Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939)
1h 5m | PG-13
Mr. Moto is in Egypt to thwart a criminal mastermind determined to steal the priceless crown of the Queen of Sheba. When the precious treasure is transported to America, Mr. Moto must race against time to unmask the cunning thief who will stop at nothing—not even murder—to get what he wants.
Director: Norman Foster
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Video: 720p
Cast
Peter Lorre
as Mr. Moto
Joseph Schildkraut
as Hendrik Manderson
Lionel Atwill
as Prof. Roger Chauncey Hildebrand
Virginia Field
as Eleanor Kirke
John 'Dusty' King
as Howard Stevens
Iva Stewart
as Susan French
Reviews
Peter Lorre is on good form in this rather enjoyable antiquity adventure. His "Mr Moto" finds himself tangled up in a plot by some clever crooks to steal the recently discovered crown of the Queen of Sheba before it can be safely deposited in a San Francisco museum. The gang of would-be-thieves is lead by the enigmatic "Mr. Metaxa" (perhaps of Greek origin?) and Lorre must keep the bejewelled artefact safe and discover the true identity of the kingpin before he can safely resume his holiday. The foil is provided by the rather eccentric Brit "Featherstone" (GP Huntley) and that doesn't always work, but otherwise what we have here is a quickly paced action adventure, with just a hint of mystery and enough guesswork required on our part to keep it interesting. Lorre was in his element with these films - his almost boyish enthusiasm and vigour made for an entertaining watch and I heartily recommend this hour if you like short and sweet, well produced, crime drama.