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 Call Him Jess (2000)

The Blood of FuManchu

Blood of FuManchu, The (1968)

1/2 (out of 4)

This here is technically the fourth film in the Christopher Lee/FuManchu series, although most fans just consider the first three to be a series and the final two just the work of Spanish director Jess Franco. No matter how you consider the series to work, there's very little doubt as to how bad this film actually is. FuManchu (Lee) and his daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin) are hiding out in the Amazon jungle. FuManchu comes up with a new idea to take over the world and it's to send out ten beautiful women with poison on their lips to kill various world leaders. THE BLOOD OF FUMANCHU was released under countless titles including KISS AND KILL but no matter what you call it there's no doubt it's a horrible little picture that doesn't have a single thing going for it. Jess Franco has made a lot of bad films in his career but there's no question this here is the worst of the decade, which for the most part had some decent films that even non-fans thought were at least good. The biggest problem is that the entire story is a complete mess as you never really know if this film is trying to be serious or some sort of spoof. Lee pretty much sleepwalks through his role and it really doesn't appear that he's having any fun. Tsai Chin is about the only decent thing in the film but she isn't given too much to do and the rest of the supporting cast appear to have some sort of poison in their system as well. The film has a comic book vibe to it but there's not an ounce of energy to be found anywhere and what fun adventure there should be isn't anywhere to be found either. This production might have had a bigger than normal budget but nothing was done with it and in the end this is just a worthless film without anything going for it.