Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939) User Reviews

"You going out to detect somethin'?"

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 18 March 2007]

Like most of the Charlie Chan movies of the same era, it might help to keep a score card here to keep track of all the players. Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre), true to characterizations in earlier films in the series, relies on his skills as an anthropologist as well as a detective to solve this, his final case. He's on the trail of a psychopathic criminal genius long presumed dead, coaxed out of hiding by the discovery of the crown of the Queen of Sheba on an Arabian dig. Not only does Moto don a disguise in the film, so does his adversary, the evil Metaxas, before the case is put to rest.

The last couple of Moto films paired the Japanese detective with a comic sidekick, this time around it's G.P. Huntley as the Brit, Archibald Featherstone. His gimmick consists of outing Moto's undercover alias a number of times and taking numerous pratfalls. Someone like Reginald Denny might have been more effective in a less physical role, but hey, we take what we get in the Moto films, all of which are to be viewed for entertainment value and Lorre's understated portrayal. I got a kick out of the scene at the Fremont Museum in Professor Hildebrand's office when it's discovered the phone line has been cut. Instead of simply stating that, Moto offers - "Someone deprived this instrument of all utility". Couldn't have said it better myself.

It would have been cool to see Mantan Moreland show up in the Moto series, but instead Willie Best appears in this one as a driver with a few quick lines and a fender bender. He also had a few moments in the Moto adventure on Danger Island. The real surprise for this story is the appearance of one of the better known and respected veterans of the era, Lionel Atwill, usually cast as a villain or mad scientist. The finale almost has you hooked into believing him to be Moto's quarry, but of course that was just a red herring.

I'm still thinking about how Moto solved this case, explaining that the scoundrel Metaxas' footprints on the carpet changed from a walk to a limp when he entered the Professor's office. It sounds good, but how does one detect a limp in a footprint? It might have made more sense to have the cane as part of that set up.

Anyway, not to be too harsh, this film is just as much fun as any in the series, which in retrospect might have been all too brief. The Charlie Chan movies ran to forty two films, not counting a couple for which the prints seem to have been permanently lost. However three different actors portrayed the Oriental detective in most of those flicks, but one would probably agree that the only actor to own the Moto role would rightfully be the wonderful Peter Lorre.

"You go and fetch the bobbies."

[bensonmum2 · 8/10 · 15 May 2009]

A team of archaeologists uncover a real treasure – the Crown of the Queen of Sheeba. From Egypt, the crown is to be transferred via steamship to San Francisco. But it won't be an easy journey. There are plenty of would-be thieves who would love to get their hands on the priceless jewels contained in the crown. Fortunately for all involved, Mr. Moto is on hand to guard the crown on its journey. However, that doesn't mean someone won't try to get their hands on the treasure.

After the disappointment of Mr. Moto's Gamble, I went into Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation hoping for the best, but, admittedly, fearing the worst. But within the first 10 seconds of the film, I knew I would find it more enjoyable. I'm a sucker for a 1930s style mystery that features anything to do with archaeological digs in Egypt. And seeing Moto disguised as a German archaeologist (Imagine that, Peter Lorre playing a German?), the beginning scenes really drew me in. While the movie may have quickly shifted to the less exotic San Francisco, it remained just as enjoyable. Dark, sinister characters lurking in the rainy night; gunshots fired from open windows that narrowly miss the hero's head; sophisticated and supposed foolproof alarm systems just begging for someone to test them; and master criminals believed to be dead – these are the kind of elements found in a lot of the really good 1930s mysteries that I love. And Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation's got 'em all. A couple other bonuses for me included the always enjoyable Lionel Atwill in a nice little role, comic relief from G.P. Huntley that's actually funny, and a return to form for Mr. Moto. I've already mentioned his disguise in the movie's opening scenes, well the athletic Moto comes out near the film's finale. Moto is a like a Whirling Dervish of activity as he goes after his prey. All this and I haven't even mentioned the wonderful performance turned in by Lorre. Any way you look at it, Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation is a winner.

As much as I hate that the Mr. Moto series had to end after this installment, it's understandable when you think about it. WWII was just around the corner. And after Pearl Harbor, a movie with a Japanese hero wouldn't have gone over very well. At least the Mr. Moto series ended on a very positive note.

Fun, Except for One Thing

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 6 February 2016]

I had never seen the Mr. Moto movies until recently. They really had potential when the first couple featured a kind of dark mysterious character. But then Hollywood got involved and created fluffy romances and silly plot elements and, if it weren't for Peter Lorre, almost ruined the series. The character of Featherstone, the British idiot who showed up in a previous episode, is not funny. He is pathetic as a drunken busybody. I agree with a previous reviewer that he could have been killed falling off the boat and it would have improved the story. He destroys all the flow to this episode. It is exciting enough, with two different criminal elements trying to steal the crown of the Queen of Sheba. Also, considering supposed seriousness of the efforts to protect this priceless artifact, the authorities are bumbling dunces. Lionel Atwell is tiresome and overstuffed. There is also the handsome, boring young guy who is in love with the obligatory attractive young woman. They contribute nothing. It's a shame that Peter Lorre's wonderful character has to shine in the face of all this. I know it's a B movie, but I guess they were trying to appease the Saturday afternoon crowds.

Eighth and final entry in the series

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 15 June 2020]

Moto (Peter Lorre) starts out in the North African desert, where the fabled crown of the Queen of Sheba is unearthed by archaeologists. Moto travels with the artifact first to Hawaii and then to San Francisco, where various parties try to steal it, including a legendary criminal mastermind known only as "Metaxa".

This one is a bit over-stuffed with characters, and at times it seems a bit muddled, but it's still fun, and Lorre is a hoot. The identity of "Metaxa" isn't too difficult to figure out, but I liked seeing Moto get his own Moriarty

Final is Killed by Comedy

[Michael_Elliott · 3 July 2009]

Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939)

** (out of 4)

Eighth and final entry in Fox's original series once again finds Peter Lorre in the role of Mr. Moto. This time he must fight off countless bad guys who are trying to steal a priceless crowd previously owned by the Queen of Sheba. This final entry isn't the weakest of the series but it might be the most disappointing. I was highly disappointed in this one because it features a pretty good cast but there's really nothing that works overly well here. The movie certainly a long way from being bad but at the same time there's just not enough good stuff here to make the film worth viewing. The actual story is a fairly interesting set up but not enough is done with it as we pretty much get cardboard bad guys popping up at various spots and doing something bad. There's really no heart or soul behind any of the writing and in the end the movie just comes off as a low grade "B" movie rather than something unique like a lot of the films in this series. Lorre finds himself giving another good performance and we've also got decent work by Joseph Schildkraut, Virginia Field and Lionel Atwill. Atwill is pretty much wasted in the film but it's always nice seeing him. G.P. Huntley plays the comic relief here and his awful character really brings the film down several notches. I'm not sure who the director thought would find this performance funny. Black character actor Willie Best also appears briefly. Fans of the series will certainly want to check this one out but it's doubtful many others will find any type of entertainment here.

The Motoverse Runs Its Course

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 8 July 2014]

Disguised as a German archaeologist, Moto (Peter Lorre) helps unearth the priceless crown of the legendary Queen of Sheba and sans disguise defends it from a variety of thugs and criminals.

Plenty of good fights, an excellent plot, and the beard... man, what a beard. Lorre should have had a beard in more of his films.

At this point, the Moto series was winding down, Lorre was getting sick of doing them, and it would not be the least surprising if director Norman Foster was ready to move on, too. At least they had one thing going for them in this installment: Lionel Atwill, an actor probably best known for his 1930s horror films.

Sometimes a vacation can wait.

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 28 June 2011]

An archaeological project ends up having mild-mannered sleuth Kantaro Moto(Peter Lorre)putting a vacation on hold. Young archaeologist Howard Stevens(John King)becomes notable after unearthing the priceless crown of The Queen of Sheba. Mr. Moto will take on the appearance of a German artifacts expert to help protect the crown as it makes the journey to be displayed at a San Francisco museum. A bumbling tourist named Featherstone(G.P. Huntley)all but blows the detective's charade. An international jewel thief joins forces with a few Frisco hoodlums to steal the much sought after artifact. It doesn't take Mr. Moto long to suspect that someone working with the museum may be an allusive master criminal. This is the last in the somewhat successful 20th Century Fox crime series. It has been said that Lorre was more than glad this role was coming to an end. This film is interesting enough, but Huntley's antics get old quick. Other players include: Virginia Field, Joseph Schildkraut, Iva Stewart, Victor Varconi, Anthony Warde and one of the best villains in the business Lionel Atwell.

some vacation

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 16 November 2021]

Peter Lorre is Mr. Moto in "Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation" from 1939. Moto is in Egypt helping with the security of a precious crown, that of the Queen of Sheba. He accompanies the crown on board ship, and he's undercover until Archie Featherstone (G. P. Huntley) announces his true identity for all to hear.

