Mr Moto Takes a Vacation *** (1939, Peter Lorre, Joseph Schildkraut, Lionel Atwill) – Classic Movie Review 8321

Director Norman Foster’s 1939 20th Century Fox black and white crime thriller Mr Moto Takes a Vacation is the eighth and last release in Peter Lorre’s enjoyable casebook, as the oriental detective Mr Moto sets off in pursuit of the crook who stole the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London, a notorious master thief assumed dead.

Lionel Atwill enjoys himself as Professor Hildebrand, Mr Moto’s partner in combating crime, a British professor seeking the priceless ancient crown of the Queen of Sheba, recovered by American archaeologist Howard Stevens (John ‘Dusty’ King) and shipped to the San Francisco Museum. For, using disguises, the still alive and thieving master thief succeeds in stealing the crown.

It is neatly plotted in a good original screenplay by Norman Foster and Philip MacDonald, based on the Mr Moto character created by John P Marquand. The magnetic performances of Lorre, Atwill and Joseph Schildkraut give it a real lift.

Also in the cast are Joseph Schildkraut as as Hendrik Manderson, Virginia Field as Eleanore Kirke, George Huntley as Archie Featherstone, Iva Stewart as Susan French, Victor Varconi as Paul Borodoff, John Bleifer as Wendling, Honorable Wu as Wong, Morgan Wallace as David Perez, Anthony Warde as Joe Rubla, Harry Strang as Museum Guard O’Hara, John Davidson as Prince Suleid, Jimmy Aubrey, Willie Best, Stanley Blystone, Gino Corrado, Ralph Dunn, Hank Mann, and Cyril Ring.

Mr Moto Takes a Vacation was the seventh filmed in the series but was not released until after Mr Moto in Danger Island. It was completed in September 1938 and previewed in Hollywood on 10 November 1938, but gained negative responses and was not released until 7 July 1939.

The series is Think Fast, Mr Moto (1937), Thank You, Mr Moto (1937), Mr Moto’s Gamble (1938), Mr Moto Takes a Chance (1938), Mysterious Mr Moto (1938), Mr Moto’s Last Warning (1939), Mr Moto in Danger Island (1939), and Mr Moto Takes a Vacation (1939). There was a further film in 1965, The Return of Mr Moto.

In December 1938 20th Century Fox announced they would not give Lorre a new contract, though they were planning four more Moto films, and Lorre left the Fox studio in July 1939, ending the series.

Mr Moto Takes a Vacation was released on DVD with Mr Moto in Danger Island, Mr Moto’s Gamble, Mr Moto’s Last Warning and (as a DVD extra) The Return of Mr Moto, in 2007 by 20th Century Fox as part of The Mr. Moto Collection, Volume Two.

 © Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8321

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