Watch Mr. Moto's Gamble For Free

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Blistering performances.

Interesting back story. This third installment of the Mr. Moto series was originally to be a Charlie Chan movie; but many circumstances involving Warner Oland caused the Chan feature to be scrapped. Mr. Moto(Peter Lorre)is conducting a criminology class and one of his students happens to be Lee Chan(Keye Luke). The young Chan and another student, 'Knock-Out Wellington'(Maxie Rosenbloom),help the Japanese sleuth Moto investigate the murder of a prizefighter. The victim is poisoned during a boxing match; local investigator Lt. Riggs(Harold Huber)needs all the help he can get to solve this mystery. Newspaper writer Penny Kendall(Lynn Bari)starts a campaign to clear championship contender Bill Steele(Dick Baldwin)from the murder charges. It is suspected the real killer will strike again during the championship bout between Steele and the current champ Biff Moran(Ward Bond). Moto takes on some of the characteristics of Charlie Chan since the original script wasn't changed that much. It is a bit different seeing Moto with his physical antics toned down. But gumshoe Kentaro Moto will get to continue solving mysteries. Other players: Jayne Regan, John Hamilton, George E. Stone and Lon Chaney Jr. It should be noted this film is directed by familiar Chan series director James Tinling.

If you like Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto, you should like this movie. Unless, that is, you feel the need to get your critic's knife out and compare it to Citizen Kane. It's a B movie, folks - there are going to be wacky sidekicks and awkward plot twists. What you get is the usual made-in-four-weeks murder mystery in glorious black and white, with the usual Fox suspects as actors. Yes, Slapsie is an annoying character to me, sitting here in 2009. So are many of the son characters in Charlie Chan movies, but I can deal with them. At the time, B movies carried a formula, and the goofy sidekick was used as comic relief. At least they don't' break out in song, like they did in Marx Bros. movies. If you like this genre, you should like this movie.

Those familiar with the background of this movie know that it started out as "Charlie Chan at Ringside", and was hastily re-cast when Warner Oland died. Keye Luke maintained his role as Number #1 Son Lee Chan, and Harold Huber appeared as head of the homicide department, similar to the roles he played in a pair of Chan films just prior to "Mr. Moto's Gamble". They included a New York City police inspector (Charlie Chan on Broadway), and a French police officer (Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo). In this outing he plays it just a bit straighter, though his character gets a little erratic as the film progresses.What was interesting to me was how the film makers managed to get in a reference to Charlie Chan, as son Lee extends his regards to Mr. Moto from his 'pop', and Moto graciously praises the masterful work of the senior detective. All the while I was trying to catch a hint of recognition in Keye Luke's facial manner for a reaction to Oland's passing, but that did not materialize.Also interesting, and maybe more so, was the way this film maintained the continuity of the early Twentieth Century Fox series of Charlie Chan films. The movie completed by Warner Oland and Keye Luke just prior to this one was "Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo", and in that story, Lee Chan had a painting on exhibition in Paris. In 'Gamble', Lee is an aspiring detective taking one of Mr. Moto's classes, however officially he's enrolled as a university art student. I always found those subtle and clever inserts into the pictures to heighten my enjoyment of the films.As for the story itself, Mr. Moto becomes involved in the 'poison glove' killing at the request of Lieutenant Riggs (Huber), and is only too happy to oblige. He solves the crime in a more linear fashion than Charlie Chan would have, with enough clues along the way to help the viewer hone in on the killer - "To reveal a snake one must overturn a rock". Along the way, 'Slapsie' Maxie Rosenbloom provides some comic relief as a scatterbrained kleptomaniac, and it was cool to see Ward Bond as boxing champ Biff Moran.There was one element though that just didn't make sense. When it was agreed to lift boxer Steele's (Dick Baldwin) suspension so he could fight for the world title, THAT VERY SAME NIGHT!!!, newspaper headlines around the country carried the story! Just how fast could news possibly travel back in the 1930's? Hey, when was the last time you could get ringside seats to a main event for $4.40? Obviously 1938, but you'd pay more for a hot dog at the matches today."Mr. Moto's Gamble" was the third installment in the Moto series at Fox, and once again, Peter Lorre blends his insightful analysis and martial arts skill into an effective effort. You might feel at times he's putting up with the clunkiness of Lee Chan and detective Riggs, which is what Charlie Chan would have had to do, but in the end you have a satisfying story that paces solid detective work in a sports setting.

Due to the illness of Chan star Warner Oland, this film's script had to be turned into a Mr. Moto movie. I feel this is the weakest entry in the Fox Moto series with Peter Lorre. The film is set in the New York boxing world. I've never been a fan of boxing--so the atmosphere did nothing for me. Lorre is his usual great self. That can't be taken away. And the film has the bonus of Keye Luke reprising his role as Charlie's Number One Son, Lee Chan, for the last time at 20th Century Fox. (He would play the Lee role twice more in the last two Monogram Chans.) But even with Lorre and Luke, this one is a bit weak. It might have been better if filmed with Mr. Oland as an actual Charlie Chan film. Still--it is worth seeing.