Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939)

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 lead 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.