Mr. Moto Takes a Chance

Production: 20th Century-Fox. Director Norman Foster; Producer Sol M. Wurtzel (exec.); Screenplay Lou Breslow, John Patrick; Camera Virgil Miller; Editor Nick DeMaggio; Music Samuel Kaylin (dir.); Art Director Albert Hogsett
Crew: (B&W) Extract of a review from 1938. Running time: 57 MIN.
With: Peter Lorre Rochelle Hudson RobertKent J. Edward romberg Chick Chandler George Regas

Publish date: 2024-08-08

Picture, which concerns the activities of two government secret agents, has trapdoors, poison air guns, hidden passages, machine guns, carrier pigeons, bolo knives and a generous assortment of jungle beasts. There are too many hairbreadth escapes and uncanny accomplishments for a regulation feature. It all smacks of serial style.

Film also is weakened because it gives Peter Lorre few chances. Instead, the plot has him double as a mysterious, wrinkled priest role, adding further mystification and little to the yarn.

Norman Foster’s direction [of this fourth entry in the series] is far behind his earlier efforts. He also helped with the original story, along with Willis Cooper. What humor that is introduced is too forced. Many of the sly tricks, smart twists and suspense present in first pictures in this series are missing.

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Lorre plays Mr Moto and Rochelle Hudson, as the other secret agent, is acceptable. Robert Kent makes a passably good newsreel cameraman, while Chick Chandler manages to grab a few laughs as his assistant. J. Edward Bromberg is the pompous Oriental ruler.

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