Mr. Moto - Character in The Films

Character in The Films

Between 1937 and 1939 eight motion pictures were produced by 20th Century Fox starring Peter Lorre as Mr. Kentaro Moto.

Unlike the novels, Moto is the central character, a detective with Interpol, wears glasses (and has no gold teeth), is a devout Buddhist (and good friends with the Chinese monarchy). He is always impeccably dressed in Western suits. The stories are action-oriented due to Moto’s liberal use of judo (only hinted at in the novels) and due to his tendency to wear disguises.

Mr. Moto is described as being just over 5 feet tall in the film Danger Island. (Lorre was actually 5 feet 5 inches). While Lorre resented playing Mr. Moto, he is the first authentic martial arts film "hero" in the West.

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