Mr. Moto's Last Warning

The Mr. Moto films went out of circulation immediately after Pearl Harbor. As we can see in this film, they reflected a hope that circulated in John P. Marquand's England (and had some currency in the US) that a reasonably 'civilized' (in the European sense) Japan could be negotiated with over China and then used for political leverage against Russia and Germany. This film was released in early 1939; by September of that year, Germany was in Poland, and England and France were allied against it, so the basic premise of the film was made worthless. Shortly after, the Japanese kicked the British out of China, so the basic hope underlying the film became worthless. The film is thus best approached as a kind of fantasy.

It is, specifically, a spy thriller, not a mystery at all; it's more closely related to the James Bond films (which are also largely fantasies) than to the Charlie Chan style 'oriental detective' movies of its own day.

This is the only widely - and cheaply - available Moto film. I've only seen one other Mr. Moto film, a long time ago, and I don't remember it well. It was a fairly faithful adaptation from the original Marquand material, and seemed very complicated, much as the Marquand novels can be. This film, to the contrary, is an original story. It is streamlined and linear in plotting. It appears to have been made rather quickly on not a lot of money, but the film-making is strictly professional. The pacing avoids a lot of lags, and there are moments of real suspense and real surprise.

Thus we have a well-made, enjoyable genre film here; but the main delight of the film is undoubtedly the performance of Peter Lorre. Lorre achieved some respect in Germany and England before coming to Hollywood - where, alas, he was not treated well, as the type for which he was usually cast - 'suspicious foreigner' - was very narrow. Mr. Moto here allows Lorre a star-turn, a hero's part, and surprisingly considerable latitude in interpretation. He is obviously having a grand time here, and delivers a wonderful performance.

Overall, an excellent B-movie, very entertaining if taken on its own terms.

Has a lotta the old reliable British character actor standbys of the time, E.E. Clive, Coates, Sanders, etc. It's good, the 'great shots' were indeed that, Lorre and Carradine in good form, there was more $$$ thrown into the making of this one than in others in the series. I enjoyed this alot, and if you like Moto or Lorre at all, this one is a must.

*** outta ****

Mr. Moto's Last Warning (1939)

*** (out of 4)

Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre), believed dead, is assisted by an undercover British agent (John Carradine) as the two try to stop a couple international agents (Ricardo Cortez, George Sanders) from using the Suez Canal to blow up some French ships and blaming the British. This sixth entry in the series is a major step up from the previous two entries and one could say this one here was the best of the series. The story is a pretty good one but what really works here is the wonderful cast of character actors who really make this a must see. It's fun seeing Lorre's Moto up against various other actors who played famous roles themselves and that includes Perry Mason and Sam Spade (Cortez), The Saint (Sanders) and Dracula (Carradine) too. Seeing the four character actors share the same film makes for a lot of fun and the story itself also helps build some drama and that includes a wonderful underwater sequence that certainly won't be forgotten by anyone who sees it. The story is certainly a bit far fetched but it's made believable due to the actors all giving very good performances and Foster handles the material very well. The ending contains some great action with our hero kicking it into high gear to do major damage. The guys get to have a lot of fun but so does Virginia Fields in her small but fun role. Lorre is great as usual but it's actually Cortez who steals the film as the ruthless villain. Carradine also offers up an excellent performance and his scene at the bottom of the ocean is quite creepy and highly effective. Overall this here is certainly one of the best films in the series and one that even non-fans should be able to enjoy.

I've always enjoyed Peter Lorre. When you run the gamut of actors from the inception of the motion picture, I can think of no one to match him. Here he plays a Chinese detective. His credibility is in question because of that very fact. Nevertheless, there is a sort of acceptance due to the wisdom of Asians. I suppose this all came out of the Charlie Chan mythos. In this one there is a plot to blow up the French fleet. It would be a major act of war and a great defeat. Mr. Moto is forced to make his way among a bevy of bad guys. There's espionage, double dealing, but he makes his solitary way through this confusing mess. One of the bad guys is a ventriloquist who seems to have a sick fascination with his dummy. Of course, this all works into the plot. Mr. Moto manages to engage the help of several other characters and finds a way to save the day.

Peter Lorre is always fun to watch, and this 'Mr. Moto' film gives him a good role that allows him to do a lot of things. The story itself is pretty good - although there are some loose ends, it moves quickly and has some offbeat aspects that usually work. Lorre carries the show, but there is a good supporting cast, especially George Sanders and John Carradine.

The setting and atmosphere are interesting, combining the waterfront setting (in Port Said) with an assortment of characters of different nationalities. The stage variety show, which is at the center of much of the action, creates some good moments. All in all, a pretty good feature that works well as light entertainment.