Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation

Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
Directed by	Norman Foster
Written by	Philip MacDonald; Norman Foster
Based on	The character created by John P. Marquand
Produced by	Sol M. Wurtzel
Starring	Peter Lorre; Lionel Atwill
Cinematography	Charles G. Clarke
Edited by	Norman Colbert
Music by	Samuel Kaylin
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date	June 1939;
Running time	65 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Mr Moto Takes A Vacation (1939) is a Norman Foster-directed entry in the Mr. Moto film series, with Lionel Atwill and Joseph Schildkraut and George P. Huntley, Jr, as Archie Featherstone, in supporting roles.

This was the last Mr. Moto film that Peter Lorre appeared in.^[2] The movie was the seventh filmed in the series.^[3] However it was not released until after Mr. Moto in Danger Island, which was the last filmed out of eight Mr. Moto films from 20th Century Fox.

Plot

American archeologist Howard Stevens recovers the ancient crown of the Queen of Sheba; the priceless artifact is shipped to the San Francisco Museum. Ostensibly on vacation, Mr. Moto shows up to guard the crown from a notorious master thief, whom everyone assumes is dead. Using a variety of disguises, the very-much-alive thief succeeds in pilfering the crown-only to discover that Moto has remained three steps ahead of him throughout the film.^[4]

Cast

Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto
Joseph Schildkraut as Hendrik Manderson
Lionel Atwill as Professor Hildebrand
Virginia Field as Eleanore Kirke
John 'Dusty' King as Howard Stevens (as John King)
Iva Stewart as Susan French
George P. Huntley, Jr as Archie Featherstone
Victor Varconi as Paul Borodoff
John Bleifer as Wendling
Honorable Wu as Wong
Morgan Wallace as David Perez
Anthony Warde as Joe Rubla
Harry Strang as O'Hara, Museum Guard
John Davidson as Prince Suleid
unbilled players include Jimmy Aubrey, Willie Best, Stanley Blystone, Gino Corrado, Ralph Dunn, Hank Mann, and Cyril Ring

Production

The film was announced in July 1938.^[5]^[6]

John King was cast in August 1938.^[7]

Iva Stewart, a member of Fox's stock company, was given her first dramatic lead in the film. Lionel Atwill made the movie as the first in a four-picture deal with Fox.^[8]

Reception

The film was released after Mr. Moto in Danger Island though it was filmed before it. The Los Angeles Times said "the plot misses fire on occasion."^[9] The Monthly Film Bulletin said it was "lifted out of the rut by the clever acting of Peter Lorre".^[10] The New York Times said it "seems to be missing on several cylinders".^[11]

End of Series

Fox would go on to make Mr. Moto in Danger Island. In December 1938, Fox announced they would not give Lorre a new contract but that he still had four Moto films to make.^[12] However Lorre left the studio in July 1939, effectively ending the series.^[13]

Home media

This film, along with Mr. Moto in Danger Island, Mr. Moto's Gamble, Mr. Moto's Last Warning and (as a DVD extra) The Return of Mr. Moto, was released on DVD in 2007 by 20th Century Fox as part of The Mr. Moto Collection, Volume Two.

References

^ "Of Local Origin". New York Times. June 17, 1939. p. 17.
^ "Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 6, no. 61. London. January 1, 1939. p. 73.
^ Schallert, Edwin (July 18, 1938). "Errol Flynn to Essay Up-to-Date Hero Next: Chan World Traveler "Saint" Set to Strike Odlum Opus Optioned Boles Pact on Fire". Los Angeles Times. p. A15.
^ "Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1938) – Norman Foster – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie.
^ "NEWS OF THE SCREEN: Warners to Produce 'Concentration Camp'--Anna Sten Slated for 'Exile Express'--4 Films to Open Here Coast Scripts Of Local Origin". New York Times. July 18, 1938. p. 10.
^ Schallert, Edwin (July 18, 1938). "Errol Flynn to Essay Up-to-Date Hero Next: Chan World Traveler "Saint" Set to Strike Odlum Opus Optioned Boles Pact on Fire". Los Angeles Times. p. A15.
^ "SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD". New York Times. August 16, 1938. p. 23.
^ "SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD: David Niven Is Third Player to Be Dropped From Cast of 'Lady and the Cowboy' Of Local Origin". New York Times. August 20, 1938. p. 19.
^ "Moto Solves New Crime". Los Angeles Times. November 11, 1938. p. 10.
^ "Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 6, no. 61. London. January 1, 1939. p. 73.
^ "THE SCREEN". New York Times. June 19, 1939. p. 12.
^ Schallert, Edwin (April 1, 1939). "Teaming of Lombard and Grant Projected: 'Mr. Moto' Re-Signed Dix Will Play Houston Spy Story Scheduled Wally Vernon Assignec". Los Angeles Times. p. A16.
^ Schallert, Edwin (July 19, 1939). "DRAMA: MacDonald-Eddy Reunion Romantic". Los Angeles Times. p. 13.

External links

Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation at IMDb
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation at the TCM Movie Database

[1] "Of Local Origin". New York Times. June 17, 1939. p. 17.

[2] "Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 6, no. 61. London. January 1, 1939. p. 73.

[3] Schallert, Edwin (July 18, 1938). "Errol Flynn to Essay Up-to-Date Hero Next: Chan World Traveler "Saint" Set to Strike Odlum Opus Optioned Boles Pact on Fire". Los Angeles Times. p. A15.

[4] "Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1938) – Norman Foster – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie.

[5] "NEWS OF THE SCREEN: Warners to Produce 'Concentration Camp'--Anna Sten Slated for 'Exile Express'--4 Films to Open Here Coast Scripts Of Local Origin". New York Times. July 18, 1938. p. 10.

[6] Schallert, Edwin (July 18, 1938). "Errol Flynn to Essay Up-to-Date Hero Next: Chan World Traveler "Saint" Set to Strike Odlum Opus Optioned Boles Pact on Fire". Los Angeles Times. p. A15.

[7] "SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD". New York Times. August 16, 1938. p. 23.

[8] "SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD: David Niven Is Third Player to Be Dropped From Cast of 'Lady and the Cowboy' Of Local Origin". New York Times. August 20, 1938. p. 19.

[9] "Moto Solves New Crime". Los Angeles Times. November 11, 1938. p. 10.

[10] "Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 6, no. 61. London. January 1, 1939. p. 73.

[11] "THE SCREEN". New York Times. June 19, 1939. p. 12.

[12] Schallert, Edwin (April 1, 1939). "Teaming of Lombard and Grant Projected: 'Mr. Moto' Re-Signed Dix Will Play Houston Spy Story Scheduled Wally Vernon Assignec". Los Angeles Times. p. A16.

[13] Schallert, Edwin (July 19, 1939). "DRAMA: MacDonald-Eddy Reunion Romantic". Los Angeles Times. p. 13.

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