He tells Sheila and Von Berg that Nayland Smith wants them to bring the sword and mask to him. Understandably, the character of Fu Manchu - Rohmer once described him as the "yellow peril incarnate" - has earned criticism over the years for its reliance on racist stereotypes. 2023 Turner Classic Movies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Two and a half stars. a calculated and market-driven studio product, one of several efforts MGM made during the first years of was singled out for strong criticism. In this horror classic, archaeologists from the British Museum race to find the ancient tomb of Genghis Khan before the evil genius Dr. Fu Manchu (Boris Karloff), who may be Khan's reincarnation. "The Mask of Fu Manchu" screens as part of a horror/thriller pre-Code double bill with "The Most Dangerous Game" on July 7 at 1 p.m. at Digital Gym Cinema. In this horror classic, archaeologists from the British Museum race to find the ancient tomb of Genghis Khan before the evil genius Dr. Fu Manchu (Boris Karloff), who may be Khan's . The two best performances come from Myrna Loy and especially Boris Karloff. Fu Manchu is portrayed as honorable (within his own standards) and even his foes admit that his plots are actually selfless, to an extent, "He aimed to lift China from the mire into which China had fallen." Despite Terry's misgivings, Sheila persuades him to take the relics to Fu Manchu without Smith's knowledge. The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Music by William Axt . (uncredited) Cinematography by Tony Gaudio . Shan Greville again narrates, and all our old friends are back: Nayland Smith, Dr. Petrie, Orientalist Lionel Barton and his niece, Rima. flogged, and the Sino-Moderno-Art-Deco sets loom over the actors like a child's vision of the Museum of Together they then free Von Berg and tamper with Manchu's electricity machine, sending an electrical charge to the sword, apparently killing Manchu. Working. The makeup, which required three hours preparation each day before shooting, involved filling in the area around Karloff's eyes, reshaping his nose, applying tooth caps and long fingernails, to say nothing of the wig, moustache and painted eyebrows. Oh boy! Both the Doctor and his daughter - now dutifully working at his side - are seeking to obtain an ancient mask from Nayland Smith and Greville, to use to whip the middle east into a religious frenzy. Then we put in artificial lightning, Tesla coils, death-rays and other modern electrical wonders to show how the Oriental super-brain operated the strange laboratory in the chamber of the idols of his ancestors. Warner Oland in The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu. The removable top of the skull is very noticeable. At the same time, the character in Rohmer's novels is extraordinarily intelligent and even displays noble traits; he and his nemesis Nayland Smith have a grudging respect for each other. Mask of Fu Manchu, The (1932) -- (Movie Clip) Torture Of The Bell Film Details Genre Horror/Science-Fiction Adventure Horror Thriller Release Date Nov 5, 1932 Premiere Information not available Production Company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp. Distribution Company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp. Country United States Screenplay Information And, as I was in the makeup chair, a gentleman came in and handed me about four sheets of paper which was one enormous, long speech. Fu Manchu, in full Dr. Fu Manchu, fictional character, a Chinese criminal genius who was the hero-villain of novels and short stories by Sax Rohmer (pseudonym of Arthur Sarsfield Ward). That was to be the opening shot in the film and I was seeing it for the first time, then and there. Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons pot-stirred by more than the three credited screenwriters (one of whom, Irene Kuhn, was actually a His minions will do anything to find it, including steal it off of museum curators who tried to find it legitimately. Director Charles Brabin recalls: "We took the mysteries of the Orient and blended them with ultra-modern science. This is a prime example of a Saturday morning B-type movie, though its production values are a little better than average, since it's made by a larger studio. Boris Karloff dismissed such criticisms as "utterly ridiculous," since he felt the film was simply an escapist adventure not to be taken seriously. Not because I don't know where the adventure will take us next but rather becauseget ready for it Nobody could write pulp adventure fiction like Sax Rohmer, and this was one of his best. Evendently, Irving Thalberg the head of production at MGM thought the studio could make them "bigger and better". The Mask of Fu Manchu. movie's ace in the hole; for others, it's the enduring matinee daydream of torchlit catacombs, nightened Buried with him is his powerful sword and mask which have the ability to let the East rule over the world. So finding the right audience for them, an