the least likely character turns out to be the criminal mastermind, you have to wonder why Frensham (Erik Rhodes) allowed himself to be positioned under the murder weapon, hostage to Moto in one of his many disguises. Say, didn't he remind you of Arte Johnson's dirty old man character from 'Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In"?

Now just over half way through watching the Mr. Moto films, I'm impressed as to how consistently better they seem to be compared against those of the other Oriental detective of the era, Charlie Chan. The Chan stories relied on repeated use of the old lights out trick and other ruses on the way to solving the mystery, whereas the Moto stories are a lot more physical, even violent, with Moto engaging in a fair share of the action. In this one, Moto delivers some crisp judo throws and takes some wild flying leaps tackling bad guy Brissac in the finale. Elsewhere on this board I learned that Lorre's stuntman for the martial arts sequences was a gentleman named Harvey Parry.

Even though they're nearly seventy years old, it's still a kick to watch any of these old time detective mystery films. Peter Lorre is a blast as Mr. Moto, and any movie in the series from Twentieth Century Fox is recommended for fans of the genre.

A solid entry in the Mr. Moto series

[bensonmum2 · 7/10 · 9 August 2006]

It's interesting to me that it's the "B" films of the 30s and 40s that seem to be so popular today. I sincerely doubt that anyone involved in the making of these movies could have imagined or cared that there would be an audience for their work almost 70 years later. Mysterious Mr. Moto is an enjoyable "B" that features everything you could ask for in one of these movies – a nice mystery, good action, sets that far exceed the film's limited budgets, exotic and quirky characters, and a sense of fun about the whole thing.

Peter Lorre is back as the mysterious Japanese detective, Mr. Moto. In this installment in the series, Mr. Moto has himself imprisoned on Devil's Island so that he might gain the trust of one of the other prisoners who happens to be involved with a gang of international murderers for hire. They escape and head to America. Acting as the other man's servant, Mr. Moto is in a perfect position to put a stop to the group's activities.

Mysterious Mr. Moto will never be confused with a deep, meaningful example of film-making. But it's not supposed to. It's a fun romp. And even if identity of the leader of the gang of murderers is obvious early on, it hardly matters. It's just fun watching Moto get to the answer. Lorre is as good as billed and he has a cast of familiar faces backing him up. Fans will recognize Harold Huber, Leon Ames, and Erik Rhodes from their numerous roles in other 30s "B" films. Each does a nice job of adding a bit of fun to the film.

The Japanese Sandman

[BaronBl00d · 22 September 2002]

A well-conceived story in the Moto series with Lorre escaping from Devil's Island with a British gangster and then parading as his houseboy/servant. Lorre never gets enough credit for his skill as an actor as he gives us two performances as a Japanese, one as Mr. Moto and one as the houseboy as played by Mr. Moto. Both portrayals are markedly different and his Ito performance does suggest a lot of racism that was going on at the time to the Japanese. Watch the film for the mystery involved, Lorre's great performance, and bear in mind the context of the times when the film was made. The scene with Lorre and some pub roughs is a gem as is the finale scene in an art museum. For all the press that goes out about the inherent racism in these films, few ever talk about the fact that Mr. Moto is a cultured, intelligent man who always bests his adversaries in whatever endeavor they partake of.

Quite enjoyable, and far less offensive than one might expect

[zetes · 7/10 · 7 July 2013]

Of all the yellowface performances I've ever seen from classic Hollywood, Peter Lorre's Mr. Moto strikes me as the least offensive. The only times the character comes off as too stereotypical are when Mr. Moto is trying to trick dumb white people into thinking he's an ignorant heathen. Most of the time he's exceedingly intelligent, a Japanese Sherlock Holmes. He even has a couple of action sequences (apparently the audiences at the time ate up the Judo stuff). Lorre's just great in the role. The rest of the cast here is fine, too (the most recognizable actors are Henry Wilcoxon and Erik Rhodes). The Asian detective character was extremely popular at the time, the most famous of them being Charlie Chan (there's also Boris Karloff's Mr. Wong). I'm planning to take in a Charlie Chan and Mr. Wong film (n.b. I did end up watching Mr. Wong, Detective afterward, and it was pretty good, too) just for comparison. I also plan on watching all the other Mr. Moto films available to me. I love Lorre and very much enjoyed this film.

