I’ll Give a Million   —   20th Century-Fox, 1938, directed by Walter Lang, with Peter Lorre as “Louie”, a tramp whose friendship is worth a million French francs to a disillusioned millionaire.

In this American lobby card for I’ll Give a Million (1938), millionaire-turned-tramp Warner Baxter confronts tramp-turned-millionaire Peter Lorre, as fellow tramp John Carradine and newspaper editor J. Edward Bromberg look on.

Mysterious Mr. Moto   —   20th Century-Fox, 1938, directed by Norman Foster, with Peter Lorre as “Kentaro Moto”, Agent General (#673) of the International Police operating in London, England.

An American one-sheet poster advertising Mysterious Mr. Moto (1938).

This title card for the film’s 1938 release includes an image of Mr. Moto in disguise as a crusty old German artist. Courtesy of Mike Hawks.

Mr. Moto’s Last Warning   —   20th Century-Fox, 1939, directed by Norman Foster, with Peter Lorre as “Kentaro Moto”, a dealer in Oriental antiques in Port Said, Egypt.

A black-and-white reproduction of an American insert poster advertising Mr. Moto’s Last Warning (1939), with the principals George Sanders, Joan Carol, Leyland Hodgson, and Virginia Field.

A black-and-white reproduction of a six-sheet poster for the American release of Mr. Moto’s Last Warning (1939), with Peter Lorre, George Sanders, and Virginia Field.

An American title card for Mr. Moto’s Last Warning (1939), with George Sanders, Joan Carol, John Carradine, and Virginia Field. Although Ricardo Cortez played the chief villain, he apparently did not figure prominently in the film’s advertising.

Danger Island   —   20th Century-Fox, 1939, directed by Herbert I. Leeds, with Peter Lorre as “Kentaro Moto”, an agent of the International Police sent by Washington D.C. officials to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In this American lobby card for Danger Island (1939), wrestler “Twister” McGurk (Warren Hymer) and Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre), posing as the criminal Shimura, escape the police in San Juan. Originally filmed as Mr. Moto in Puerto Rico and the eighth in the series, the movie was retitled without the Japanese sleuth’s name and released seventh. To identify the film as a Moto entry, the studio added “Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto in” above the title in the opening credits – leading many filmographies since then to identify it incorrectly as Mr. Moto in Danger Island.

Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation   —   20th Century-Fox, 1939, directed by Norman Foster, with Peter Lorre as “Kentaro Moto”, guardian of the ancient crown of Sheba’s queen.

This reproduction of an American insert poster advertising Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939) highlights the film’s San Francisco museum setting.

This title card for the film’s 1939 American release includes images of supporting cast members Victor Varconi and Iva Stewart, in addition to Peter Lorre. Courtesy of Mike Hawks.