With various villain roles behind him ("M", "Mad Love", "The Man Who Knew Too Much"), Peter Lorre was contracted by 20th Century Fox to star in a series of second string features playing Japanese detective Mr. Moto, a "poor man's" Charlie Chan. Knowing all, seeing all but revealing little, Moto becomes in the case of a colleague murdered by spies and the plot he uncovers along the way involving Fifth Columnists.
An admirable cast of supporting players are featured, including George Sanders, John Carradine and Ricardo Cortez, the later playing a ventriloquist in a vaudeville show. There are also some typically bumbling British nobleman (among them Robert Coote) and a few red herrings. It starts off a little slow, but once the villains' intentions are revealed, the plot speeds up quite a bit. An amusing scene has Moto at the movies where a logo advertises a Charlie Chan movie. This short-lived series will never stand up to that more popular series (also from 20th Century Fox) but is enjoyable and pleasing in its own way.
An admirable cast of supporting players are featured, including George Sanders, John Carradine and Ricardo Cortez, the later playing a ventriloquist in a vaudeville show. There are also some typically bumbling British nobleman (among them Robert Coote) and a few red herrings. It starts off a little slow, but once the villains' intentions are revealed, the plot speeds up quite a bit. An amusing scene has Moto at the movies where a logo advertises a Charlie Chan movie. This short-lived series will never stand up to that more popular series (also from 20th Century Fox) but is enjoyable and pleasing in its own way.