One of the best in the series

[Anne_Sharp · 7/10 · 16 July 2001]

One of the weakest gimmicks in the Sol Wurtzel-Peter Lorre Moto series was Moto's occasional attempts to lurk about in disguise a la Sherlock Holmes. It's surprising therefore that one of the most successful (and dramatically strongest) films in the series featured Moto doing an extended undercover operation as "Ito," the pidgen-English-speaking Japanese houseboy of a British gangster. The scenes in which Ito/Moto is treated with condescending contempt by his employer and roughed up by Cockney barflies are clearly intended to stimulate the audiences' outrage against their stupidly bigoted treatment of "his kind"--racism here being portrayed as a specifically British tendency, in stark contrast to the friendly respect with which Mr. Moto is treated by American characters. Considering that the Moto series itself has been labeled racist--the assumption being that casting the "ugly" Jew Lorre as a Japanese was an insult to Asians, never mind the way the character was actually treated in the films--it may be time to take a more objective second look.

Yay violence!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 27 April 2009]

In the late 1930s, eight Mr. Moto films were made of varying styles. In some (the best ones if you ask me), Moto was a rather amoral character and often killed bad guys instead of arresting them. In the lesser films, Moto was almost like a clone of Charlie Chan--very sedentary and the sort of guy who wouldn't hurt a fly. Well, this one is of the former type where Moto is a good guy but is more than willing to rub out his enemies to save the government the trouble of prosecuting them! What a guy, that Moto!

The film begins with Moto escaping with a prisoner from Devil's Island (Leon Ames). It seems that Moto is so intent on infiltrating a gang of international assassins that he went to a heck of a lot of trouble to get himself locked up, befriending one of the founding members of the group and then helping him escape! Back in London, Moto pretends to be an ignorant and VERY stereotypical Japanese houseboy for Ames. Many, I'm sure, will be annoyed or shocked with Peter Lorre's performance in this dual role, as the houseboy (and escaped prisoner) is 100% stereotype--complete with phrases such as "so solly"! Uggh. Well, while I don't condone this, this was the 1930s and have learned to ignore these scenes--otherwise all the Moto films will make you go crazy!

Moto's job is not just to discover who's the head of this mob and capture the entire gang, but he must also somehow protect a Czechoslovakian guy who is really, really stupid. First, he sounded about as Czechoslovakian as Winston Churchill. Second, he never takes the assassins' threats very seriously--even when they showed they really meant business. Even after they kill one of his friends right after they promise to demonstrate their power, this idiot insists he needs no help from Moto or the police!! Can anyone be that stupid? Apparently, in a B-film the answer is "yes".

So far, this film is about average for a Moto film. However, towards the end it really picks up its pace and delivers a very shocking finale that only Moto could engineer. See it for yourself and see what I mean. Oh, that Moto!

Overall, a bit better than average for the series despite having a really dumb character (if I were Moto, I would have let him die) and Lorre's rather obnoxious impersonation of a brain-dead Japanese servant.

Peter Lorre is "Mr. Moto"

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 3 October 2010]

Peter Lorre is "Mysterious Mr. Moto," a Japanese detective who seems to know everything that's going on. A very likable character, Moto, not surprisingly, stopped solving crimes after Pearl Harbor.

In this, the fifth entry into the series, Moto escapes Devil's Island with another man, Paul Brissac (Leon Ames), as Moto is on the trail of an assassination group, of which Brissac is a member. Moto wants the top man. Since Brissac trusts him, Moto becomes his houseboy and gets a look at the rest of the group. But not the leader. The group is threatening the life of a man, Anton Darvak (Henry Wilcoxon), who has a steel formula the group wants. Moto works to protect him.

The film has a very lively denouement, and Moto dons several disguises during the film. Peter Lorre is wonderful. Moto has it all over Chan, as it takes Chan time to figure things out. Moto seems to know it all pretty early on, and he's quite an active participant in whatever it takes to solve the crime.