Once on terra firma, Moto's work becomes more difficult as it seems some people are not what they seem. And Moto isn't sure the famous crook Metaxa is really dead - in fact, he thinks he's hovering around. Moto plans on drawing him out.

Fairly easy to figure out, but I won't say why.

Some good character actors, including Joseph Schildkraut and Lionel Atwill, appearing with Virginia Field.

As a side note, the lovely Ms. Field could perhaps have reached major stardom had she knocked Darryl Zanuck on a head with a decanter when he made a pass at her. She was also very outspoken, which didn't help her either.

As we all know, #metoo was always very prevalent in Hollywood. According to many actresses, if you didn't "cooperate" you didn't get big parts. The starlet Rita Gam, an astonishingly beautiful woman, refused to go to Hollywood until someone offered her a $1250 a week contract. Why? Those who made $750 a week and under were part of the "visiting firemen" brigade. Sad but true.

Great Fun, as always

[guenzeld · 9/10 · 8 May 2012]

It's hard to dislike a Mr Moto film, not only because of the stylishness with which they were all made but because, of course, Peter Lorre is so ingratiating in a role tailor-made for him. He is just excellent in the part and it is a pity there were only eight entries in this charming series. As for MR MOTO TAKES A VACATION, I can recommend it quite highly.

Like others I will offer the one caveat: the rather irritating "comic relief" character. Hollywood had such marvelous actors available to play the typical "silly-ass" Englishman that it is a wonder why they allowed this gentleman to take the role and to overplay it so gratingly. The writing here could have been tightened up a bit, and the reliable Norman Foster could have toned him down a few pegs.

But much of this is balanced by other delights in the film, starting with dear, old Willie Best in a wonderfully funny (and beautifully directed) cameo. Bob Hope called Best one of the best actors he'd ever worked with. It's easy to see why here. He is as lovable as everyone's favorite bumbling Uncle, a sort of compendium of both Laurel and Hardy. Also distinguishing its interesting cast is the great Joesph Schildkraut, an actor incapable of giving a bad performance. He was one of the masters of his profession.

Charming, fun, and magnificently photographed in rich, lustrous black and white, I really don't think you could go wrong with this one.

Nothing great, passable.

[gazzo-2 · 7/10 · 9 June 2009]

...but jest barely. It's nothing great, the final Heave of a series getting the heave Ho by the studio, cast, writers, etc. Nonsense about Cleopatra, Jewels in London and the like. You can watch this and enjoy it-but don't be fooled-this wasn't going anywheres.

Peter Lorre while making the best of the situation and the role, knew that he was fast becoming typecast as the little Japanese, inscrutable Karate-chopping detective, and therefore made a point of getting away from it.

Plus you knew w/ the War coming on, he wasn't gonna stick to it.

** outta ****

"Such phenomenal agility carries conviction."

[utgard14 · 5/10 · 15 March 2014]

Mr. Moto takes on a mysterious jewel thief known as Metaxa out to steal the recently-unearthed Crown of Sheba. This last Peter Lorre Mr. Moto movie starts out fun but then unwanted comic relief George P. Huntley shows up. Huntley as Archie Featherstone ranks among the worst examples of forced comedy I've ever seen. Why they felt they needed to ruin an otherwise enjoyable Mr. Moto movie with this idiot is beyond me. He even appears in blackface at one point! To make matters worse, he teams with racist caricaturist Willie Best not long after.

A good supporting cast including Lionel Atwill, Joseph Schildkraut, and pretty Virginia Field can only do so much. The writing is pretty thin, as well. They even reuse a bit from the previous Moto film, Mr. Moto in Danger Island. In that one, Moto (faking appendicitis) arrives by ship and is picked up by an ambulance. After the ambulance departs, two men come rushing up in a cab exclaiming that they are the real ambulance drivers and the two men with Moto are imposters. Well a very similar bit is used here, except instead of an ambulance it's an armored truck with two imposter drivers.

It's not surprising this is the end of the Moto series. The U.S. would be at war with Japan in a couple of years so it would have been impossible for Fox to continue making movies with a Japanese hero. Besides, if this is an example of where the series was headed it's better they stopped here. It was a decent series with Peter Lorre always giving a good performance even when the material didn't deserve it. This one's probably the worst of the lot but still watchable. When Huntley's not around, it's actually entertaining.

