Mr. Moto Chega a Tempo

As originally created by author John P. Marquand, Moto was an icy and distinctly lethal Japanese agent; 20th Century Fox, which had earlier created the extremely popular Charlie Chan series, toned down his more deadly qualities, cast German actor Peter Lorre in the role, and between 1937 and 1939 made eight films featuring the character. Although they did not really challenge the Chan films, they were popular in their own right, and it was not until American sentiment began to turn against the Japanese that 20th Century Fox dropped the character.

Made in 1939, MR. MOTO'S LAST WARNING is the sixth film in the series, and it finds Moto (Lorre) working to foil an attempt to set the English and French against each other by blowing up the French fleet as it enters an English-controlled canal in the middle east. Although the film has a slow start, it is graced with a gifted cast that includes George Sanders, John Carradine, and Ricardo Cortez, and it soon comes up a snappy pace and proves unexpectedly watchable.

Over the years the Chan films have drawn considerable condemnation from Chinese Americans due to the fact that Chan was never played by an Asian actor; somewhat curiously, the Moto films have escaped the same degree of politically-correct derision. This is all the more odd because Lorre is even less of Japanse than Oland and Toler were Chinese. Even so, Lorre is always interesting to watch, and his unexpected physicality (Moto is a master of judo) drives the film remarkably well.

MR. MOTO'S LAST WARNING is the only film in the series presently in public domain, a circumstance that seems more accidental than intentional. The Alpha release is very much in line with that: the picture is shaky, particularly in the opening segments, and the sound is quite weak. Fans of the series would do better to go with the series editions now in release through 20th Century Fox--but no matter which copy you lay hands on, you'll find the film an enjoyable bit of flyweight fun. Recommended to fans of 1930s mysteries, thrillers, and espionage movies.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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.

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.

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 ****

This was my first Mr. Moto film and I wasn't sure what to expect. Peter Lorre is surprisingly good as the Japanese "international police" detective, altho in this entry he's forced to use a lot of broken English in lieu of a disguise. This isn't a mystery, since we know exactly what's happening all along (Moto is tracking some foreign agents who are up to no good), but it is pretty nifty, especially when Moto mixes it up with the heavies and gives as good as he gets. The acting is passable, particularly from the principals, and the seaside setting is realistic. It's good stuff, especially if you're also interested in early John Carradine work or think you'd enjoy seeing posh George Sanders putting on a French accent(!)