It's impossible to believe, however, that a man one step up from the village idiot, Anton Darvak, has any type of a formula unless it's for adding 2 and 2. He's not worth protecting, that's for sure.

This is a short movie, and the main thing it's got going for it is Lorre. The plot isn't great. And as short as it is, some of it moves slowly. But what action there is, is very good.

MYSTERIOUS MR. MOTO (Norman Foster, 1938) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 17 January 2014]

With this, I begin a seven-movie tribute to the late British film critic Leslie Halliwell (the first one I came across and who instilled in me a love for the golden age of cinema) on the 25th anniversary of his untimely passing. He had compiled two books citing 219(!) of his all-time favourites, including titles he did not even praise all that much in his assessment on the official pioneering guide! Even if hardly constituting products of outstanding merit, but certainly proving great fun to watch, he showed a particular fondness for crime/mystery franchises (such as the Mr. Moto one here, Charlie Chan, Bulldog Drummond, Sherlock Holmes and "The Thin Man") – and also threw in a couple that could only be described as "guilty pleasures" i.e. NIGHT MONSTER (1942) and HOUSE OF Dracula (1945)!

This is actually the fifth entry in the character's original eight-movie run and, though I own all of them (as well as the 1965 one-off revival. THE RETURN OF MR. MOTO), only the second I have watched so far. Coincidentally, the other one (MR. MOTO'S LAST WARNING {1939}) was also singled out for praise by Halliwell in those volumes…and, indeed, "Mr. Moto" is the only series to receive more than a single nod: make of that what you will! While there are obvious intrinsic similarities between him and that other even more popular Asian sleuth, Charlie Chan (concurrently the subject of a parallel franchise that would last much longer at the same studio – Fox), so much so that one of the Moto films i.e. MR. MOTO'S GAMBLE (1938) was originally planned as a Chan entry(!), the two detectives' modus operandi was decidedly different – since the former adopted affability and camouflage to solve any given case, whereas the latter relied on wise sayings and a little help from his brood of sons to get at the truth.

Needless to say, the look of the films and some of their credentials were similarly interchangeable – but so was the entertainment value gleaned from them: the Motos' briefer stretch ensured that this (and the plot lines) did not risk running thin, as the Chans inevitably did – especially since it saw a couple of replacements to the central role along the way! To its credit, not all these various detective thriller series featured great actors in the lead – but this surely was the case with Mr. Moto, played for nearly two straight years by Austro-Hungarian Peter Lorre in the initial stages of his Hollywood career. Though his features could hardly pass for an Oriental, Lorre's diminutive stature and soft-spoken delivery made him an ideal choice regardless: still, he is not played up as a feeble and subservient stereotype (outside of a deliberate disguise on his part) – in fact, he can effortlessly outwit or physically overcome his antagonists and show authority figures for the pompous fools they are (as amply seen in the movie under review)!

At this juncture, I cannot say which is the better effort of the two Motos I have checked out: it has been some time since my sole viewing of LAST WARNING, the sixth in the saga, via an original DVD of Public-Domain "Mystery" films (generously donated to me by an American friend of long standing) – though I would probably give the edge to it in view of supporting actors George Sanders and John Carradine and the exotic setting involved. Incidentally, why MYSTERIOUS was so called is itself a puzzle – as this is all-too-generic (witness the almost identically-titled yet wholly unrelated efforts involving the Oriental figure of Mr. Wong incarnated by fellow horror icons Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff) and, basically, the kind of moniker by which a personage is normally introduced to audiences!

That said, it is obviously representative of the lot, with respect to narrative (already with an eye on the impending war in Europe), twists (Moto springs a hit-man - Leon Ames - out of jail to catch his gang leader!), suspense (the climax being set in a crowded art gallery, with Moto dressed up as a disgruntled Germanic artist!), characterization (for the best part of the film, Moto poses as the hit-man's meek butler, bullied by racist bar patrons, in order to expose his opponents!), romance (Moto's own relationship with an Asian colleague working undercover is interesting – countering the obligatory one between the second leads - including Henry Wilcoxon) and comedy relief (supplied by Erik Rhodes, formerly the "other man" of many an Astaire/Rogers musical). In fact, the whole atmosphere (even more so here in view of the London backdrop and looking particularly nice in this DVD-sourced transfer) is – delightfully – not too far off the early Hitchcock mark.