A fun romp

[Film_Dex · 10/10 · 27 October 2005]

This is one of my favorite Mr. Motos, and I have seen them all. As usual Lorre is his charming self as the debonair Mr. Moto. Lionel Atwill plays a delightfully zany museum curator, the usual comic relief is quite funny here, and there are lots of suspects on whom to cast an eye. It's fast paced and fun.

The archaeologist doesn't have quite the same flair as Thomas Beck, the usual second lead in these programmers, but he's adequate. Stepin Fetchit is on board, and while he speaks in a stereotypical manner his lines are funny, not demeaning to his intelligence, and he actually saves the day in his brief time on screen.

I like it, but it goes down the drain.

[r-c-s · 7/10 · 18 September 2009]

I generally love these 1930 mystery/police Charlie Chan type of movies, and this is no exception. However, something seems bad with this movie. A late attempt to switch from cerebral Moto movies centered around the plot contrivances to a salad bar spoilt by comedy relief that is as relieving as sore feet. A typecast buffoon appears from nowhere impersonating a clumsy Englishman who plays the detective, and even other characters seem entangled into providing comedy relief. The plot may seem odd or a bare excuse to us today, but back then the possibility of epochal archaeological discoveries was not only real, but a commonplace occurrence.

If Archibald Featherstone had been killed in the first five minutes, this could have been a good film

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 23 April 2009]

Between 1937 and 1939, Twentieth Century-Fox made a ton of Mr. Moto films. However, towards the end of the series, it was obvious that the studio had "jumped the shark", so to speak. This phrase indicates that a TV show has passed its prime and the executives in charge decided to invigorate the show by fundamentally changing the formula. For example, with "The Brady Bunch" they introduced the annoying 'Cousin Oliver' and with "Family Ties" they introduced a freak baby who grew up six years in only one season! With the Moto films, they'd jumped the shark by introducing comic relief because they thought that these intelligent films needed to be re-tooled. In the previous film, Warren Hymer played an annoying wrestler. And, in this film the character Archibald Featherstone appears. Featherstone might just be one of the most annoying examples of comic relief ever, as you kept hoping someone (preferably Moto) would kill him just to shut him up!! Although he's supposed to work for the famed Scotland Yard, he shows all the intelligence and acumen of a brain damaged turnip. Again and again, his scenes were boorish and unnecessary and Peter Lorre just looks pained as he stands there and watches this buffoon "act". It's so bad that it truly destroys what COULD have been one of the better Moto films due to its clever plot.

As for the plot, the crown of the Queen of Sheba is discovered in the opening scene. Moto, now more of an international policeman than the amoral character he originally was, is on hand to protect the precious item from being stolen. In a great twist, several thieves all try to steal the crown independently of each other.

Overall, the film is watchable but is also ample evidence that the Moto series should have ended here. With WWII approaching, the films couldn't have survived much longer anyway, as having a sympathetic Japanese leading character simply wouldn't have been accepted in the US or in allied countries.

A permanent one as it turns out--and none too soon

[Anne_Sharp · 4/10 · 16 July 2001]

After eight Moto films the series had run its course, as this last entry demonstrates. Peter Lorre was clearly weary of trying to pump some sort of human interest and entertainment value into the wispy character of Moto, and the dreadful idea of pairing him with a "funny" British sidekick utterly defeats all his efforts here.

Goodbye Mr. Moto

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 13 April 2013]

The fact that this story mostly takes place in Honolulu certainly gives credence to the idea that this film was originally meant by 20th Century Fox to be for the Charlie Chan series. So instead of Honolulu PD's finest going undercover during an archaeological expedition its the soft spoken Japanese private investigator that does.

Peter Lorre is undercover, but that's soon blown on shipboard by G.P. Huntley playing an upper crust British twit who has a knack for turning up in the wrong place at the wrong time, but actually by accident helping Moto. Some priceless artifacts are recovered from the dig and are to be displayed in a museum in Honolulu. And there's a mysterious master crook at large known to be seeking said items for theft.

With such likely suspects as Joseph Schildkraut and Lionel Atwill in the cast you can imagine either of them as the master crook, but there are others whose behavior might make them suspicious. I will say it isn't Huntley although if he had been the brains behind all the villainy that would have been a real interesting twist.

The Moto series came to a close with relations with the Japanese getting downright unfriendly. And certainly Peter Lorre was going on to bigger and better things.

So What! Do you think a little Japanese dick is gonna scare me!

