Mr. Moto's Gamble (1938)

In the first two Mr. Moto films, Moto was a complex and rather amoral man. If someone tried to kill him, often Moto killed that person instead. Additionally, you weren't always sure who Moto worked for or his motivations. I liked this, as it made his character a bit mysterious and quite a bit unlike the studio's other Asian crime fighter, Charlie Chan. However, with MR. MOTO'S GAMBLE the transition to a Charlie Chan clone has occurred. Why? Well the answer is that this film originally WAS a Charlie Chan film and shortly into shooting it was obvious that Warner Oland (Chan) was not emotionally fit enough to finish the film. So, instead of scrapping the film, they just altered it slightly to make it a Moto film.So was this a successful move by the studio? Well, in some ways definitely not. The comic relief for the film was provided by Max 'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom--playing a guy even more annoying and unrealistic than Mantan Moreland would play in the later Charlie Chan films. Frankly, I hated Rosenbloom in the film because he detracted from the mystery with his antics. Additionally, it seemed very strange for the Japanese detective to be teamed with Charlie's #1 Son, Lee Chan (Keye Luke). In fact, you will probably notice that Moto treats Lee pretty much the way Charlie did and it just feels odd. And, since Moto was essentially playing Chan, he had much less to do in this film than in previous ones. Like Chan, he was NOT the focal point of the film and aside from a couple judo flips, you'd barely notice him in the film. In essence, Mr. Moto was dead.Despite this obviously being a Chan film (and second-rate due to the dominant presence of Rosenbloom), the film is still pretty good--provided you don't mind that it's not a Moto movie. The mystery itself isn't bad (though the squirt gun angle was pretty dumb) and the film worked pretty well. While the mechanical gun at the end was overly complex, how Moto used this was pretty neat. Overall, I give it a 6. It's interesting and fun but suffers a severe case of too much Rosenbloom and multiple personality disorder! By the way, there are some famous faces buried within the film. Ward Bond (famous for his many appearances in support of John Wayne) plays the Champion, George E. Stone ('Runt' from the Boston Blackie films) and a young Lon Chaney, Jr. is in a bit role.For more on how this film came to be, watch the DVD extra included along with MR. MOTO'S GAMBLE. MR. MOTO MEETS MR. CHAN is indispensable for die-hard fans like myself to understand the very troubled process through which this film was made.

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.

Warner Oland made a reputation playing orientals which is what got him the role of Erle Derr Biggers Honolulu detective in the first place. Not bad for a Swedish American actor. Unfortunately, he lost the role in a very unexpected way. He died. Now, before you go and try to figure out who done it, don't bother. These things happen and not always through foul play. Now, Peter Lorre had made his name playing a child murderer in a little German film called "M" and that eventually brought him to the U.S. and this Hungarian Jew was suddenly thrust into the role intended for character actor J. Edward Bromberg (who coincidentally played a raja in a Moto film.) Amazingly, Loree, being the terrific actor he was became very believable as a Japanese detective well practiced in the art of jiu jitsu and karate. Now I have said all that to say that Lorre's Moto was thrust into this film when Olaand died and the Chan script was completed. With a little rewrite, it became the picture I am reviewing here, and it is a doozy. It even has the wonderful character actor John Hamilton (later to be famous as Perry White of the Daily Planet on the "Superman" TV series) as one of his many mayor/D.A./warden/person in authority role/ With the able comic relief of Keye Luke's number one son and over-sized, cauliflower pug 'Slapsy' Maxie Rosenbloom, and a dandy mystery.Now, I won't give you a spoiler here, but I will tell you that if you have watched enough whodunits as I have, you will see the same mystery kickers replayed dozens of times, or at least a couple. This particular murder puzzle I saw no less than three times counting this one. Once in a syndicated "The New Adventures of Charlie Chan" series starring J. Carroll Naish (another character actor who played all sorts of ethnics other than his own ethnic background) another TV show called "Burke's Law," and still another TV show featuring detective "Ellery Queen" played by the always talented late, great Jim Hutton.And it all happens in a boxing ring. Just watch the film and have fun with it. After all, we're not talking Shakespeare here. Just good, fun bloodless murder and fun characters you'll enjoy for company. I give it a 7 out of ten stars for that.

Pretty interesting meeting of icons, as it were, I kinda liked this one actually. Keye Luke was always a fave of mine, and putting Moto into the Palooka Joe milieu actually added something to the series mix I think. It's not as good's the first two in the run, but not bad-and you do get to see Ward Bond doing his Tough Guy thing early on too.**1/2 outta ****