Mr. Moto's Gamble

1938 "TRAGEDY STRIKES THE ARENA AS FISTIC CHAMPIONS FALL BEFORE UNSEEN GLOVES!"
6.6| 1h12m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 07 April 1938 Released
Producted By: 20th Century Fox
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

Celebrated as supersleuth, Mr. Moto comes out fighting when a brutal boxing match turns into cold-blooded murder! Assisted by detective-in-training Lee Chan, Moto sets out to track down the killer based on a single ominous clue: a poisoned boxing glove! But when Moto's hunch points to a corrupt gambling syndicate, he's forced to wager his very life to unmask the culprit—or go down for the count...permanently!

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Reviews

Clevercell Very disappointing...
Pluskylang Great Film overall
Matho The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
Brenda The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Hitchcoc This sorry boxing movie was a great disappointment. Because of necessity, Peter Lorre must take up the mantle of Charlie Chan. In the first two films, he is a riveting character with a complex mind and a murderous impulse. Here he plays straight man to a bunch of gamblers and buffoons. A young boxer is trying to get a title bout when his opponent dies and he is charged with the murder. Lee Chan (Keye Luke) and Slapsy Maxie Rosenbloom pair up to do the silly stuff. Moto even delivers lines like Chan. There are gamblers coming out of the walls, talking to the fighters before the bouts. John Hamilton, Perry White on "The Adventures of Superman," has a lot of irons in the fire as to a whole bunch of other bettors. It just becomes so weak as the thing goes along, including Chan trying to punch Rosenbloom so he can remember where he got a gun.
bensonmum2 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.
gazzo-2 Pretty interesting meeting of icons, as it were, I kinda liked this one actually. Keye Luke was always a fave of mine, and putting Moto into the Palooka Joe milieu actually added something to the series mix I think. It's not as good's the first two in the run, but not bad-and you do get to see Ward Bond doing his Tough Guy thing early on too.**1/2 outta ****
admjtk1701 Due to the illness of Chan star Warner Oland, this film's script had to be turned into a Mr. Moto movie. I feel this is the weakest entry in the Fox Moto series with Peter Lorre. The film is set in the New York boxing world. I've never been a fan of boxing--so the atmosphere did nothing for me. Lorre is his usual great self. That can't be taken away. And the film has the bonus of Keye Luke reprising his role as Charlie's Number One Son, Lee Chan, for the last time at 20th Century Fox. (He would play the Lee role twice more in the last two Monogram Chans.) But even with Lorre and Luke, this one is a bit weak. It might have been better if filmed with Mr. Oland as an actual Charlie Chan film. Still--it is worth seeing.