User Reviews

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.

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.

Peter Lorre's Mr Moto meet Lee Chan in a mystery that has to do with the death of a prizefighter in the ring.

As everyone knows this was intended to be a Charlie Chan film but was retooled as a Moto film when Warner Oland died and the studio wasn't sure where to go with the series. The film as it stands is much lighter than either of the rest of the Chan and Moto series. To me the Moto's were never as heavy as the some of the Chan mysteries. Perhaps its because the Moto series was a different sort of series, more an adventure story with a mystery Grafted on to it. Here the inclusion of Lee Chan and Maxie Rosenbloom make the film, for all it action and danger, almost a send up. Its not a bad thing, its just something different. And if the sense that there is any real danger is removed, its replaced by enough good hearted humor that the trade off is worth it.

Is this the best of the Moto's probably not. While extremely enjoyable its not what I would call a great film. Still its worth a look for anyone who is a fan of either series.

Interesting back story. This third installment of the Mr. Moto series was originally to be a Charlie Chan movie; but many circumstances involving Warner Oland caused the Chan feature to be scrapped. Mr. Moto(Peter Lorre)is conducting a criminology class and one of his students happens to be Lee Chan(Keye Luke). The young Chan and another student, 'Knock-Out Wellington'(Maxie Rosenbloom),help the Japanese sleuth Moto investigate the murder of a prizefighter. The victim is poisoned during a boxing match; local investigator Lt. Riggs(Harold Huber)needs all the help he can get to solve this mystery. Newspaper writer Penny Kendall(Lynn Bari)starts a campaign to clear championship contender Bill Steele(Dick Baldwin)from the murder charges. It is suspected the real killer will strike again during the championship bout between Steele and the current champ Biff Moran(Ward Bond). Moto takes on some of the characteristics of Charlie Chan since the original script wasn't changed that much. It is a bit different seeing Moto with his physical antics toned down. But gumshoe Kentaro Moto will get to continue solving mysteries. Other players: Jayne Regan, John Hamilton, George E. Stone and Lon Chaney Jr. It should be noted this film is directed by familiar Chan series director James Tinling.

As far as I know this is the only film where Charlie Chan's son is involved with another Detective other than honorable father. Granted this might have been Charlie Chan's Gamble if Warner Oland did not die, but the role of Chan became a real killer in Hollywood. Sidney Toler who took over for Oland would die too years later. Sometimes role of Detective ends suddenly with actor. As this is sort of a merger of 2 Detective series due to the circumstances, it can be forgiven that this one is not quite even. The studio assembly line was cranking out lots of "B" films which is what these series films almost always are. They are meant as a warm up for the feature attraction. This one is from the era of going to a theater to see 2 movies as TV was not very far along yet. Mr. Moto starts the film with his detective class in college.

Mr. Moto and the police chief go to a boxing match whose winner is going to fight for the championship. The fight has a strange ending as the loser appears to have been poisoned though it's not clear where the poison that kills him came from. Moto then follows a trail of clues looking for who done it.

This film has a large cast, many un-credited, as the film goes through the usual plot lines. Keye Luke as Lee Chan, Charlie's son, is one of Moto's students in class. As usual he and an annoying companion whose a kleptomanic go off on the wrong path while Moto sticks with looking for scientific clue to find the killer. Chan & friend wind up cooling their heels in jail until just before the Championship match.

The match is where Moto manages to catch the murderer by setting a trap using their own booby trap. There are a couple of good female actors mixed in here including a triangle for the living challenger for the title. The title fight is where everything leads too. If there is a mistake these movies made up for in later years, there was never a Mr. Moto Meets Charlie Chan like there was a Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman. Why the studios did not try this in the 1940's I don't know.

This movie is as close as it gets. That's a good thing though I wonder how Dick Tracy Meets Sam Spade might have worked?

Mr. Moto's Gamble has a fairly straight forward plot - when a boxer is murdered in the ring with a mysterious poison, it's up to the even more mysterious Mr. Moto to solve the case.

I'm shocked at the number of positive reviews for Mr. Moto's Gamble on IMDb. Because to me...well, I found it extremely disappointing. I enjoy Mr. Moto and I enjoy Charlie Chan, but I can't say I cared for this mish-mash of the two. For those unfamiliar with the story behind Mr. Moto's Gamble, it was originally intended to be a Charlie Chan film. But when Warner Oland backed-out, some of the scenes and action were rewritten for Peter Lorre and Mr. Moto. As I indicated, the end result left me underwhelmed. Mr. Moto is not Chan. He's more mysterious, he's more athletic, and he's more exotic. So trying to put Moto in a Chan film is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole - it doesn't work. And listening to Lorre/Moto try to deliver one of Chan's trademark euphemisms just ends up sounding silly. Add to that the fact that almost 10 minutes of the already brief 72 minute runtime is made up of boxing scenes (something that I never seem to enjoy) and you end up with a movie that I couldn't help but dislike. If I have to say something positive I would point to the performance of Keye Luke. But even he's not near enough to save Mr. Moto's Gamble in my eyes.

Sorry, but a 4/10 is about the best I can give this one.