Mr. Moto in Danger Island (1939)

"Hey, Mr. Moto! Indemnify me for these mugs!", 22 July 2007

Mr. Moto has been called to Puerto Rico to investigate diamond smuggling. As his predecessor was found murdered, Moto knows that the gang he's up against will kill to keep their illicit business in operation. Moto quickly comes to the conclusion that there must be leak within the Governor's inner circle. But these are trusted men! Surely Moto must be wrong. And what does the swamp that once harbored pirates have to do with the band of modern day criminals? It's up to Moto to put the pieces together.

While none of the movies in the Moto series could be called "high art", most provide at least an entertaining way to spend just over an hour. Of the 6 or so Moto movies I've now seen, Mr. Moto in Danger Island is easily the least of the bunch. While Peter Lorre is as entertaining as always and seems to be giving it his all, the plot lets him down at every turn. In many of these movies from the 30s, the plots rely on coincidence (or plain old dumb luck) to solve the mystery. The set of circumstances required to solve the mystery in Mr. Moto in Danger Island borders on being ridiculous. And while I'm on the subject of things in the movie that bothered me, I'll mention that not once did the movie feel like it was actually set in Puerto Rico. I cannot remember seeing anyone who even resembled a Puerto Rican. Given all the white guys present, the movie looks like it should have been set in Des Moines instead of Puerto Rico.

Still, it's Moto and I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff. I just love these stage-bound adventure type movies form the 30s. As I mentioned, Lorre is entertaining. For the most part, the supporting cast is just as strong. I always enjoy Leon Ames and Douglass Dumbrille every time I see them pop-up in one of these movies. Also on the positive side, while it may not have looked like Puerto Rico, the movie still looked great. I'm not all that familiar with the cinematographer, Lucien N. Andriot, but I'll give him the credit for making Mr. Moto in Danger Island look far better than it should have given its meager budget.

In the end, it's not great, but I can think of far worse ways spend and hour. Fans of the Moto series will find enough to make them happy. For what it's worth, I'll give Mr. Moto in Danger Island a 6/10.

6/10