The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932)

Director:

Charles Brabin

Writers:

Irene Kuhn (screenplay) &
Edgar Allan Woolf (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

5 November 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Horror | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Englishmen race to find the tomb of Ghengis Khan. They have to get there fast, as the evil genius Dr...

Plot Keywords:

Tomb | Fu Manchu | Archeology | Killed By Sword | Snake

Cast

Boris Karloff	...	Dr. Fu Manchu
Lewis Stone	...	Nayland Smith
Karen Morley	...	Sheila
Charles Starrett	...	Terrence Granville
Myrna Loy	...	Fah Lo See
Jean Hersholt	...	Von Berg
Lawrence Grant	...	Sir Lionel Barton
David Torrence	...	McLeod
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Herbert Bunston	...	Undetermined Role (scenes deleted)
Gertrude Michael	...	Undetermined Role (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

68 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1933) | USA:Approved

Company:

Cosmopolitan Productions

Trivia:

Charles Vidor started directing this movie but was fired after a few days of shooting and replaced by Charles Brabin.

Goofs:

Continuity: During his fight with two of Fu Manchu's minions, Terry's shirt is ripped to shreds. In the next scene when he and Nyland rescue their friend from the spikes, Terry's shirt is intact, although unbuttoned.

Quotes:

Fu Manchu: I am a doctor of philosophy from Edinburgh, a doctor of law from Christ's College, a doctor of medicine from Harvard. My friends, out of courtesy, call me 'Doctor'.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Creature Features: The Mask of Fu Manchu (#1.18)" (1971)

The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) ***

No self-respecting fan of the great Boris Karloff should miss his juicy performance in this raunchy and very unconventional film. As the evil and maniacal Asian mastermind Dr. Fu Manchu, Karloff plans to kill off "the white race" as he hunts down the highly desirable mask and sword of Genghis Khan, which winds up in the possession of a group of British treasure seekers. Boris seems to really relish his part as he tortures his captives with a grinning sadistic glee. Myrna Loy plays his self-described "ugly and insignificant daughter", who harbors a sado-masochistic appetite and nymphomania.

The sets are glorious, some sequences are disturbing for the time they were made, and there is newly restored controversial dialogue in the recent editions of the film, with "politically incorrect" slang being used on both sides of the line. There is sometimes a criticism toward the movie for its usage of this type of speech, but the time in which the feature was produced should be historically considered, as well as fairly noting that no race is spared during the length of the film. While Fu Manchu is referred to as a "yellow devil" by his victims, for instance, he is also denouncing Christianity and roaring with contempt to his eastern followers with his authoritative command for them to "kill the white men and take their women!"

There are also some unintentional laughs to be found on occasion, and many of them come courtesy of Karen Morley as "Shelia", who is just atrocious with her comedic overacting. Running a scant 68 minutes, this is a wild and wacky good time for fans of old movies, serials, and Boris Karloff in particular. Enjoy!