Not so softly....

[steveressel · 9/10 · 10 August 2008]

The Moto films were 'cheaps', made quickly and inexpensively, and also rather short to pack in with other films for a cinema experience packed with a variety of films in a string. Where most other films of the time have either risen to heights through brilliance or, as most have done, fallen from interest completely due to mediocre or lackluster efforts, the Moto films have found quite an enthusiastic audience that still thrills to the honest, entertaining portrayal of an exotic crime fighter.

Mysterious Mr. Moto is the first film in the series where the crew seems to have 'gotten it together'. The acting, acing, story, and film work were all quite a notch above the previous three. Though the stories are always rather linear they keep an audience by balancing thrills, violence, mystery, character and mild romance.

The criticism of racism is odd. Lorre plays the character slightly off Japanese, his accent being obviously Germanic, but his mannerisms are keen. Moto is an American schooled Japanese, which was very typical in those days, and it gives him an obvious bridge in understanding western culture. It is a pity they didn't find more Asians to fill key roles in these films, but generally the American actors used were quite good despite looking too Caucasian. I can forgive authenticity for acting ability, especially in the days when there were few stories written for Asians.

Moto always comes off as a powerhouse. He's an admirable figure for anyone undersized in a brutal world. Kids must have loved Moto in the day as he proved someone tiny could trash giant brutes with guns and ham hock fists. He's a great roll model for more than just Asians or Japanese, he's a hero for everyone. These films are fun, matinée film that portrayed the shrinking world with a metropolitan and international flavor. I think they are admirable. Lorre proved himself adept beyond any doubt with these movies. They are a credit to the entire crew.

A Fun Story

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 8 July 2014]

Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre) has himself imprisoned on Devil's Island so he can help his cellmate (Leon Ames) escape and thereby get the goods on a gang of international killers.

Trying to determine where the racism begins, ends and is even refuted in the Mr. Moto pictures is a fun game. Certainly, Moto himself can be thought of as a racist invention because of his portrayal by white man. But then, he is portrayed as clever and likable, so it is not as though the creators meant to insult the Japanese.

Further, the film actually shows men acting racist and presents them in a poor light. And a subtle jab is given to racism when Moto is able to easily get through a gate by merely being a house servant. Who is foolish here? On top of all this, we have a fairly decent detective story, a jail break, and a mighty impressive bar fight.

The Most Action-Full of the Moto Movies!

[JohnHowardReid · 8/10 · 22 August 2008]

This entry would more aptly be titled Mr Moto of London's Limehouse. Aside from the opening escape and the thrilling climax, most of the movie is set in an exuberantly realized Limehouse, peopled with a truly multitudinous collection of colorful Dickensian characters, who swiftly break into one of the most extraordinary mêlées ever captured in any movie, "A" or "B". The credit for the jaw-dropping handling of these vigorous action sequences belongs squarely to director Norman Foster, who has made the most of a somewhat faulty plot by moving it along with such action-full abandon, there is little time to reflect on the holes.

Given half a chance, we might also notice that five of the twelve principal characters are both rather weakly written and portrayed: Mary Maguire, Henry Wilcoxon, Erik Rhodes, Leon Ames and Fred Vogeding do little to inspire audience applause. It's Peter Lorre, the ever-reliable John Rogers, the lovely Karen Sorrell, delightfully sinister Cecil Weston, enthusiastic Forrester Harvey, old-school-tie Lester Matthews, and would you believe a remarkably subdued Harold Huber, who do all the running.

All Lorre's Moto excursions are well worth viewing. This one rates high on my list, though my personal favorite is Mr Moto's Last Warning.

Mr. Moto's Great Escapes

[lugonian · 6/10 · 7 August 2016]

MYSTERIOUS MR. MOTO (20th Century-Fox, 1938), as scripted and directed by Norman Foster, resumes Peter Lorre as the Japanese bespectacled sleuth, Kentaro Moto, based on the character created by John P. Marquand, in another well-paced crime caper. Though fifth in general release, this series is known by historians to be one to seldom be distributed to theaters in order of production. An improvement over its previous entry, MR. MOTO TAKES A CHANCE (1938), this edition resorts to the usual plotting with interesting results.

The story opens with the escape of two convicts from Devil's Island: Paul Brissac (Leon Ames) and his Japanese cellmate, Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre), posing under the name of Ito Kartol. Chased by prison guards with sniffing hounds, the convicts dodge bullets and wild leopard on a tree before breaking away down the river inside a canoe. After a few days of uncertainty, the convicts make their way to freedom onto a steamer where they manage to obtain a new set of clothes. Arriving in London, Brissac goes under an assumed name of Romero with "Kartol" acting as his Japanese houseboy. Taking up residence at 27B Half Moon Street, Kartol is given the day off while Brissac gets to talk over business with visiting associates, Ernst Litmar (Harold Huber) and George Higgins (Forrester Harvey). As much as Litmar doesn't trust this Japanese servant, he at least has managed work into the trusted confidence of Brissac. In the meantime, Mr. Moto makes his contact with Sir Charles Murchison (Lester Matthews) of New Scotland Yard, updating him of his secret mission; and Lotus Liu (Karen Sorrell), another personal contact and undercover agent taking up residence on the second floor of the Blue Peter Tavern, with information leading Moto to the Park Lane Hotel to meet with Anton Darvak, a Czech inventor of a new steel formula. Through the course of the story, it is revealed that Mr. Moto is going undercover to learn the identity of the leader of the League of Assassins stationed in England, which explains his association with Brissac, who's first assignment is his connection with Darvak. As Moto converses with Anton Darvak (Henry Wilcoxon), his personal secretary, Ann Richman (Mary Maguire), reveals she's in fear of his life following a series of death threatening letters and phone calls. While Darvak refuses to be intimidated, David Scott Fresham (Erik Rhodes), his business associate, advises him not take these threats lightly. When Litmar discovers "Kartol" to be Mr. Moto of the International Police, he arranges for "Kartol" to meet with an "accident" while walking through the dangerous district of Gladstone Street while at the same time plotting an perfect "accident" on Darvak that's to take place at the Conventry Gallery Exhibition the following day.

What makes this particular entry interesting besides its pacing is its casting of supporting players whose names mean very little today to contemporary viewers: Henry Wilcoxon, best known for his two breakthrough performances under director Cecil B. DeMille's epics as CLEOPATRA (1934) and THE CRUSADES (1935), who, by this time, after such a promising start in his career, having failed to enhance his career as an important actor of major movie productions; Erik Rhodes, the familiar Italian accented character actor immortalized from two Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals, THE GAY Divorcée (1934) and TOP HAT (1935), here adding his familiarity and humor with the lessening in his accented speech; and Leon Ames, later to become a prominent father figure in many family oriented MGM movies of the 1940s and later television, as one of the bad guys. Among others in support are: Fredrik Vogeding (Gottfried Brunjo); John Rogers ("Sniffy"); Mitchell Lewis (Captain Nola); Sam Harris (Lord Gilford, a murder victim); and Billy Bevan (The Passport Inspector).

Regardless of fine support from the aforementioned actors, Peter Lorre, as usual, gathers the most attention. Aside from posing as a houseboy speaking in Japanese lingo and at one point disguised as an eccentric bearded art critic, there's one intense scene placed in a bar where he must play a weakling surrounded by "violent types" so not to arouse suspicion to his true identity. There's also familiar scenes as Moto's self defense using jujitsu methods, near death experiences with hired thugs, and chase scenes before the big surprise of Moto's revealing the actual group leader before the 62 minutes is over.

Commonly broadcast on commercial television anywhere between the 1960s to 1990s, MYSTERIOUS MR. MOTO, along with seven other entries in the series, have become available for viewing and enjoyment on DVD. In spite of some flaws, that could easily be overlooked, this entry is no disappointment. Next in the series, MR. MOTO'S LAST WARNING (1939). (**1/2)

Murder Incorporated goes global

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 21 April 2013]

Interpol's best agent Moto Kentaro is undercover at the beginning of Mysterious Mr. Moto as a notorious prisoner on Devil's Island. Peter Lorre does an arranged breakout from the island with Leon Ames the head of an international syndicate of assassins. In Brooklyn on a more local level it was called Murder Inc.

Lorre attachs himself to Ames to work as his Japanese houseboy the better to get a line on the group. A bunch of them are in London to carry out a contract on Czech steel magnate Henry Wilcoxon unless he coughs up a new manufacturing formula he's developed. Wilcoxon does not take kindly to threats so Lorre has his work cut out for him.

International politics gets jumbled considerably as Moto has a Chinese girl confederate here played by Karen Sorrell. And of course he's treated badly when he's in the notorious Limehouse district by the locals and rather condescendingly by Scotland Yard.

I will say this though. It's rather obvious after a while who the real ringleader is, but if you look at the cast credits you won't figure it out because of the roles this player done.

Peter Lorre is on top of his game, the film though has not stood the test of time.

A Man of Action

[tedg · 1 September 2007]

This series was a competitor to the more long-running Charlie Chan stories. The differences are striking.

Chan seems to never know what is going on until the end, when he has sussed out an amazingly complex set of circumstances. Our job during the movie is simply to collect facts that will only mean something when the final story is told. During this task we are given a few jokes. Chan's job is precisely the same as ours and we are always with him when he discovers something. He's just smarter, the product of a more clever race.

Moto knows ahead of time much of what's going on. The stories aren't detective stories; they're adventure stories. Moto isn't a passive, simple observer on the viewer's side of the stage, but a participant, an actor who plays a role in disguise. He fights. He thwarts the bad guys. In his normal persona, he's much more poised, more genteel. More schooled. Its the superiority of the man, not the race.

These each are sides of Sherlock Holmes in the two variants of stories. Interesting to see how they were bifurcated during this period. They'd stay separated until now, each developing into its own genre.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

Fun in Devil's Island - The Mysterious Mr. Moto

[arthur_tafero · 6/10 · 25 March 2022]

The Japanese answer to Charlie Chan was Mr. Moto, who had a fine audience in the US until the outbreak of WW 2 made his character unmarketable. In this installment, Mr. Moto vacations in Devil's Island in order to capture an international crime syndicate. Not something I would do, but hey, to each his own. Of course, we know in advance how all of this will come out. Unlike the Charlie Chan films, which have pretty good atmosphere and sets, the Moto films lack a bit of that quality. But still fun to watch.

The Steel Trap

[kapelusznik18 · 6/10 · 11 September 2015]

****SPOILERS*** International crime fighter Mister Moto, Peter Lorre goes under cover as an escaped murderer from Devil's Island with his cell-mate Paul Brissac, Leon Ames, to infiltrate Brissac league of Assassins. It's the Assassins who are targeting Czech industrialist Anton Darvak, Henry Wilcoxon, for death in him not playing ball with them. Darvak had developed this super steel formula that he's keeping it to himself not wanting it to fall into the wrong hands in case a war breaks out somewhere on the globe. Threatened with death if he doesn't give the league the formula Darvak fluffs the threats off until his good friend Lord Gilford, Sam Harris,, is killed in a truck, that crushed him, accident. That as a warning to him to give up the steel formula to those war mongering international gangsters that the League is working for.

Mr. Moto who's now Brissac's manservant got all the information in what's planned for Darvak and all by himself tries to prevent it from happening. As it turns out Darvak is to be set up for elimination at the London Art Gallary by the head of the League of Assassins,????, who's in fact a close friend of his. This has Mr. Moto, who by then found out what's going down, try to prevent that from happening by going undercover as a German art critic. And by doing that have the man planning to do Darvak in get done in, with a 500 pound chandelier landing on his head, instead.

***SPOILERS*** With his cover as an escaped murderer as well as manservant blown Mister Moto's life is now in danger of being snuffed out by the league of Assassins that has him use his acrobatic and martial skills to put them out of business. Even after the big man,???, was put out of action with a super splitting, caused by the 500 pound chandelier, headache Mister Moto had his hands full with Brissac who just had to finish the job that he at first started; To kill Anton Darvak on the orders of his now deceased boss the had man of the Assassion League. It was a futile effort on his part in that Mister Moto put Brissac away, with his martial art fighting skills, without as much as breaking out in a sweat in the knock down and drag out free for all he had with him at the end of the film.

