Mr. I. O. Moto is a fictional Japanese secret agent created by the American author John P. Marquand and not much like the fictional Chinese detective Charlie Chan (a much more benevolent and likeable character). He is better known simply as Mr. Moto. Marquand originally created Moto for the Saturday Evening Post, which encouraged him to write Asian-flavored mystery stories after the death of Charlie Chan's creator, Earl Derr Biggers. A fictional character is any person who appears in a work of fiction. ... John Phillips Marquand (November 10, 1893 - July 16, 1960 ) was a 20th-century American novelist. ... 1938 titlecard Number One Sons with the seat of his pants on fire (in the film) Charlie Chan is a fictional Chinese-Hawaiian detective created by Earl Derr Biggers, reportedly in part under inspiration from the career of Chang Apana. ...

Moto is small in stature but strong and an expert in judo. He was the title character of a series of books, beginning with No Hero (1935; British title: Mr. Moto Takes a Hand, reprint title: Your Turn, Mr. Moto), and of eight films between 1937 and 1939, in which he was portrayed by Peter Lorre. With the beginning of World War II, Mr. Moto fell out of favor with Americans, and no new books or movies about him appeared between 1942 and 1957. Judo (Japanese: 柔道 Jūdō; gentle way) is a martial art, sport, and philosophy originated in Japan. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Peter Lorre, 1946, by Yousuf Karsh Peter Lorre (June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was an actor especially known for playing roles with sinister overtones in Hollywood crime films and mysteries. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest...

A dedicated and cold-blooded spy for Imperial Japan, Moto is not a conventional hero. He does not look for opportunities to commit violence but has no problem with killing people who obstruct his plans, and he would not hesitate to take his own life if necessary. He does not try to correct the bigoted attitudes of Westerners toward him and other Asians. These attitudes often work to his advantage, leading Westerners to ignore or underestimate him. Moto usually appears only at critical points in the novels, the real protagonists being disillusioned expatriate Americans or British men caught up unknowingly in international intrigue. Much of the books' appeal is that the protagonists regain their ideals and enthusiasm for life through the harrowing experiences, but this is incidental to Mr. Moto, who is not primarily concerned with their well-being.

The Mr. Moto films of the 1930s were inferior to the books but are undoubtedly familiar to more people today. They softened the character considerably. Moto, played by Lorre, was not a steely, morally ambiguous Japanese agent, but instead a rather offbeat member of the "international police" (whatever that may be). In 1957, the film version of the last Moto novel, "Stopover: Tokyo," eliminated Moto's character altogether, surely the ultimate insult in a Hollywood adaptation. In the 1960s, the character was briefly revived in a low-budget movie starring Henry Silva.

Mr. Moto novels

• No Hero (aka Mr. Moto Takes a Hand and Your Turn, Mr. Moto) (1935)
• Thank You, Mr. Moto (1936)
• Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937)
• Mr. Moto Is So Sorry (1938)
• Last Laugh, Mr. Moto (aka Mercator Island) (1942)
• Right You Are, Mr. Moto (aka The Last of Mr. Moto, Stopover: Tokyo and Rendezvous in Tokyo) (1957)

Mr. Moto's Three Aces reprints the first three books; Mr. Moto: Four Complete Novels reprints the first three and the final book. 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... -1... This article is about the year. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A comic book miniseries "Welcome Back, Mr. Moto" was published by Moonstone Books in 2003. Moonstone Books is a comic book publisher based in Chicago. ...

Mr. Moto films

• Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937)
• Thank You, Mr. Moto (1937)
• Mr. Moto’s Gamble (1938)
• Mr. Moto Takes a Chance (1938)
• Mysterious Mr. Moto (1938)
• Mr. Moto’s Last Warning (1939)
• Danger Island (1939)
• Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939)
• The Return of Mr. Moto (1965)

1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... -1... -1... -1... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ...

External links

• The Mr. Moto Novels
• Dr Hermes Reviews - reviews of all six Mr. Moto books