At one point he comforts one of his prisoners whom he has kept without drink for a day or two, with a pitcher of water. It is a lovely, campy performance from Karloff, who simply revels in being as evil as possible. It was considered beyond the pale as far back as the 1960s, but when asked about this aspect in an interview, Karloff pointed out that the whole thing was so ridiculous that no-one could possibly take it seriously. There is an uncut version available on DVD, and it’s worth it to find an even more un-PC version of the film.
#The mask of fu manchu movie
Recommended.ġ0 Responses to “A Movie Review by Jonathan Lewis: THE MASK OF FU MANCHU (1932).” Indeed, as a horror film that doesn’t aim to address any deep philosophical questions about human nature, this one does everything that it’s supposed to and then some. All of it appears to be in the spirit of escapist entertainment, rather than in the service of a broader artistic agenda. Especially when he has his sadistic daughter, Fah Lo See (a decidedly out of place Myrna Loy) by his side.Īt a running time just shy of 70 minutes, The Mask of Fu Manchu manages to pack in a lot of action and exotic adventure. But Fu Manchu isn’t going to be defeated so easily.
Sir Denis Nyland Smith (Lewis Stone), along with archeologist Terry Granville (Charles Starrett) and his fiancée, Sheila (Karen Morley) are on scene to save the day. Fu Manchu wants to use that power to defeat his collective archenemy namely, the white race! That sword, along with the Mongolian warlord’s mask, will allow Fu Manchu to become Genghis Khan’s mystical reincarnation here on earth. In The Mask of Fu Manchu, considered by some to the best cinematic adaptation of the Sax Rohmer’s works, our infamous Chinese villain seeks out the sword originally belonging to Genghis Khan. Featuring Boris Karloff as the title villain, this movie has kidnapping, a torture chamber featuring metal spikes, diabolical mind control via reptile, and its fair share of decidedly politically incorrect (by today’s standards) “yellow peril” racial paranoia.Īfter all, Fu Manchu isn’t just a ruthless criminal he’s also determined to defeat the “white race.” But with Karloff portraying Sax Rohmer’s best-known fictional character, it’s more camp than menace, making this a rather spicy horror adventure. If you’re looking for some over the top pre-code horror, trust me when I say that The Mask of Fu Manchu doesn’t disappoint.
Director: Charles Brabin, with Charles Vidor (uncredited). Fu Manchu), Lewis Stone (Nayland Smith), Karen Morley, Charles Starrett, Myrna Loy, Jean Hersholt, Lawrence Grant, David Torrence.
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