The Terror of the Tongs (1961)

In 1910, Hong Kong members of a secret Tong crime syndicate protect their identities by murdering the daughter of a British sea captain who vows revenge.

Director:

Anthony Bushell

Writer:

Jimmy Sangster

Stars:

Christopher Lee, Yvonne Monlaur, Geoffrey Toone

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Christopher Lee	...	Chung King
Yvonne Monlaur	...	Lee
Geoffrey Toone	...	Capt. Jackson Sale
Marne Maitland	...	Beggar
Brian Worth	...	District Commissioner Harcourt
Ewen Solon	...	Tang How - Tong Leader's Aide
Roger Delgado	...	Tang Hao - Tong Enforcer
Richard Leech	...	Insp. Bob Dean
Charles Lloyd Pack	...	Dr. Fu Chao - Tong Member
Marie Burke	...	Maya
Barbara Brown	...	Helena Sale
Burt Kwouk	...	Mr. Ming

Storyline

A secret society of Hong-Kong at the beginning of the century called "The Red Dragon Tong" kidnaps the captain of a ship in the harbour of Hong-Kong as he tries to detain the killers of his daughter. Because the secret society is very powerful it is not easy to free him from their hands.

---

Plot Keywords:

organized crime | murder of a girl | hong kong | tong | captain | 

---

Taglines:

NOW YOU CAN SEE SPINE-TINGLING TONG TERROR! (original print ad - all caps)

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 March 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

Terror of the Hatchet Men

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Hammer Films, Merlin Film Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) Color (Eastmancolor) (UK prints) Black and White (USA, theatrical prints) Color (Technicolor) (USA, TV prints)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sir Christopher Lee said in interviews that the make-up he sported in this movie to transform him into a Chinese man was the most uncomfortable make-up that he had to endure at that point in time.

---

Goofs

The film is set in 1910, but the knee length female costumes, revealingly slit to the hip, are strictly 1960 Suzie Wong.

---

Quotes

Tang How - Tong Leader's Aide: The police have been called in.
The Tong Leader: The police? The police have been ineffectual for the last hundred years, and will doubtless continue to be so.

---

Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: HONG KONG - 1910

A bustling, growing city - but hidden deep amongst its teeming thousands was an organisation that thrived on vice, terror and corruption- THE RED DRAGON TONG

---

Alternate Versions

The film suffered extensive BBFC cuts which removed shots of bloody bodies and a mutilated hand, and also heavily edited the infamous 'bone scraping' scene where Jackson Sale's chest is pricked with needles. A scene featuring Helena's fingers being severed with an axe was also re-edited, so it appears she passes out before the impact of the blade. All later releases have featured the same print and the uncut version may no longer survive.

User Reviews

Surprisingly this is a Hammer film!

In 1910 Hong Kong Christopher Lee plays Chung King, an evil leader of tongs who will kill anyone who stands in their way of their slave and opium trade.

A sea captain (Geoffrey Toone) battles them when his daughter is murdered. Violence follows and then bodies begin piling up.

Unusual Hammer film--not really a horror movie--more like a violent action film. Lee is having a whale of a time playing King and Toone is OK in his role. Everyone else is pretty terrible--especially pretty Yvonne Monlaur and all the Asian actors. The low budget does show and the script is sort of scattershot.

I'm giving it a 7 because it's no longer than it needs to be (79 minutes), Lee is very good, there's some beautiful color photography and some pretty strong bloody violence for 1961--but then this IS a Hammer film.

Worth seeing on a slow day.