Mr.Moto’s Last Warning (1939) – The great detective must stop a plot
to mine the Suez Canal and drag the British into an international
incident.
to mine the Suez Canal and drag the British into an international
incident.
Director:
Starring Peter Lorre John Carradine, Virginia Field, George Sanders
Starring Peter Lorre John Carradine, Virginia Field, George Sanders
Why
I Liked It: Lorre is charming as the master detective.
I Liked It: Lorre is charming as the master detective.
This
movie presents a problem right from the start for the modern viewer.
Lorre is a white man playing an Asian. Even in 2019 the struggle for
Asian actors to get leading roles in stories that center on Asian
characters continues. So there is a level of discomfort in watching
movies from an age where it was common practice. Moto is intelligent,
daring and resourceful. But the Hollywood assumption was that
audiences wouldn’t watch an Asian actor in movies like this or
the competing Charlie Chan films.
As
we move through an age where more non-white actors are moving into
the higher realms of stardom, re-launching the Mr. Moto series with
an Asian actor and a modern sensibility might be an interesting and
profitable idea. It would be a wonderful way to save the character from its racist past. Whether it’s an insurmountable obstacle for today’s viewer is a decision I’ll leave to you.
we move through an age where more non-white actors are moving into
the higher realms of stardom, re-launching the Mr. Moto series with
an Asian actor and a modern sensibility might be an interesting and
profitable idea. It would be a wonderful way to save the character from its racist past. Whether it’s an insurmountable obstacle for today’s viewer is a decision I’ll leave to you.
Wait,
did I just advocate for a series re-launch? I may need to have a
brief lie down.
did I just advocate for a series re-launch? I may need to have a
brief lie down.
With
all that in mind, Lorre is wonderful here. To be honest, he is pretty
much the only thing worth watching. Most of the rest of the cast are
B actors, working with an uninspired script. Lorre gives depth and
nuance to his character (as you would expect). Moto is an
internationally respected detective, a master of disguise, martial
arts master, intelligent and resourceful. It’s a rare portrayal of
Asian characters at the time. Lorre’s Moto only drops into a
stereotypical obsequious Asian character as a disguise to fool the
gullible (white people). Moto’s exact ancestry is somewhat vague.
Is he Japanese or Chinese? A careful examination of the books and
movies indicates he has strong ties with both nations. The advent of
the Second World War put the Moto movies out to pasture, whatever his
affiliations were. This is the next to last in this series.
all that in mind, Lorre is wonderful here. To be honest, he is pretty
much the only thing worth watching. Most of the rest of the cast are
B actors, working with an uninspired script. Lorre gives depth and
nuance to his character (as you would expect). Moto is an
internationally respected detective, a master of disguise, martial
arts master, intelligent and resourceful. It’s a rare portrayal of
Asian characters at the time. Lorre’s Moto only drops into a
stereotypical obsequious Asian character as a disguise to fool the
gullible (white people). Moto’s exact ancestry is somewhat vague.
Is he Japanese or Chinese? A careful examination of the books and
movies indicates he has strong ties with both nations. The advent of
the Second World War put the Moto movies out to pasture, whatever his
affiliations were. This is the next to last in this series.
With the serious issues mentioned above in mind, Lorre gives you a fun
little mystery with an understated genius guiding us to the
conclusion.
little mystery with an understated genius guiding us to the
conclusion.
Rating
– *** Worth A Look
– *** Worth A Look
Stories Are My Life 
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