The fifth in the series, this one is set in Egypt, mostly, and with Fu plotting to lead a "Moslem" sect via religiously significant relics dug up illegally by an English collector, it seems positively modern compared to the ones set in London opium dens. A long-lost, priceless relic.. an unspeakable torture. (when the film was trimmed for videotape). 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. Her close friend Roddy McDowall liked to tease her about the role, calling her "Fu.". The participation of Hearst, mass purveyor of the "yellow 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." Fu Manchu's daughter returns in this volume; the chapters describing the mind games she plays are quite well done. But the film is part of a series on pre-Code Hollywood and is important in considering the films of that era. What makes this movie even better is in Raiders you know Dr. Jones will win. The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) is an American pre-Code adventure film directed by Charles Brabin. Sax Rohmer in his book, The Mask of Fu-Manchu Book Five in the Dr. Fu-Manchu series published by Titan Books brings us new adventures of Sir Denis Nayland Smith, Dr. Petrie and, of course, the evil Dr. Fu-Manchu. To make matters worse, Dr. Fu Manchu has invented a terrifying "death ray." A scene from the 1932 film "The Mask of Fu Manchu," with Boris Karloff and Myrna Loy. An expedition from the British Museum sets out to find the long searched for tomb of legendary warlord Genghis Khan and get to the fabled sword and mask before it is found and usurped by Dr. Fu Manchu, evil contemporary warlord with an unquenchable ambition to extinguish the white race in his lust for power. Public Resource The story and the stereotypes are hopelessly dated, but who cares, it's a ton of fun anyway. Somewhere beneath the sands of the Gobi Desert lies the Orient's greatest treasure - the grave & relics of Genghis Khan. There is a murder and an ominous force that is somehow involved for some reason that i never did grasp. The sinister Dr. Fu Manchu (Boris Karloff) and his equally devious daughter, Fah Lo See (Myrna Loy), clash with a British expedition that has set out in search of Genghis Khan's tomb. Fu Manchu: Then conquer and breed! Many talented actors like Harry Agar Lyons, Warner Oland and Christopher Lee have played the famous criminal, but the most famous interpretation of Fu Manchu is definitely the one done by horror legend Boris Karloff in the 1932 film, "The Mask of Fu Manchu". However, Nayland Smith manages to free himself, Terry, and Von Berg. THE MASK OF FU MANCHU (Main Title) (1932 - MGM) - YouTube Movie - THE MASK OF FU MANCHUComposer - WILLIAM AXTYear - 1932Studio - MGMFAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material. nonsense, though not so silly that it hasn't inspired thousands of imitators, George Lucas among them: 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. Fu Manchu : I am a doctor of philosophy from Edinburgh, I am a doctor of law from Christ College, I am a doctor of medicine from Harvard. And then, of course, we should not just play these films anywhere. But these were laws that were enacted to try to keep the Chinese out. Weymouth and Karameneh make only token appearances in this work. Even though the title is a bit of a misnomer. The Mask Of Fu Manchu, lobbycard, Boris Karloff, 1932. 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. a monstrous plot to conquer the world! 1932, The brilliant and evil Chinese scientist Dr. Fu Manchu is on a hunt for the tomb of Genghis Khan, whose sword and mask are said to contain supernatural powers. "They worship thiswill we ever understand these Easterners?". Sir Lionel discovers the long lost sword and mask of a Muslim prophet and Fu-Manchu uses this as a pretext to announce the return of the Masked Prophet. Boris Karloff dons monster makeup once again for his role as the fiendish Fu Manchu. His Fu Manchu is a villain you not only fear, but respect. Manchu prepares the serum, derived from various reptiles and deadly insects, and tells Terry that it is the smallest dose, so that he will be himself again for Fah Lo See. The villainous Dr. Fu Manchu races against a team of Englishmen to find the tomb of Ghengis Khan, because he wants to use the relics to cause an uprising in the East to wipe out the white race. 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. 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. The hardcover version was published by Doubleday in October of that year. Sheila suspects that Terry has been drugged when he blankly asks for the real sword and mask, but she and Von Berg still go with him and are captured by Manchu's men. That was to be the opening shot in the film and I was seeing it for the first time, then and there. These films could play in a certain kind of context that would be incredibly destructive for America even today. "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. $200.00 + $5.50 shipping. So, it's a sociological goldmine, innocently wallowing in bigotry in the way American culture happily The production design for The Mask of Fu Manchu was quite elaborate and helped contribute to the picture's relatively high cost for the period - over $327,000. Read about. 