Those familiar with the background of this movie know that it started out as "Charlie Chan at Ringside", and was hastily re-cast when Warner Oland died. Keye Luke maintained his role as Number #1 Son Lee Chan, and Harold Huber appeared as head of the homicide department, similar to the roles he played in a pair of Chan films just prior to "Mr. Moto's Gamble". They included a New York City police inspector (Charlie Chan on Broadway), and a French police officer (Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo). In this outing he plays it just a bit straighter, though his character gets a little erratic as the film progresses.
What was interesting to me was how the film makers managed to get in a reference to Charlie Chan, as son Lee extends his regards to Mr. Moto from his 'pop', and Moto graciously praises the masterful work of the senior detective. All the while I was trying to catch a hint of recognition in Keye Luke's facial manner for a reaction to Oland's passing, but that did not materialize.
Also interesting, and maybe more so, was the way this film maintained the continuity of the early Twentieth Century Fox series of Charlie Chan films. The movie completed by Warner Oland and Keye Luke just prior to this one was "Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo", and in that story, Lee Chan had a painting on exhibition in Paris. In 'Gamble', Lee is an aspiring detective taking one of Mr. Moto's classes, however officially he's enrolled as a university art student. I always found those subtle and clever inserts into the pictures to heighten my enjoyment of the films.
As for the story itself, Mr. Moto becomes involved in the 'poison glove' killing at the request of Lieutenant Riggs (Huber), and is only too happy to oblige. He solves the crime in a more linear fashion than Charlie Chan would have, with enough clues along the way to help the viewer hone in on the killer - "To reveal a snake one must overturn a rock". Along the way, 'Slapsie' Maxie Rosenbloom provides some comic relief as a scatterbrained kleptomaniac, and it was cool to see Ward Bond as boxing champ Biff Moran.
There was one element though that just didn't make sense. When it was agreed to lift boxer Steele's (Dick Baldwin) suspension so he could fight for the world title, THAT VERY SAME NIGHT!!!, newspaper headlines around the country carried the story! Just how fast could news possibly travel back in the 1930's?
Hey, when was the last time you could get ringside seats to a main event for $4.40? Obviously 1938, but you'd pay more for a hot dog at the matches today.
"Mr. Moto's Gamble" was the third installment in the Moto series at Fox, and once again, Peter Lorre blends his insightful analysis and martial arts skill into an effective effort. You might feel at times he's putting up with the clunkiness of Lee Chan and detective Riggs, which is what Charlie Chan would have had to do, but in the end you have a satisfying story that paces solid detective work in a sports setting.