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)
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)