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. Captured by Fu Manchu, the party is sentenced to death or enslavement, but not before Sheila manages to bring Terry back to his senses. 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 . There's some kind of white supremacist context where I would not want this film to be shown. I can't learn this in time to do it,' and he said, 'Well, it will be all right. He tells Sheila and Von Berg that Nayland Smith wants them to bring the sword and mask to him. the kids, and came bearing leering innuendo for their parents. This isn't exactly the deepest or most politically correct film, but it sure is silly old-fashioned fun. It is a must see film and a great film classic for all generations. did until the postwar-WWII years and the awakenings of the civil-rights movement. Beyond belief of course - but what do we read this expecting? Myrna Loy, who plays the "sadistic nymphomaniac" Fah Lo See, had long been typecast as an exotic temptress. Myrna Loy as his daughter is wickedly good. Screenplay: Irene Kuhn, Edgar Allan Woolf and John Willard, based on the novel The Mask of Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer (1932) In spite of that, the final film manages to capture the feel of the pulp tales that inspired it. The story is classic Rohmer made in Hollywood. It was generally released in the U.K. through . Editing: Ben Lewis Barton's daughter Sheila insists on taking her father's place on the expedition, as she knows where the tomb is. Written by Edgar Allan Woolf, based on the novel by Sax Rohmer. 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. Characterisation is slight, and definitely comes second to the plot. The English writer, whose real name is Arthur Sarsfield Ward, created thriller novels based on characters such as the female criminal mastermind Sumuru and the Parisian Detective Gaston Max. In some ways it's worse, because the white fears about other races are in-your- face. After discovering the tomb of El Mokanna aka The Veiled Prophet in Egypt, and retrieving the historical relics buried therein, the famous archaeologist Sir Lionel Barton blows up the tomb. The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. He believes if he secures these two sacred items, his leadership over the hordes of Asia will exterminate the white race so that he will rule the world. It was in fact very much 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!" Lewis Stone plays his nemesis. they did explain all of this away at the end by says that he was a part of the underworld. Plot Holes Large Enough to Drive a Semi Through, Boris Karloff At His Most Wickedly Watchable. museums, pit helmets, jodhpurs, and booby-trapped marble palaces. No self-respecting fan of the great Boris Karloff should miss his juicy performance in this raunchy and very unconventional film. They were in these seedy Chinatowns where we're not sure what's going on. It stars Boris Karloff as the evil Asian title character and that. MGM, which issued this comic book of a movie, made it easy for viewers to figure out that its movies were exotic. Sheila senses something is wrong, but Von Berg digs up the real relics, and they follow Terry into a trap. The next morning, as Sheila lies on the sacrificial table, Smith breaks free from his crocodile infested cell and frees Terry. The Mask of Fu Manchu easily could have served as inspiration for Raiders of the Lost Ark. This book was written in the late 1920s and so much that we consider politically incorrect now was just the way that it was in the book. 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". Once you get past a knighted member of the British Secret Service (Lewis Stone) doesn't have a British accent, but Fu Manchu does. The film's electrical equipment was created by Kenneth Strickfaden, who also designed the laboratory equipment for Universal's Frankenstein films. A Fu Manchu movie made in the early '30s, when xenophobia against the Chinese was still rife, was never going to be anything but offensive and demeaning to Asians, especially with the titular character played by Boris Karloff in 'yellow face'. There are lots of references to previous adventures, in earlier books. Mask of Fu Manchu is a sensational artifact for every reason except its director or directors There was also a television series, The Adventures of Fu Manchu (1956), starring Glen Gordon. These mere hints of interest to more layers of the character are not enough to gloss over the negative racial stereotypes but they do reveal that in this film it is not the mere caricature that the film is after, which is what Rooney's performance was all about. This is the fifth book in the Fu Manchu series by British author Sax Rohmer. Produced by William These films are problematic and potentially offensive yet they are also revealing of who we were and are. 