audience that is receptive to understanding that history. The famous mask in the film was based on the original designs by famed artist W. T. Benda for the novel's serialization in Collier magazine. I enjoyed this one better than the first book of the series - it seemed more straightforward pulp without dragging on forever. Fu Manchu is a more laid back version of Jack Bauer, as he murders and tortures with the relative luxury of someone who enjoys it too much. Closed captioning. That night, expedition member McLeod is killed by a dagger thrown through a window. Hearst columnist for The New York Daily Mirror), the film is no work of art, and much more than As always (in this series), this involves a worldwide conspiracy of all non-white peoples (in this book, Chinese, Muslims, and Africans) to bring down Western domination of the world. When Terry tries to set a trap for Dr. Manchu with a fake mask and sword, he is captured and finds himself caught precariously between Dr. Fu Manchu's ingenious tortures and the amorous attentions of the Doctor's daughter, Fah Lo See. The famous mask in the film was based on the original designs by famed artist W. T. Benda for the novel's serialization in Collier magazine. The writing is approached in such a stinted awkward way, that reading is cumbersome. MGM had released "Freaks" earlier the same year, about a group of circus freaks, but it didn't do well at the box office. In her autobiography Myrna Loy: Being and Becoming, the actress remarked upon seeing the film many years later: "It astonished me how good Karloff and I were. (uncredited) Art Direction by The Mask of Fu Manchu ( 1932, USA) is an Adventure - Horror film directed by Charles Brabin and Charles Vidor (uncredited) Contents: Triple-Feature Poster Featured in: Hollywood Legends of Horror Collection | Grindhouse Universe Main Details Released on July 5, 1932 B&W Running time: 68 minutes Dr Fu Manchu is described as a mysterious villain because he seldom appears on the scene. they did explain all of this away at the end by says that he was a part of the underworld. The Mask of Fu-Manchu Sax Rohmer 3.65 235 ratings36 reviews After discovering the tomb of El Mokanna - the Veiled Prophet - and retrieving the precious relics buried there, the eminent archaeologist Sir Lionel Barton blows up the tomb. You can buy "The Mask of Fu Manchu" on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Microsoft Store, Vudu as download or rent it on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store online. Feats of derring-do. So intones the "yellow menace" of the insidious Dr. Fu Manchu I am interested in going behind the scenes to explore the creative process; seeing how pop culture reflects social issues; and providing a context for art and entertainment. Better to read this in sequence. Of course, yesterday's screaming transgression is today's quaint camp, and The Mask of Fu Manchu There's so much we can learn from them," Hu said. "These films reveal so much about how we think about America, how we were taught to maintain a certain kind of racial purity in America, which is so relevant today. There are lots of references to previous adventures, in earlier books. It was ridiculous. (Fu Manchu exhorts his It is a film that channels the fear many Americans had of foreigners but it also reveals the fascination the public had with the exotic "Orient.". People were afraid of them on certain levels. Plot Holes Large Enough to Drive a Semi Through, Boris Karloff At His Most Wickedly Watchable. sarcophagi dressed as mummies to abduct a unwitting victim, the doctor himself sacrifices one of his What do you wonder about that youd like us to investigate? This essay explores the workings of popular seriality with respect to the evolution of an ideologically fraught serial figure - Fu Manchu. by Michael Atkinson, - This is a New "Fu" in a New Story. For two decades the festival has worked to present an Asian and Asian American perspective through film. So casting white people as Asians have had a long history of making Asians acceptable. When Sir Lionel's daughter Sheila hears of her father's capture, she tells Smith that she plans to search for the tomb herself. These members are subject to murder and torture and are even sentenced to death in the crocodile pit. Archaeologists dashing to retrieve relic to save Western Civilization. Working under the guidance of Sir Nayland Smith (Lewis Stone), the English team finds ancient relics -- a mask and a . Don't worry.' Fu Manchu: [Pointing to blonde female captive] Would you have maidens like this for your wives? Safely aboard a ship bound for England, Nayland Smith tosses the sword over the side so that the world will be safe from any future Fu Manchu. Rohmer's novel The Mask of Fu Manchu, on which this film is based, was serialized in Colliers from May to July of 1932. Captured by Fu Manchu, the party is sentenced to death or enslavement, but not before Sheila manages to bring Terry back to his senses. So this time