Trying to cash in on the success of the Charlie Chan movies in the 1930s, Hollywood came up with the Mr. Wong series, starring Boris Karloff, and Mr. Moto, starring Peter Lorre — all three film series casting Caucasian actors as Asian detectives. While the Mr. Moto films lack some of the charm and humor of the Chan films, their plots and production are slicker and feature more physical action. In “Think Fast, Mr. Moto,” the first of the series, Moto sails from San Francisco to Shanghai on the trail of smugglers and murder. Interesting bits include Moto’s street peddler disguise and his odd recipe for a hangover cure. This film and the second entry in the series, “Thank You, Mr. Moto,” are the best of the series, which seemed to lose steam as it went along. (70 min.)
1937
Starring:
Peter Lorre
Virginia Field
Sig Ruman
Murray Kinnell
Lotus Long
J. Carrol Naish
Thomas Beck
Director:
Norman Foster
Writers:
John P. Marquand (novel movie was based on)
Norman Foster (screenplay)
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