I was pretty excited when I got to the third film in the series: "Mr. Moto's Gamble" from 1938. This was originally meant to part of the "Charlie Chan" movies, but it was re-written into a Moto movie following the death of original Chan actor, Warner Oland. And you can definitely tell that it was originally meant for Charlie Chan. "Mr. Moto's Gamble" doesn't have as much action as the first two "Mr. Moto" movies.
One thing that really made "Mr. Moto's Gamble" stand out was that it co-starred Keye Luke, who played Charlie Chan's Number One Son, Lee Chan, in many of the early "Charlie Chan" films. In this movie, Lee was taking a detective course that Mr. Moto was teaching. There was a great scene early on that explained Lee's inclusion in the movie and that payed homage to Charlie Chan and Warner Oland:
Lee Chan: Oh, Mr. Moto...Not only did Mr. Moto gain Lee Chan as an assistant, but he also gained his own Burmingham Brown character (sort of). The two were joined by a bumbling kleptomaniac named Wellington. This type of detective and sidekick dynamic really took off in the "Charlie Chan" movies but really hadn't been seen in the "Mr. Moto" movies until this film.
Mr. Moto: Yes Lee?
Lee Chan: I thought you would like to know that I got a letter from Pop yesterday.
Mr. Moto: Oh, you did?
Lee Chan: He sent his best to you.
Mr. Moto: Thank you. And how is your honorable father enjoying his home life in beautiful Honolulu?
Lee Chan: He seems fine. But he kind of worries about me. You see, I'm really supposed to be studying art here at the university. But gosh... I really want to be a detective!
Mr. Moto: *Chuckles* I understand. My parents wanted me to become an acrobat.
*Both Laugh*
Mr. Moto: But don't worry, Lee. I shall write to your father and I shall tell him that you are my most promising student.
Incidentally, there was a great line from this film It had me cracking up long enough that I decided to create a meme out of it:
