Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

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 aka 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: That is an obvious stuntman demonstrating Mr. Moto's jujutsu in Bob's cabin.

Quotes:

Kentaro Moto: Half the world spends its time laughing at the other half, and both are fools.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Air Force (1943)

Soundtrack:

The Shy Violet

Bogs Down A Bit But Has A Good Finish

This was the first of the eight Mr. Moto movies but not necessarily the best of the early group, although not bad. I thought the second and third ones were the best of the first grouping of four. This got bogged down a little too much early on with Thomas Beck's infatuation with Virginia Field ("Gloria Danton"). In subsequent Moto movies, the romance angle was lesser and Moto featured more, which is better. However, some of the sappy guy's lust for his girl turns out to tie in with the head crook, so all is not lost in having to sit through the dull romance spots. (Dull because the dialog was affected, especially Beck's as "Bob Hitchings," the son of the shipping magnate and the man pursuing Gloria.

When the script featured the crime angle (smuggling), as in the beginning and in the last 25 minutes, it's interesting and gets involving. The long break in the middle of the film makes it easy for the viewer to lose track what exactly is going on here: who is smuggling what. We have to piece things together again when the action re-gains in the last third of the film. There is an interesting twist near the end and we hear Mr. Moto sum everything up a la Charlie Chan.

The exotic setting is Shanghai and viewers can enjoy the hectic sets with lots of people running to and fro; obnoxious British and Americans making racist statements to the locals, treating them as insignificant young kids and, of course, all the Asians played by the Anglos. That was part of '30s Hollywood, and you just accept it.

The last 40 percent of this movie makes up for any shortcomings and makes the viewing worthwhile. Mr. Moto is definitely one cool guy, who seems to have it all - except height. Peter Lorre was just great playing this role and I hope I get the opportunity to see all eight feature films in the series. I always enjoy his disguises, too, even though they don't fool us for a minute!