Mr. Moto vs the League of Assassins

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 7 March 2014]

Mr. Moto is undercover again. This time he helps Leon Ames escape from Devil's Island and then works for him as a servant so he can spy on the League of Assassins that Ames is part of. From what I've read here, this part of the movie has ruffled a few feathers as Lorre plays the Japanese servant in a very stereotypical manner. But it should be pointed out he's trying to appear slow-witted and harmless to throw off suspicion, so it's not like a Stepin Fetchit situation. There's actually a plot reasoning for it; he's not doing it to get racist laughs. Moto also puts on a disguise as a German artist at the art show late in the movie. This is amusing when you think about it: a German playing Japanese playing a German. Overall, it's not the best Moto picture. Lorre's performance helps things greatly but the story is pretty weak. Henry Wilcoxon plays an infuriating character who keeps refusing to believe there's any danger. There's a mystery about who is the leader of the League of Assassins that will come as no surprise to anyone. I'll give you a hint: it's an American actor using a dreadful British accent. It's a nice time-killer but nothing more.

Mr. Moto in prison?

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 22 November 2012]

This is the fifth installment of this mystery series created by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist J.P. Marquard. Considered by some as the poor man's Charlie Chan, but still interesting and enjoyable. The mild mannered Mr. Moto(Peter Lorre)agrees to help Scotland Yard by using a Devil's Island inmate's disguise to track down a gang of ruthless assassins. Moto must help his cell mate(Leon Ames)escape in order to get the low down on his unlawful friends. The Japanese sleuth always seems to complete his assignments relying on his wits and martial arts skills. Players include: Mary Maguire, Harold Huber, John Roberts and Henry Wilcoxon.

Mr Moto socko

[bornagain710-331-212635 · 8/10 · 15 June 2022]

Unfortunately the character Mr Moto was not considered a good one since the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. The series ended prematurely and Lorre went on to be one of our most appreciated character actors in mysteries such as Maltese Falcon and Horror opposite Vincent Price. Mr Moto was not sern again after 1939 until 1965 portraited by Henry Silva.

Well-paced, fun Moto entry

[coltras35 · 9/10 · 30 December 2020]

The charismatic Peter Lorre stars as Mr Moto, a cunning international policeman, who is working undercover to not just to bust up a criminal outfit called the league of assassins, but to uncover the ring leader. Consequently he foils an assassin en route. What I loved was how smart he was, fooling his enemies into thinking he's meek. Why, he throws some of the bad guys around with judo throws and leaps at one villain like he's jumping off a trampoline. Great fun.

Decent Entry in Series

[Michael_Elliott · 3 July 2009]

Mysterious Mr. Moto (1938)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre), under a fake ID, escapes from Devil's Island with another man who he follows to London. Once there Moto helps Scotland Yard try to crack the case of an assassination group. This fifth film in the series is a step up from the previous one but it doesn't quite have enough to put it on the level of the first three. The biggest problem is the actual story, which just isn't very entertaining and it actually makes for a rather slow and boring first forty-minutes. I never really could get into the story once we hit London because it was never quite clear what was going on and even worse is that we had an incredibly stupid character that Moto kept helping. The amount of dumb things this guys does is downright crazy and it really got under my skin. The final ten-minutes is when the action really picks up and the finale, with Moto having a very good fight, really packs a punch and delivers the goods. I also enjoyed the opening sequence on Devil's Island. Lorre is is usual very good self here as he's certainly got all of Moto's moves down. The supporting cast is also pretty good and that includes Henry Wilcoxon and Leon Ames.

Moto goes in disguise...

[gazzo-2 · 1 September 2001]

This one isn't bad, though a character usually written with some measure of authenticity and respect for his heritage is instead thrown into doing a japanese houseboy pidgin english turn instead. Kinda awkward. I remember wincing in places to be honest, though it's more the time and distance from '37 that causes that more than anything actually intended by the filmmakers.

** outta ****.