Mr. Moto's Last Warning (1939)

Director:

Norman Foster

Writers:

John P. Marquand (character)
Philip MacDonald (original screenplay) ...

Release Date:

20 January 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

Moto thwarts a ruthless band of international agents who try to foment an international incident by mining the entrance to the Suez Canal and blaming the British.

Plot Keywords:

Mr. Moto | Egypt | Fleet | Ship | Suez Canal

Cast

Peter Lorre	...	Mr. Kentaro Moto
Ricardo Cortez	...	Fabian the Great
Virginia Field	...	Connie Porter
John Carradine	...	Danforth / Richard Burke
George Sanders	...	Eric Norvel
Joan Carroll	...	Mary 'Marie' 'Delacour (as Joan Carol)
Robert Coote	...	Rollo Venables
Margaret Irving	...	Madame Delacour
Leyland Hodgson	...	Captain Bert Hawkins
John Davidson	...	Hakim

Also Known As:

Mr. Moto No. 6 (USA) (working title)
Mr. Moto in Egypt (USA) (working title)
Winter Garden (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

71 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #4445) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Norway:16 | Finland:K-16

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The reason this film is shown more often than any of the others is because it's in the public domain, and no longer under the legal control of 20th Century-Fox.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The sign for the Sultana Theatre appears to advertise the film Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938), but it clearly reads "Starring Warner Oland", and that film featured Sidney Toler, not Oland, as Charlie Chan. However, this is very likely not an error but done in tribute to the recently deceased Mr. Oland, a longtime Fox contract star.

Quotes:

Admiral Lord Streetly: [First Lines] The two French squadrons are here now, Benthum, off Tunis. They plan to sail directly to Port Said and proceed through the canal and join our fleet for their maneuvers in the Red Sea.
Bentham: When exactly will they reach the canal?
Admiral Lord Streetly: We had a wire from the French Admiral this morning, says, "Fleet arrives Port Said, 23 o'clock, 16 instant, compliments, Delacour Admiral, Commanding."
Bentham: That's even less time than I thought. Isn't it possible to delay them somehow?

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Slanted Screen (2006)

Soundtrack:

Rule Britannia

Good old-time Hollywood adventure

This was my first Mr. Moto film and I wasn't sure what to expect. Peter Lorre is surprisingly good as the Japanese "international police" detective, altho in this entry he's forced to use a lot of broken English in lieu of a disguise. This isn't a mystery, since we know exactly what's happening all along (Moto is tracking some foreign agents who are up to no good), but it is pretty nifty, especially when Moto mixes it up with the heavies and gives as good as he gets. The acting is passable, particularly from the principals, and the seaside setting is realistic. It's good stuff, especially if you're also interested in early John Carradine work or think you'd enjoy seeing posh George Sanders putting on a French accent(!)