they decided to go with a major horror star. I think that's the best way for us to continue to remember these movies.". Barton's daughter Sheila is determined to continue her father's work and accompanies the team on the expedition, along with her fiance Terrence Granville. No self-respecting fan of the great Boris Karloff should miss his juicy performance in this raunchy and very unconventional film. Characterisation is slight, and definitely comes second to the plot. Sir Denis Nayland Smith of the British Secret Service warns Egyptologist Sir Lionel Barton that he must beat Fu Manchu in the race to find the tomb of Genghis Khan. nonsense, though not so silly that it hasn't inspired thousands of imitators, George Lucas among them: Genghis Khan's skeleton is clearly a medical school skeleton. (photographed by) Film Editing by Ben Lewis . Feats of derring-do. AU $46.00. A long-lost, priceless relic.. an unspeakable torture. Once you get past a knighted member of the British Secret Service (Lewis Stone) doesn't have a British accent, but Fu Manchu does. Meanwhile, Fu Manchu has Barton's corpse delivered to Sheila. Nonetheless, she brings undeniable energy and conviction to the role, and her sensuality surely pushed the limits of the pre-Code era. To counter the image of Asians in films such as "The Mask of Fu Manchu" and the "Charlie Chan" movies, Hu has some suggestions. web pages On the morning that we started shooting, I went into the makeup shop and worked there for about a couple of hours getting this extremely bad makeup on, as a matter of fact, for Fu Manchu. Wow! Principal cast: Boris Karloff (Dr. Fu Manchu), Lewis Stone (Nayland Smith), Karen Morley (Sheila Barton), Charles Starrett (Terrence Granville), Myrna Loy (Fah Lo See); Jean Hersholt (Von Berg), Lawrence Grant (Sir Lionel Barton), David Torrence (McLeod). "So I think it's especially cool that in the early 1980s there was a film called 'Chan is Missing,' directed by Wayne Wang who is inverting a lot of these stereotypes of Charlie Chan into a bizarre little comedy indie film set in San Francisco's Chinatown that is very much about giving voice to Asian Americans and Chinese Americans in this period. Director: Charles Brabin and Charles Vidor The Chinese characters are used as stock villains but there are occasional moments that reveal something else as when Fu Manchu reveals he has received education at three prestigious universities or his outrage and threat of an Asian rebellion at the pompous British character. She finds the tomb and its treasures with the help of her fianc Terrence "Terry" Granville, Von Berg, and McLeod. The insidious Dr. Fu Manchu senses an opportunity to use the powerful relics for his own evil goals which include fostering an Islamic uprising that he hopes will sweep across the globe. on March 6, 2021, There are no reviews yet. museums, pit helmets, jodhpurs, and booby-trapped marble palaces. (print Ad- Daily Argus, ((Mount Vernon, NY)) 22 December 1932). Shan Greville is an associate of sir Lionel Barton, and engaged to marry his niece Rima. Do not Confuse This Picture With Previous "Fu Manchu" Productions. and Irving Thalberg saw no reason not to test society's lust, or tolerance, for sex, torture, opium den To order The Mask of Fu Manchu (which is He has a daughter, Fah Lo See, whose idea of a good time is watching a white man get whipped repeatedly by two shirtless muscular black men. It has been a century since Sax Rohmer gave the world the gift of the incredibly intelligent, and yet so evil, Doctor Fu Manchu, one of literatures great evil geniuses rivaling even Doyles Professor Moriarty. The story reads more like a complete novel than most of the earlier entries in the series but it is still very episodic. ( taglines) Contents 1 Fu Manchu 2 Fah Lo See 3 Dialogue 4 Taglines 5 Cast 6 External links Fu Manchu [ edit] All these things point to the difficulty of dealing with film and literature from a past that was troubled by problematic and sometimes horrific stereotypes. Once again narrated by Shan Greville, this tale is as deliciously pulpy and briskly engaging, perhaps even a bit more so, as the novels that preceded it. It was generally released in the U.K. through . The main plot or masterplan of Dr FM is a bit offstage, but Shan Greville's experience, the sensual horror if Fah Lo Suee and the Doctor's admirable honour are excellently portrayed. Earlier this year New Jersey lawmakers wanted schools to stop teaching Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn," YouTube recently pulled Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will" for violating new hate speech policy, and George Clooney decided he needed to correct the misogyny of Joseph Heller's "Catch-22." Editing: Ben Lewis The production was rushed and chaotic, as Boris Karloff recalls: "I shall never forget, about a week before we started, I kept asking for a script - and I was met with roars of laughter at the idea that there would be a script. The speech where Fu