Mr. Moto's Last Warning

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.

This one starts out especially murky, bristling with bad hats rubbing shoulders with innocent Westerners in a strange land. What they're all up to takes some resolving, but be reassured Moto's in charge, even though he unwittingly sends 2 of his cohorts to their deaths along the way. High production values compliment an interesting if far-fetched storyline.

A gang of jittery international spies working for an un-named foreign power aim to disrupt the French fleet heading into Port Said in Egypt and cause rupture between those very old long-standing allies Britain and France, Moto's aim is to disrupt the baddies first. All-knowing Ricardo Cortez has a strange job as ventriloquist to his unexplained Cockney dummy Alf, while his second George Sanders puts on a seedy French accent with gusto if not skill. Poor old John Carradine though! And good for Cortez's moll with moral fibre Virginia Field! A tense climax is guaranteed with Moto in the bag, and is ingenious when it arrives.

A great little film for those of us who like the genre, not unless.

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 ****

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 as the oriental detective Mr. Moto was truly a delightful experience to behold. A seemingly small man in statue but gifted in the art of judo. When the decoy Moto is murdered you feel that the real Moto will not stop at nothing to bring justice. A man of quick wit and chameleon abilities to blend in, joins up with a british agent to stop the suspected saboteurs. Mr. Moto faces death several times and survives by observational powers of deduction and underwater skills. A top notch performance by Mr. Lorre and George Sanders really make this film a worthwhile experience.