Think Fast, Mr Moto *** (1937, Peter Lorre, Virginia Field, Thomas Beck, Sig Ruman) – Classic Movie Review 3323

Director Norman Foster’s 1937 black and white crime thriller Think Fast, Mr Moto stars Peter Lorre, who launches his series of eight films as the talented Mr Moto, in which author John P Marquand’s Japanese sleuth tackles a top-secret smuggling operation aboard a San Francisco-Shanghai ship.

Even if the splendid Lorre, the Hungarian-American Jewish star, isn’t exactly born to play the mysterious Japanese detective named Mr Moto, he is an enjoyable presence and the movie is fast moving, quirky and entertaining.

Also in the cast are Virginia Field as Gloria Danton, Thomas Beck as Bob Hitchings Jr, Sig Ruman as Nicolas Marloff, Murray Kinnell as Joseph B Wilkie, John Rogers, Lotus Long as Lela Liu, George Cooper as as Muggs Blake, J Carroll Naish as Adram, William Law, Bert Roach and Frederick Vogeding.

Twentieth Century Fox promised to provide good production values in the Mr Moto movies ‘to make them first-string entertainment’. It is an adaptation of the third novel in Marquand’s Moto series. Lorre was thrilled to enjoy his rare chance to play a hero.

Howard Ellis Smith and Norman Foster’s screenplay is based on the novel by John Marquand, which was not published until May 1937. When Norman Foster was assigned to direct, he was given a script by Howard Smith and rewrote it extensively. The film is very different from the novel, though it uses some of the same character names.

George Cooper, Sig Ruman and Peter Lorre in Think Fast, Mr Moto.

The other films in the series are 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).

In 1938 it was wrongly speculated that Moto would become a Korean because of controversy over Japanese foreign policy.

The films differ from the books in that Moto is the main character, an impeccably Western suited detective with Interpol, who wears glasses, has no gold teeth, is a devout Buddhist and is friendly with the Chinese monarchy. The stories are action oriented because of Moto’s judo skills and ability with disguises.

Think Fast, Mr Moto was released on DVD with Thank You, Mr Moto, Mr Moto Takes a Chance and Mysterious Mr Moto in 2006 by 20th Century Fox as part of The Mr Moto Collection, Volume One.

Thank You Mr Moto and Mr Moto is So Sorry by John P Marquand.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3323

Link to Derek Winnert’s home page for more reviews: http://derekwinnert.com/