The Face of Fu Manchu [1965]

Country of Origin: UK / West Germany
Year of Production: 1965
Running Times: 89 mins     96 mins
Format: Technicolor     35mm      Techniscope
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Constantin Film Produktion GmbH / Hallam
Executive Producer: Oliver A. Unger
Producer: Harry Alan Towers
Production Supervisor: John Comfort

SCRIPT
Script: Peter Welbeck [rn: Harry Alan Towers]
Characters: Sax Rohmer

DIRECTION
Director: Don Sharp
Assistant Director: Barrie Melrose

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Ernest Steward
Gaffer: Michael Browne
Unit Photographer: H.A.R. Thomson
Lighting: Lee Lighting Ltd

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: John Trumper

MUSIC
Music: Christopher Whelen

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Gerry Fletcher
Hair: Anne Box
Wardrobe Supervisor: Dorothy Edwards

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Frank White

LOCATIONS
Locations: Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

CAST
Christopher Lee [Fu Manchu]
Nigel Green [Nayland Smith]
Joachim Fuchsberger [Carl Jansen]
Karin Dor [Maria Muller]
James Robertson Justice [Sir Charles]
Howard Marion-Crawford [Dr Petrie]
Tsai Chin [Lin Tang]
Walter Rilla [Professor Muller]
Harry Brogan [Gaskell]
Poulet Tu [Lotus]
Edwin Richfield [chief magistrate]
Joe Lynch [custodian]
Peter Mosbacher [Gustav Hanumon]
Deborah DeLacey [Dacoit girl]
John Franklin [morgue keeper]
Jim Norton [Matthius]
Jack O'Reilly [constable]
Archie O'Sullivan
Derek Young
Eric Young [The Grand Lama]

A series of strangulations in London leads Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard to suspect that his arch-nemesis Fu Manchu may not dead as he thought. In fact Fu Manchu is planning world conquest by means of a powerful poison he's managed to distill from the seeds of a rare Tibetan poppy - and to test it, he unleashes it in an aerial attack on a small English town.

First of an eventual series of Christopher Lee's portrayal of Fu Manchu. Lee makes a stunning and imposing villain. The story is good and in the style of the novels [though an original from the producer not Sax Rohmer] and moves at a cracking pace in the style of the German Krimi's from where much of the cast come. Excellently shot though London looks odd [the reason its actually Dublin!!]. A fine adventure.

UK
Theatrical Distributor: WPD

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Seven Arts Pictures

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Finland
Rating: K-16

Spain
Rating: 13

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: PG

West Germany
Rating: 12

1965
August
6: West Germany - theatrical release

1966
March
28: Sweden - theatrical release

May
13: Finland - theatrical release

Fu Manchu 1 - Finnish video title
Fu Manchu - kauhun mestari - Finnish title
Fu Manciu: operazione Tigre - Italian title
Fu Manchu - skräckens mästare - Swedish title
Ich, Dr Fu Man Chu - German title
The Mask of Fu Manchu - early title
El regreso de Fu-Manchú - Spanish title

SEE ALSO
Daughter of the Dragon [1931]
Drums of Fu Manchu [1940]
Drums of Fu Manchu [1943]
The Fiendish Plot of Dr Fu Manchu [1980]
The Mask of Fu Manchu [1932]
The Mysterious Dr Fu Manchu [1929]
The Return of Dr Fu Manchu [1930]

SEQUELS
The Brides of Fu Manchu [1966]
Vengeance of Fu Manchu [1967]
Blood of Fu Manchu [1968]
Die Folterkammer des Dr Fu Man Chu [1969]

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
The Many Faces of Christopher Lee [1996]

MAGAZINES

The Dark Side January / February 1996 p.16 [UK]
review

Radio Times 10-16 September 1983 p.69 [UK]
credits

Shivers no.50 p.57 [UK]
review

BOOKS

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Fantasy and Horror Movies 1991 - 1992 p.128
credits, review

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.130
credits

KEYWORDS

book into film, strangulations, london, police, fu manchu, poison