Sayonara Mr. Moto

MR MOTO IN DANGER ISLAND-1939-While recovering in Puerto Rico from an appendectomy, Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre) investigates the smuggling of stolen diamonds. He gets help from pro wrestler Twister McGirk (Warren Hymer) who talks like Slip Mahoney. Suspects include a diamond merchant Sutter (Jean Hersholt), Col. Castle (Charles D. Brown), Commissioner Gordon (Richard Lane), Lt. Bentley (Robert Lowery), Commissioner Madera (Leon Ames) and La Costa (Douglas Dumbrille). Castle's daughter Joan (Amanda Duff) tries to help after her father is accused of murder. When Moto is accused of being an infamous Japanese criminal, he and Twister lam it. Later they are taken into the confidence of the crime gang. Renie Riano is a blond haired librarian and Willie Best is a frightened boat driver.]

This was the last of the 8 Mr. Moto movies made by 20^th Century Fox between 1937 & 1939. It is also the second Moto script to be rewritten from an unmade Charlie Chan script (because of Warner Oland's death). Herbert I. Leeds also directed the Charlie Chan mystery CITY IN DARKNESS (with Sidney Toler) the same year.

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The Great Morgan

THE GREAT MORGAN-1946-Character actor Frank Morgan (who played the wizard in THE WIZARD OF OZ IN 1939) plays himself in this unusual MGM musical comedy. Morgan is tired of being an actor and getting no respect so he decides to produce his own movie. This seems to really be a compilation of MGM shorts and musical segments. A Pete Smith short "Badminton" and one of John Nesbitt's "A Passing Parade" shorts are shown in their entirety. Other performances are cut scenes from other musical productions and include a tap dancing Eleanor Powell, The King Sisters, Tommy Dorsey and Virginia O'Brien (she's also in THE BIG STORE with The Marx Bros.). It's all kept together by having Morgan and the studio head (played by Leon Ames) watch it. The funny gag ending involving the famous MGM lion is pretty good. It was the only movie directed by Nat Perrin who began his film career writing gags for early Marx Bros. movies and did the screenplays for the Abbott & Costello movies KEEP 'EM FLYIN' and PARDON MY SARONG. 

Originally made only to be shown in Europe for some reason, it was once considered a lost film.

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