The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932)

Director:

Charles Brabin
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Writers:

Irene Kuhn (screen play) &
Edgar Allan Woolf (screen play) ...
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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:

Fu Manchu | Sword | Mask | Genghis Khan | Tomb

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:
Everett Brown	...	Slave (uncredited)
Steve Clemente	...	Knife Thrower (uncredited)
Willie Fung	...	Ship's Steward (uncredited)
Ferdinand Gottschalk	...	British Museum Official (uncredited)
Allen Jung	...	Coolie (uncredited)
Tetsu Komai	...	Swordsman (uncredited)
James B. Leong	...	Guest (uncredited)
Oswald Marshall	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Chris-Pin Martin	...	Potentate (uncredited)
Lal Chand Mehra	...	Indian Prince (uncredited)
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Coolie Spy (uncredited)
Clinton Rosemond	...	Slave (uncredited)
C. Montague Shaw	...	Curator Dr. Fairgyle - British Museum Official (uncredited)
E. Alyn Warren	...	Goy Lo Sung - Fu Manchu Messenger (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Brabin
Charles Vidor		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Irene Kuhn		(screen play) &
Edgar Allan Woolf		(screen play) and
John Willard		(screen play)
Sax Rohmer		(from the story by)

Original Music by
William Axt		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Tony Gaudio		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Ben Lewis		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Costume Design by
Adrian		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Cecil Holland	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Waters	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
Anstruther MacDonald	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Clarence Sinclair Bull	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Ken Strickfaden	....	electrician: effects unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated) (A Cosmopolitan Production)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1932) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (on '3 Superstars of Shock') (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (video)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (on "Hollywood's Legends of Horror Collection")

Other Companies

• Turner Entertainment  package design

Also Known As:

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:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Charles Vidor started directing this movie but was fired after a few days of shooting and replaced by Charles Brabin. Filmed August 6-October 21 1932, after "The Old Dark House" and before "The Mummy."

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:

Sheila:[after Fu Manchu has reveald his murderous plans for her and Dr. Von berg] You yellow beast!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ed Wood (1994)

A lusty oriental mix

Wonderfully inventive exotic horror movie from the early days of talkies.

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.

'Mask of Fu Manchu' is well worth a watch for its stunning look alone. The sets by Cedric Gibbons are gorgeous to look at, a uniquely Hollywoodian blend of art-deco and tasteful Orientalism, photographed to fantastic effect by Tony Gaudio and evocatively lit. The acting is top-notch with Karloff an exquisitely seductive Fu Manchu and the young Loy a delight as his sadistic daughter. This film could not have been made just a couple of years later, it is decidedly pre-Code in its sexual frankness and the lusty demeanor of the characters. Ex-football star Starrett is more than sufficiently hunky stripped down to a loincloth in a torture scene! But then, the torture of this movie is always a naughty delight, it has so many things in store for us.

Obviously, the question with 'Mask of Fu Manchu' as with others of its time is, Are you able to forgive its naive racism? "You hideous yellow monster!", our heroine hisses contemptuously, but then again, the Brits aren't exactly angels either, the barbaric way these so-called scientists go about breaking open Genghis Khan's tomb, desecrating everything on their way, only barely concealing their avarice ...

A really good film, highly recommended.

7/10