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. It's visual style and production design are worthy of attention and seeing how the film fits in with Karloff's other work from the era in "Frankenstein" and "The Black Cat" also makes it noteworthy. That night, expedition member McLeod is killed by a dagger thrown through a window. Directors Charles Brabin Starring Boris Karloff, Lewis Stone, Karen Morley Genres Science Fiction, Suspense, Horror, Drama, Adventure, Action Then, I said, 'This is absolute nonsense. The Mask of Fu Manchu is a bit campy, but if you've got a theme planned for Halloween of old horror movies, you might want to add it to the list alongside some other Boris Karloff classics. "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. I cover arts and culture, from Comic-Con to opera, from pop entertainment to fine art, from zombies to Shakespeare. There's so much we can learn from them," Hu said. Do not Confuse This Picture With Previous "Fu Manchu" Productions. While Terry rescues Sheila, Smith and Von Berg use the machine to send shocks to Manchu's men. Technicians copied almost everything in the British museum, from mummies to pterodactyls. sarcophagi dressed as mummies to abduct a unwitting victim, the doctor himself sacrifices one of his MGM had released "Freaks" earlier the same year, about a group of circus freaks, but it didn't do well at the box office. 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. Together they then free Von Berg and tamper with Manchu's electricity machine, sending an electrical charge to the sword, apparently killing Manchu. 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 Mask of Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer in Hardcover Book 2 of 11 Fu-Manchu Print length 192 pages Language English Publisher Amereon Ltd Publication date July 5, 1982 Dimensions 5.75 x 0.75 x 9 inches ISBN-10 089190803X ISBN-13 978-0891908036 See all details Product details Publisher : Amereon Ltd (July 5, 1982) Language : English I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou 1969 1st ED/1st Printing HCDJ. The book came out in 1932 the same year as a film of the same title, but the film has little to do with the book except in the broadest sense, although it is the best of the Fu Manchu films, with a great performance from Boris Karloff as the title character. "Charlie Chan also created all kinds of stereotypes for Asian-Americans growing up in the 1960s and '70s," Hu said. Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie do appear, but they are given far less to do. Somehow, Fu Manchu has people hiding in sarcophagi dressed as mummies in the British Museum, plus one guy who appears to be wearing a beret inside a sarcophagus, but disappears. However, the black and white cinematography does show crispness and atmosphere and the sets and costumes are beautiful. The action stretches from Persia to Cairo to London encountering Ogboni killers, mind-control drugs, dervishes, and a ghost mosque. Now he seeks to incite a Muslim uprising to destroy Western civilization. We will keep fighting for all libraries - stand with us! Directed by Charles Brabin. This is a New "Fu" in a New Story. Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons The speech where Fu Manchu tells his followers to "Kill the white man and take his women!" He also sends a dacoit to attack Sir Denis Nayland Smith and Dr Petrie. Shan Greville returns as the narrator, serving under world famous Orientalist Sir Lionel Barton. Better to read this in sequence. This has repercussions as the heretic sect faithful to Mokanna choose to interpret the resulting fireball as the second coming of their prophet. The "Yellow Menace"! This was a difficult book to get through for me. They kidnap the British leader of the expedition and are prepared to torture him to death, if only they get their hands on the sword and mask. It was ridiculous. Everyone else just tossed it off as something that didn't matter, while Boris and I brought some feeling and humor to those comic-book characters. Director: Charles Brabin and Charles Vidor They discover some artifacts in Egypt that the Mohammedans want.. the story started out ok but became bogged down in the narrative. The tortures were both scary and amusing, and I got some entertainment from the scene with the crocodiles. AU $46.00. BW-69m. Kill the white man and take his women! Sponsored. Sir Denis Nayland Smith, retired Scotland Yard detective now working for the government arrives to help. While the sparks put off by Fu Manchu's diabolical invention are impressive special effects, they are nothing in comparison to the sparks emitted by the young, scantily clad Myrna Loy. The Mask of Fu Manchu is not perfect. 