Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937)

Director:

Norman Foster

Writers:

John P. Marquand (novel) and
Norman Foster (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

27 July 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller | Drama

Plot:

On a freighter going from San Francisco to Shanghai Mr. Moto solves mysteries caused by a gang of smugglers. First of the series.

Plot Keywords:

First Of Series | Beautiful Woman | Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

Cast

Peter Lorre	...	Kentaro Moto
Virginia Field	...	Gloria Danton / Tanya Barov
Thomas Beck	...	Robert 'Bob' Hitchings Jr.
Sig Ruman	...	Nicolas Marloff (as Sig Rumann)
Murray Kinnell	...	Joseph B. Wilkie
John Rogers	...	Carson, steward-henchman
Lotus Long	...	Lela Liu
George Cooper	...	Muggs Blake
J. Carrol Naish	...	Adram, shopkeeper
Frederick Vogeding	...	Chinatown Curio Dealer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Philip Ahn	...	Switchboard operator (uncredited)
Richard Alexander	...	Ivan, Doorman (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Paul Fung	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
George Hassell	...	Robert Hitchings Sr. (uncredited)
Ray Hendricks	...	Soloist (uncredited)
Tom Herbert	...	Seasick Male Passenger (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Replacement Steward (uncredited)
Sam Labrador	...	Menial (uncredited)
Isabel La Mal	...	Seasick Female Passenger (uncredited)
William Law	...	Shanghai Police Chief (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	Ship's Captain Marshall (uncredited)
Louis Mercier	...	French sailor on Telephone (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Chinatown Detective (uncredited)
Bert Roach	...	Ship's Bartender (uncredited)
Virginia Sale	...	Ship's Stewardess (uncredited)
Charles Tannen	...	One of Bob's Friends (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Sammee Tong	...	Cheela, Marloff's houseboy (uncredited)
Tom Ung	...	Scarfaced Man (uncredited)
Howard Wilson	...	Bob's Drunken Pal (uncredited)
Beal Wong	...	Chinese Nightclub Waiter (uncredited)
Soo Yong	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Foster

Writing credits
John P. Marquand		(novel) (as J.P. Marquand)
Wyllis Cooper		uncredited
Norman Foster		writer
Charles Kenyon		uncredited
Howard Ellis Smith		writer

Produced by
Sol M. Wurtzel	....	producer

Original Music by
R.H. Bassett		(uncredited)
Samuel Kaylin		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Harry Jackson

Film Editing by
Alex Troffey

Art Direction by
Lewis H. Creber		(as Lewis Creber)

Set Decoration by
Walter M. Scott		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Herschel McCoy		(as Herschel)

Makeup Department
Babe Carey	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Ray Romero	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ed Ebele	....	production manager (uncredited)
Sam Wurtzel	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sol M. Wurtzel	....	assistant director (as Solly Wurtzel)
Sol Michaels	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
M. Duke Abrahams	....	property master (uncredited)
Aaron Wolf	....	assistant property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound
George Leverett	....	sound

Special Effects by
Joe Farley	....	process photography (uncredited)
Sol Halperin	....	process photography (uncredited)

Stunts
Johnny Kascier	....	stunt double: Peter Lorre (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	....	stunt double: Peter Lorre (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ray Nolan	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)
Adele Farnum	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Music Department
Samuel Kaylin	....	musical director
Gene Rose	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1937) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1937) (France) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox (1938) (Austria) (theatrical)

Runtime:

70 min | USA:67 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #3199) | Finland:K-16

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Gloria is skeet shooting at the edge of the boat, she cocks the shotgun and the spent shell is seen flying through the air over the side of the boat into what should be the water down below. Instead of hearing a splash, the shell is heard bouncing on what sounds like concrete (stage).

Quotes:

Bob Hitchings: Now I know who you are! You're the Japanese Sandman.
Kentaro Moto: [shakes head] Strange people, these Americans.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Air Force (1943)

Soundtrack:

The Shy Violet

There's More To Moto

The first of the Lorre Moto's is also the best, and from under the opening titles to the snappy ending you do have some fast thinking to do. The production values were high, the script intelligent and the acting ... fairly good, all adding up to a non-condescending film. Moto's effortless jujitsu was always a laugh, though.

On the other hand it is chock full of the usual racial, sexual and social stereotypes that bother lots of serious people nowadays. But for it not to be present would be like meat without fat: pretty tasteless and indigestible. All present-day Austrians might be outraged by Peter Lorre's casting as a Japanese, and a warning should be given before every screening. I should have been warned that the ship's English steward would be Battling Burrows' son (see "Broken Blossoms" 1919)!

Dapper Moto is going after an international gang of smugglers operating out of Shanghai, where he seems to be up against the whole population much the same as Chan was 2 years earlier. Sig Rumann plays an ugly customer but Thomas Beck and Virginia Field never looked more handsome and lovelier playing the romantic leads. I don't know how many Moto's and Chan's in total they appeared in, but I tend to look out for Beck in every one just in case!

TFMM fills just over an hour pleasantly, and I have no hesitation in recommending it to the 21st century.