The Blood of Fu Manchu (1968)

Director:

Jesús Franco

Writers:

Jesús Franco (story) (uncredited in English version)
Sax Rohmer (novels)
(more)

Release Date:

24 September 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

LUSCIOUS LIPS - Lethal in their biting sting of death!

Plot:

Fu Manchu inoculates ten women with poison, to kill ten world leaders. |

Plot Keywords:

Poison | Fu Manchu | Actual Animal Killed | Snake | Sequel

Cast

Christopher Lee	...	Fu Manchu
Richard Greene	...	Nayland Smith
Howard Marion-Crawford	...	Dr. Petrie (as Howard Marion Crawford)
Götz George	...	Carl Jansen
Maria Rohm	...	Ursula Wagner
Ricardo Palacios	...	Sancho Lopez
Loni von Friedl	...	Celeste
Frances Khan	...	Carmen
Tsai Chin	...	Lin Tang
Isaura de Oliveira	...	Yuma
Shirley Eaton	...	Black Widow
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marcelo Arroita-Jáuregui	...	The Governor (uncredited)
Olívia Pineschi	...	One of Fu's Girl (uncredited)
Vicente Roca	...	Governor's Secretary (uncredited)
Francesca Tu	...	Lotus (uncredited)

Directed by
Jesús Franco		(as Jess Franco)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jesús Franco		story and screenplay (uncredited in English version) (as J. Franco)
Manfred R. Köhler		story and screenplay (uncredited)
Sax Rohmer		novels
Harry Alan Towers		story and screenplay (as Peter Welbeck)

Produced by
Harry Alan Towers	....	producer

Original Music by
Daniel White

Cinematography by
Manuel Merino

Film Editing by
Waltraut Lindenau		(German version)
Allan Morrison		(original version)
Stanley Frazen		(uncredited)
Ángel Serrano		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Peter Gasper		(uncredited)

Production Management
Juan Estelrich	....	production manager

Sound Department
Bill Creed	....	dubbing editor
Malcolm Stewart	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Ray Andrew	....	clapper loader (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Rick Greenhead	....	telecine colorist

Production Companies

• Ada Films
• Commonwealth United Entertainment
• Constantin Film Produktion
• Terra-Filmkunst
• Towers of London Productions
• Udastex Films

Distributors

• Astral Films (1969) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Commonwealth United Entertainment (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• Constantin Film (1968) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Andrés Salvador Molina (Spain)
• Blue Underground (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• C.E.A. Andrés Salvador Moli (Spain)
• C.E.A. Distribución (Spain)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• NTA Home Entertainment (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Optimum Home Entertainment (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures (II) (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Taurus Video (19??) (West Germany) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"Against All Odds" - USA (video title)
"Fu Manchu's Kiss of Death" - International (English title) (literal title)
"Kiss and Kill" - USA (alternative title)
"Kiss of Death" - USA (video title)

Runtime:

92 min | Germany:82 min | USA:94 min (DVD)

Country:

Spain | West Germany | UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (cut) | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG | West Germany:18 (original rating) | USA:Unrated (DVD uncut version) | Australia:M | UK:15 (uncut version, re-rating) | Singapore:M18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2006)

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Spain

Company:

Ada Films

Trivia:

Richard Greene replaced Douglas Wilmer.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Rise of Fu Manchu (2003) (V)

"The world shall hear from me again!"

This solid, sumptuous adaptation the Fu Manchu series (the director's first of two) is further evidence of both Christopher Lee's tremendous character acting and that Spanish director Jess Franco actually did make some good movies. This movie is not "perfect" by any means, but Franco milks the meager budget for every dime and delivers maximum scale for this bizarre pulp epic. He delivers on all the sex, violence, and the macabre you would expect from a Franco flick and also manages to create a sense of dignity and responsibility about the whole thing (with much help from Lee's focused performance). Anyway, good stuff. Especially if you are in to adventure serials and/ or jungle exploitation films. Don't miss out on a newly discovered classic. Blue-Underground's DVD of the uncut, beautifully rendered remastering should revert many of the film's most passionate critics into true believers.