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. At her own insistence, this was her last of many roles as an Asian character. "The serum distilled from dragon's blood, my own blood, the organs of different reptiles, and mixed with the magic brew of the sacred seven herbs will temporarily change you into the living instrument of my will.". Another knighted Brit (Lawrence Grant) does have a British accent but his daughter (Karen Morely) does not. Evendently, Irving Thalberg the head of production at MGM thought the studio could make them "bigger and better". 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. 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!" It focuses on the function of iconicity in this. A long-lost, priceless relic.. an unspeakable torture. The Mask of Fu Manchu is the direct sequel to The Daughter of Fu Manchu, although set a year or so later. The two best performances come from Myrna Loy and especially Boris Karloff. Then, I said, 'This is absolute nonsense. The Frankenstein of the Orient! The Nazis are mere obstacles in his path to run over. The story was originally serialized over twelve issues in Collier's Magazine in 1932. 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. Wonderfully inventive exotic horror movie from the early days of talkies. 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. According to various news items in Hollywood Reporter, the film began production under the direction of Charles Vidor in early August 1932, with a script by Courtenay Terrett. It is a continuation of the battle between Dr. Fu Manchu and the forces of the British Empire. 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. Oh boy! Starring Boris Karloff as Fu Manchu, and featuring Myrna Loy as his depraved daughter, the film revolves around the "Devil Doctor" 's quest for the golden sword and mask of Genghis Khan. When that fails, Barton suffers the "torture of the bell" (lying underneath a gigantic, constantly ringing bell) in an unsuccessful attempt to get him to reveal the location of the tomb. Sir Lionel is kidnapped soon afterward and taken to Fu Manchu. 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. These films are setting the stage for a lot of the ways we think about race today. 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. But Hollywood films also reveal a certain fascination for them. At that time, Bayard Veiller was announced as Terrett's replacement. Rohmer's novel The Mask of Fu Manchu, on which this film is based, was serialized in Colliers from May to July of 1932. To order The Mask of Fu Manchu (which is Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. "The Mask of Fu Manchu" screens as part of the Breaking the Commandments: Pre-Code Hollywood film series at Digital Gym Cinema. Other charachters are played by Lewis Stone, Karen Morley, Charles Starrett, Jean Hersholt, Lawrence Grant. leaned toward eradicating cruel violence in the '30s and racial epithets and stereotypes in the '80s This is a subtle point often lost in the film adaptations; The Mask of Fu Manchu in particular was attacked by the Chinese-American community when it was released. Hu explained the social and political climate that the film was made in: "This is on the heels of the Chinese Exclusion Acts, which were enacted in the late 19th century as a result of fears that Chinese people were taking American jobs and as well as the fact that they were afraid that Chinese people were bringing some sort of kind of immorality they were not Christians. 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. Cinematography: Tony Gaudio 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. just another nostalgic bask in the gray heaven of '30s genre films. #5 in the oriental villain Fu Manchu series. Feats of derring-do. The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) started production in early August, with Charles Vidor as director and Courtenay Terrett writing the screenplay adaptation. It is actually this cut version which MGM/UA released in the early 1990's on videotape, although the deleted segments were restored for the print of "Mask of Fu Manchu" used for the later laserdisc release "MGM Horror Classics," and the more recent DVD release. Other films based on Sax Rohmer's character include the 1923 British picture Cry of the Night Hawk, the 1929 Paramount film The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu, directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring Warner Oland and Jean Arthur (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30; F2.3760), a 1956 television series called The Adventures of Fu Manchu, starring Glen Gordon, and a 1980 British comedy directed by Piers Haggard, starring Peter Sellers, called The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu. Fah Lo Suee, his evil but hot-blooded daughter, makes some nice eerie appearances in this tale, as well.