[kapelusznik18 · 5/10 · 16 September 2017]

***SPOILERS*** The last of the "Mister Moto" series with Peter Lorre as the famed international Japanese detective who's involved in preventing the heist of the Queen of Sheba's crown jewels that was recovered from under the desert sands of an Egyptian Pharaoh's tomb that was sent to the San Francisco Art Museum for public viewing. There's the usual Judo and karate fighting scenes by Mister Moto against the bad guys as well as him giving Judo lessons to a picked on 98 pound hotel bus boy who ends up flattening the bully, with a body flip, who's been making his life miserable.

With mobsters Ruba & Perez, Anthony Warde & Morgan Wallace, planning to both rub out Mister Moto and steal the crown jewels Moto is also hindered by his bumbling partner-whom he wanted no part of-Archie Featherston, G.P Huntley, who's only in the movie for comedy relief and nothing else. Yet in was by Archie in being the only person who could identify-by photographing him- the person who was on the scene of the attempted robbery of the crown of Sheba that broke the case wide open for Mister Moto.

Mister Moto finally uncovers the person only known as "Metaxa" when his two partners in crime Ruba & Perez get caught by the police with Mister Moto's help. As we soon find out this "Metaxa" was the inside man in trying to steal the Queen of Sheba's crown who despite all his brilliance as a master criminal greatly underrated Mister Moto and in the end paid for it. The movie released in 1939 at a time when people were not that sensitive about racial stereotypes in the movies it had both Chinese as well as black-and even white- members of the cast look ridicules, by 2017 standers, without anyone getting worked up over it. In fact there was a scene with Archie Fetherstone at what looked like a Halloween party in black face that was played for laughs and not only didn't offend anyone on the screen as well as even Mister Moto, who in being Oriental, seemed to find nothing wrong with it.

Poorly written, well performed

[drystyx · 4/10 · 17 August 2011]

The Mr. Moto mysteries were some of the better ones, and no doubt Peter Lorre had a lot to do with that. He was extra ordinary in the role.

This one deals with a master criminal whom Moto suspects is going for a big heist in a museum.

Moto is part Sherlock Holmes and part Indiana Jones. His films are more Indiana Jones adventures than mysteries. We usually know who the culprits are, and this movie is no exception.

The performances and comic relief are the best things going for this one. It has lots of good atmosphere, and the bumbling pal who makes life tough for Moto pretty much saves the show, along with Lorre himself.

The trouble is the script. Like many modern scripts, it is poorly written. There is just too much contrived into it. It becomes a "round robin" sort of script, where each character introduced becomes another covert super thief in disguise, like a second writer wanted a second character to be another subplot, a third writer a third subplot, and on and on tediously. After a while, a viewer says "enough is enough". After a while, it becomes horribly dull. We no longer care after each person becomes a member of another group of thieves.

And that's the big problem here. The joke of everyone being a thief just isn't enough to carry a full length film. Even "Romancing the Stone" didn't become this ridiculous.

Very confusing lots of crooks

[ctyankee1 · 26 December 2016]

This movie was hard to understand. Peter Lorre plays more than one character. There are several crooks who want to steal the Crown of Sheba. Peter Lorre aka Mr Moto is trying to find a criminal that everyone thinks is dead that will try to steal the crown."Mataxsa" is his name I am not sure about the spelling. Mataxsa is like Professor Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes movies a real deviate crook with ways to escape arrest.

Too many crooks planning to steal the crown. Hard to see who is who and who works for who.

One part I noticed that I do not think they would put in movies today is what a character named Archie Featherstone does. He is sitting at a table with Motto he is a white man with black make-up smeared on his face to look black.He is clumsy and knocks a lot of things over, really stupid actions and the black thing was uncalled for to put in the movie. overdone.

A hotel kid wants lessons from Moto to hit a co-worker who picks on him. Moto shows him how to fight and Moto is good at it. There are lots of gun fighting but at the end when Moto has a physical fight with someone in the museum Moto is not as good at fighting as shown earlier and the fight is way too long.

The white man with the black makeup might not have bothered me years ago but I found this offensive, I am a white woman that is a stupid description too "white" woman. Also in this story a man gets stabbed in a oriental restaurant. Moto ask the woman if she saw who sat in the booth near him that could have stabbed the oriental man. She said it was a "white man" and nothing else. This to me was stupid too, Moto did not ask what the man looked like, wore, or anything else.

One scene I thought was funny was a cab driver played by a black man with big eyes his name is Willie Best. I don't know if he was "African American" I don't like that term because he is a US citizen but of the black race. He has acted in other old movies I have seen like The Shanghai Chest, with Roland Winters as Charlie Chan and he is always very funny.

Anyway that's it.