Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
ONLY MOTO WOULD CALL IT A VACATION! In an ancient, foreboding tomb alive with death he embarks on his strangest crime adventure!
1939 | 65m | English
Popularity: 1 (history)
| Director: | Norman Foster |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Philip MacDonald, Norman Foster, John P. Marquand |
| Staring: |
| 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. | |
| Release Date: | Jul 07, 1939 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Norman Foster |
| Writer: | Philip MacDonald, Norman Foster, John P. Marquand |
| Genres: | Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller |
| Keywords | detective, museum, crown, b movie, disguise, radio series, mr. moto, intelligence agent, japanese man, antiquity, asian man, master criminal |
| Production Companies | 20th Century Fox |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Aug 09, 2025 Entered: Apr 28, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Peter Lorre | Mr. Moto |
| Joseph Schildkraut | Hendrik Manderson |
| Lionel Atwill | Prof. Roger Chauncey Hildebrand |
| Virginia Field | Eleanor Kirke |
| John 'Dusty' King | Howard Stevens |
| Iva Stewart | Susan French |
| G.P. Huntley | Archie Featherstone |
| Victor Varconi | Paul Borodoff |
| John Bleifer | Wendling |
| Honorable Wu | Wong |
| Morgan Wallace | David Perez |
| Anthony Warde | Joe Rubla |
| Harry Strang | Museum Guard O'Hara |
| John Davidson | Prince Suleid |
| Eddie Abdo | Arabian Officer (uncredited) |
| Carol Adams | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Jimmy Aubrey | Bum (uncredited) |
| Brooks Benedict | Gangster (uncredited) |
| Willie Best | Driver (uncredited) |
| Stanley Blystone | Ship's Captain (uncredited) |
| George Chandler | Cameraman (uncredited) |
| Jack Rube Clifford | Sergeant on Motorcycle (uncredited) |
| Chick Collins | Driver of Armored Car (uncredited) |
| James Conaty | Ship Passenger (uncredited) |
| Gino Corrado | Museum Exhibit Attendee (uncredited) |
| Lester Dorr | Reporter (uncredited) |
| Ralph Dunn | Police Guard (uncredited) |
| Jack Gargan | Museum Exhibit Attendee (uncredited) |
| William Gould | Police Captain (uncredited) |
| Bobby Hale | Steward (uncredited) |
| Sam Harris | Professor (uncredited) |
| Sam Hayes | Radio Announcer (uncredited) |
| Leyland Hodgson | Ship's Waiter (uncredited) |
| Sydney Jarvis | Museum Exhibit Attendee (uncredited) |
| Isabel La Mal | Matronly Woman (uncredited) |
| Hank Mann | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Eric Mayne | Museum Exhibit Attendee (uncredited) |
| Bert Moorhouse | Reporter (uncredited) |
| David Newell | Museum Exhibit Attendee (uncredited) |
| Tom O'Grady | Husband (uncredited) |
| Pat O'Malley | Police Guard (uncredited) |
| Lee Phelps | Police Guard (uncredited) |
| Cyril Ring | Museum Exhibit Attendee (uncredited) |
| Jay Ward | Benny the Bellhop (uncredited) |
| Eric Wilton | Archaeology Professor (uncredited) |
| Robert Winkler | Boy on Ship (uncredited) |
| Beal Wong | Chinese Restaurant Patron (uncredited) |
| Iris Wong | Waitress (uncredited) |
| Jadin Wong | Dancer (uncredited) |
| Victor Wong | Restaurant Proprietor (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Philip MacDonald | Screenplay |
| Charles G. Clarke | Director of Photography |
| Norman Colbert | Editor |
| Bernard Herzbrun | Art Direction |
| Samuel Kaylin | Music Director |
| Haldane Douglas | Art Direction |
| Norman Foster | Screenplay, Director |
| John P. Marquand | Novel |
| Name | Title |
|---|
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
| 2024 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| 2024 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| 2024 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Trending Position
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 l ... ead 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.