Manchu tells his followers to "Kill the white man and take his women!" zombiefying snake venom, Fah Lo See practically snarls with feral lust watching the hunky hero get When it was REALLY exotic, they wore pistols and boots too. July 13, 2018. Sax Rohmer who wrote the novel wanted Karloff because of his natural lisp to make it sound like a snake-like hissing in his hateful role as Fu Manchu. With his wicked daughter by his side, he plans to stop at nothing in his quest for world domination, once Genghis' mask becomes THE MASK OF FU MANCHU. Producer: Irving Thalberg Why are San Diego 7-Elevens playing opera? Fun romp of a book, loaded with creepy atmosphere, a decent cast, and lots of non-PC attitudes. Rohmer's most successful series by far was the Fu Manchu novels, which spanned from 1913's The Mystery of Fu Manchu to Emperor Fu Manchu in 1959. Probably one of the best of the films to be based on author Sax Rohmer's stories (along with FACE OF FU MANCHU and DRUMS OF FU MANCHU), it would be nice to see a potential DVD release possibly include commentary by Boris Karloff's daughter, Sara, or a look at the making of the film. The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) (110) 6.2 1 h 8 min 1932 13+ A group of Englishmen race to find the tomb of Ghengis Khan before the evil Dr. Fu Manchu and his daughter get to it and take over the world. Fah Lo Suee, his evil but hot-blooded daughter, makes some nice eerie appearances in this tale, as well. Manchu then has Sir Lionel's body delivered to the expedition's compound and Smith sadly reveals that he had made the phony relics to fool Manchu. Fu Manchu: Then conquer and breed! He continued to play Asian characters throughout his career, most notably the Chinese detective James Lee Wong in the Mr. Wong series for Monogram Pictures. But in this movie, Boris Karloff's performance as the insidious Dr. Fu Manchu makes the Nazis seem like mere shadows of a threat compared to his evil genius. They have to get there fast, as the evil genius Dr. Fu Manchu (Boris Karloff) is also searching, and if he gets the mysteriously powerful relics, he and his diabolical daughter (Myrna Loy) will enslave the world! Amazing Sets and Bizarre Costumes and Props propel this undeniably Visual smrgsbord of a Film into a Class all its own. They are archeologists and steal antiquities that they find..and Dr Fu Manchu wants what they have. McLeod is killed by one of Fu Manchu's men during a robbery attempt, after McLeod kills one of Fu Manchu's men. I cover arts and culture, from Comic-Con to opera, from pop entertainment to fine art, from zombies to Shakespeare. However, in spite of this, the movie proved entertaining. intrepid British explorers, including stiff-upper-lip hero Nyland Smith (Lewis Stone). The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) $2.99 $9.99 Editorial Reviews Determined to rule the East and destroy the West, Fu plots to steal Genghis Kahn's mask and sword from British scientists who have discovered his tomb. This AKA Arthur Sarsfield Ward (real name); Michael Furey. Dr. Petrie is absent from this film. The production was rushed and chaotic, as Boris Karloff recalls: "I shall never forget, about a week before we started, I kept asking for a script - and I was met with roars of laughter at the idea that there would be a script. To make matters worse, Dr. Fu Manchu has invented a terrifying "death ray." Something like that obviously is a nice corrective to to these Hollywood presentations but 'Chan is Missing' also is given this sort of status as inaugurating an Asian-American independent cinema that after that film Asian-Americans realize what we can tell our own stories too and that are miles away from the kinds of pitiful characters in 'The Good Earth' or these treacherous villains in the 'Fu Manchu' films.". Written by Irene Kuhn, Edgar Allan Woolf and John Willard, it was based on the 1932 novel of the same name by Sax Rohmer (the sixth in the series). The title character is also kept at a distance--though we do meet him, his presence is minimal in the novel. He also sends a dacoit to attack Sir Denis Nayland Smith and Dr Petrie. BW-69m. So I got my makeup on and, on my way to the stage from the makeup shop, I was intercepted by somebody else who took those pages away from me and gave me some others that were written in pidgin English!" On the third day of production, filming stopped for several days, then resumed on 11 Aug, when it was reported that Raoul Whitfield was to write the screenplay. Even though the title is a bit of a misnomer. But these were laws that were enacted to try to keep the Chinese out. Other charachters are played by Lewis Stone, Karen Morley, Charles Starrett, Jean Hersholt, Lawrence Grant. Back at M-G-M, after a loan-out to RKO, Myrna Loy was cast as the daughter of Fu Manchu when, to everyone's surprise, Louis B. Mayer outbid Paramount for the rights to Sax Rohmer's 1932 novel, "The Mask of Fu Manchu". 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