Editing Mr. Moto (section)

==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 in the novels, Moto is the central character, a detective with Interpol, wears glasses (and has no gold teeth), and is a devout Buddhist (and friendly with the Chinese monarchy). He is impeccably dressed in Western suits.  The stories are action-oriented due to Moto's skill with [[judo]] (only hinted at in the novels) and due to his tendency to wear disguises.

In early 1938, there was some press talk that Moto would be turned into a Korean due to controversy over Japanese foreign policy, but this did not happen.<ref>{{cite news|title=In Hollywood|author=JIMMY FIDLER|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=Jan 8, 1938|page=X14}}</ref> By April there was talk the series would soon wind up.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Warren William to Star for Universal: Payne Replaces Powell More Cinema Series Four Pictures to Start Film World Pageant|author=Schallert, Edwin|date=Apr 5, 1938|work=Los Angeles Times|page=10}}</ref>

===Abilities===
In the film ''[[Mr. Moto's Last Warning]]'' a list is shown which describes him as:
* Age 35–40
* [[Jujutsu|Jiu-jutsu]] and [[judo]] expert
* Uses various disguises
* International police
* Adept at stage illusion/magic
* Usually works alone
* Able to walk silently
* Known to use doubles

Throughout the films, other abilities have been noted:
* [[Ventriloquism]]
* [[Juggling]]
* Able to speak at least four languages (English, [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]], German, and Japanese)
* Devout Buddhist who knows traditional chants and religious rites
* Composes [[haiku]]
* Draws caricatures
* Plays the [[shamisen]]
* Knows how to cure a hangover

===Occupation===
The motion picture Mr. Moto is described as an agent for [[Interpol]].

In the first film, ''[[Think Fast, Mr. Moto]]'', he reveals that he is the managing director of the Dai Nippon Trading Company and had decided to investigate the smuggling activities that were harming his business.  He claims to be a detective "only as a hobby."<ref name="tfq">Quote from ''[[Think Fast, Mr. Moto]]''.</ref>  In the second film, ''[[Thank You, Mr. Moto (film)|Thank You, Mr. Moto]]'', the definition of his occupation/hobby begins to get murky. He tells a woman that he is an importer whose hobby is detective work, but only after showing her his identification which indicates he is a Confidential Agent for the International Association of Importers. However, in a climactic chase sequence he flashes a badge at a guard and says that he is from the International Police (understood as Interpol).

In subsequent films Mr. Moto works for private organizations such as the Diamond Syndicate (''Danger Island'') as well as for world governments (''[[Mr. Moto's Last Warning]]'' and ''[[Mr. Moto Takes a Chance]]'')-- but only when it is in Japan's interests.

As a member of the International Police, he garners respect from local police around the world.  In London, [[Shanghai]], and San Francisco he is given full cooperation for his investigations.  In ''Mr. Moto's Last Warning'' he works side by side with [[British Secret Service]] agents and in ''Mr. Moto Takes a Chance'' he is spying for an unknown government agency. He is known for his close relationship to the Chinese Royal Family.

===Personal life===
Mr. Moto's personal life is rarely touched upon.  In ''[[Think Fast, Mr. Moto]]'' he tells Bob Hitchings that he went to [[Stanford University]], graduating in 1921 as an honorary member. There, he set a pole vaulting record and was a member of the fraternity Alpha Omega.

In the movies, Mr. Moto travels a great deal and manages to have his cat, Chunkina, along for the journey. Besides his cat, the women in his life include Lela Liu (played by [[Lotus Long]] in the film ''Think Fast, Mr. Moto''), a hotel telephone operator whom he asks out on a date, and who proves to be an agent who helps him in his investigation. In ''[[Mysterious Mr. Moto]]'', an agent, Lotus Liu (also played by Lotus Long, credited as Karen Sorrell), pretends to fall for his charms so they can be alone to compare notes in their investigation. Like his literary counterpart, Kentaro Moto believes that a "Beautiful girl is only confusing to a man",<ref name="tfq"/> but has been known to use a woman's emotions to aid his cause. In ''[[Thank You, Mr. Moto (film)|Thank You, Mr. Moto]]'', he tells the disillusioned Madame Tchernov, "I am so grateful for your suspicious nature. It is not the first time a woman's jealousy has been fatal to the man she loved."<ref>Quote from ''Thank You, Mr. Moto''</ref>

Mr. Moto is charming and polite (even to rude or obnoxious people).  He is respectful of other cultures, but sometimes makes wry comments. For instance, in ''Think Fast, Mr. Moto'', he derails the drunken American's party tricks with a little judo. After putting the tipsy Bob Hitchings to bed, he sadly shakes his head and says, "Strange people these Americans."<ref name="tfq"/>

Mr. Moto's religion is never stated; but in ''Thank You, Mr. Moto'', when his friend Prince Chung (played by Phillip Ahn) dies, it becomes clear Mr. Moto is a devout Buddhist, as he chants expertly before the statue of the [[Buddha]] while holding the prince in his arms.

The family crest or [[mon (crest)|mon]] on Mr. Moto's [[yukata]], as seen in the films ''Thank You, Mr. Moto'' and ''[[Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation]]'', is three bars in a circle.  This is similar to the Maruno uchini mitsuhikiryō (丸の内に三引両),<ref>[[commons:Image:Marunouchinimitsuhikiryo.gif|Image of Sakuma family crest]]</ref> the [[mon (crest)|mon]] of the [[Sakuma clan]] who served under [[Oda Nobunaga]].<ref>[[Oda clan#Oda retainer families]]</ref>  This would imply that Moto is from a [[samurai]] family.

===Other films===
{{original research|section|date=March 2025}}
A film version of ''[[Stopover Tokyo]]'', made in 1957, stars [[Robert Wagner]] as an American spy. This film eliminated Moto's character altogether. It disregards the plot of Marquand's novel, and was not a commercial or critical success.

In 1965 Mr. Moto's character was revived in a low-budget [[Robert Lippert]] production filmed in England starring [[Henry Silva]]. In ''Mr. Moto Returns'', a.k.a. ''[[The Return of Mr. Moto]]'', Mr. I.A. Moto is a member of [[Interpol]]. The very tall Silva conveyed an almost [[James Bond]]-like playboy character; in the fight scenes it is obvious{{cn|date=March 2025}} that he is not proficient in martial arts. He speaks in a lazy '[[Beatnik]]' manner. Nowhere in the film is it mentioned that Moto is Japanese. He is referred to as an "Oriental" and, oddly, in the trailer, Moto is referred to as a "swinging Chinese cat". It is only when disguised as a Japanese oil representative, Mr. Takura, that a stereotypical portrayal of a Japanese businessman is given.