The Mr Moto series took a detour with this one - its not very exotic, being set in San Francisco, and concerns a good old fashioned rigged boxing match/death in the ring with gangsters. It's completely fine, just more familiar - explained by the fact it was a Charlie Chan film, which was rewritten as a Moto when Warner Oland fell ill (he later died).
So we have some Chan-like comic relief in the form of Chan's son, played by Keye Luke, and a dumb boxed played by Maxie Rosembloom. Lynn Bari is on hand as a wisecracking press gal who loves a boxer Dick Baldwin suspected of murder; Jayne Regan is the classy girl. I enjoyed the finale with a rigged gun and Moto using a father's love to expose himself as the killer.
I wish Bari's part had been bigger and she could've carried more of the comic relief. Lon Chaney Jr is apparently in it. Ward Bond is easier to spot, as a boxer.
Entertaining, solid mystery - just not really "moto".
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