The Face of Fu Manchu (1965)
96 mins | Melodrama | 13 October 1965
Director:
Don SharpWriter:
Peter WelbeckProducers:
Oliver A. Unger, Harry Alan TowersCinematographer:
Ernest StewardEditor:
John TrumperProduction Designer:
Frank WhiteProduction Company:
Hallam ProductionsThe 10 Mar 1965 Var announced the upcoming start of production in Dublin, Ireland. Nineteen days later, DV reported that Seven Arts Pictures had acquired domestic distribution rights for The Face of Fu Manchu, along with five other films projects from Oliver A. Unger’s Unger Productions. Principal photography was underway by 24 Mar 1965, as indicated in that day’s Var. The 31 Mar 1965 issue estimated a $700,000 budget. Unger expressed hope that this would be the first in a new series of “Fu Manchu” pictures.
Six months later, the 29 Sep 1965 Var reprinted an excerpt from a Seven Arts press release, stating that the company appointed Mei-Mei Quong, a reputed authority on Fu Manchu, as “special merchandising consultant and exhibitors liaison.” The release went on to say that “many authorities” believed the fictional Chinese villain actually existed. The 6 Oct 1965 DV identified the film’s publicist as Lige Brien, under the supervision of Edward S. Feldman.
Box office reports in the 20 Oct 1965 Var indicated an opening Louisville, KY, earlier that month. According to the 12 Oct 1965 NYT and 15 Dec 1965 Var, the 12 Nov 1965 New York City debut was heralded by a publicity stunt, inspired by the recent mayoral election. Posters appeared around the city featuring the image of star Christopher Lee in character, with the caption, “Fu Manchu for Mayor.” The poster was reproduced for retail sale over the next several years. A Southern California opening followed in Bakersfield, according ...
The 10 Mar 1965 Var announced the upcoming start of production in Dublin, Ireland. Nineteen days later, DV reported that Seven Arts Pictures had acquired domestic distribution rights for The Face of Fu Manchu, along with five other films projects from Oliver A. Unger’s Unger Productions. Principal photography was underway by 24 Mar 1965, as indicated in that day’s Var. The 31 Mar 1965 issue estimated a $700,000 budget. Unger expressed hope that this would be the first in a new series of “Fu Manchu” pictures.
Six months later, the 29 Sep 1965 Var reprinted an excerpt from a Seven Arts press release, stating that the company appointed Mei-Mei Quong, a reputed authority on Fu Manchu, as “special merchandising consultant and exhibitors liaison.” The release went on to say that “many authorities” believed the fictional Chinese villain actually existed. The 6 Oct 1965 DV identified the film’s publicist as Lige Brien, under the supervision of Edward S. Feldman.
Box office reports in the 20 Oct 1965 Var indicated an opening Louisville, KY, earlier that month. According to the 12 Oct 1965 NYT and 15 Dec 1965 Var, the 12 Nov 1965 New York City debut was heralded by a publicity stunt, inspired by the recent mayoral election. Posters appeared around the city featuring the image of star Christopher Lee in character, with the caption, “Fu Manchu for Mayor.” The poster was reproduced for retail sale over the next several years. A Southern California opening followed in Bakersfield, according to 21 Nov 1965 LAT theater listings. Despite somewhat negative reviews, the 23 Mar 1966 Var reported rentals totaling approximately $1 million. Seven Arts had a $200,000 investment in the picture.
An article in the 15 Feb 1966 LAT revealed that producer Harry Alan Towers paid $70,000 for motion picture rights to the “Fu Manchu” character from the widow of writer Arthur Sarsfield Ward, known as Sax Rohmer. Mrs. Ward was reportedly pleased with the resulting film. Towers and Unger were in the process of making a sequel, The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966, see entry).
Peter Welbeck is a pseudonym of Harry Alan Towers.
In London the archvillain Fu Manchu and his evil daughter, Lin Tang, kidnap Professor Muller, a German biochemist who has distilled a new, highly lethal gas from the seeds of a Tibetan poppy. In a radio broadcast, Fu Manchu announces that he intends to use the poison gas to gain world domination. The professor's daughter, Maria, informs Scotland Yard's Nayland Smith of her father's abduction, thus confirming Smith's suspicion that Fu Manchu masterminded the kidnaping, although Smith witnessed Fu Manchu's execution in China several years before. Fu Manchu kidnaps Maria to force Muller to produce more gas, whereupon Muller insists that to do so he needs some papers located in the British Museum in the possession of Professor Gaskell. Carl Jansen, Professor Muller's assistant who has also been kidnaped, escapes from his captors and warns Nayland Smith that Fu Manchu's men intend to break into the British Museum; but the papers are not found, and Fu Manchu, informed by Lin Tang that Gaskell may have the papers in his home, hypnotizes Gaskell, abducts him, and forces him to work with Muller. To show the effect of the poison gas, Fu Manchu destroys the entire village of Fleetwick with only a small quantity, but Nayland Smith stops Fu Manchu before he wreaks more destruction; he floods Fu Manchu's hideout (a tunnel under the Thames) and rescues Maria, only to learn that Fu Manchu has escaped and taken Muller hostage. Guessing that the archvillain is bound for Tibet to collect more poppyseeds, Nayland Smith lays a trap for Fu Manchu. Muller is rescued, and Fu Manchu, Lin Tang, and the rest of the gang presumably perish in an ...
In London the archvillain Fu Manchu and his evil daughter, Lin Tang, kidnap Professor Muller, a German biochemist who has distilled a new, highly lethal gas from the seeds of a Tibetan poppy. In a radio broadcast, Fu Manchu announces that he intends to use the poison gas to gain world domination. The professor's daughter, Maria, informs Scotland Yard's Nayland Smith of her father's abduction, thus confirming Smith's suspicion that Fu Manchu masterminded the kidnaping, although Smith witnessed Fu Manchu's execution in China several years before. Fu Manchu kidnaps Maria to force Muller to produce more gas, whereupon Muller insists that to do so he needs some papers located in the British Museum in the possession of Professor Gaskell. Carl Jansen, Professor Muller's assistant who has also been kidnaped, escapes from his captors and warns Nayland Smith that Fu Manchu's men intend to break into the British Museum; but the papers are not found, and Fu Manchu, informed by Lin Tang that Gaskell may have the papers in his home, hypnotizes Gaskell, abducts him, and forces him to work with Muller. To show the effect of the poison gas, Fu Manchu destroys the entire village of Fleetwick with only a small quantity, but Nayland Smith stops Fu Manchu before he wreaks more destruction; he floods Fu Manchu's hideout (a tunnel under the Thames) and rescues Maria, only to learn that Fu Manchu has escaped and taken Muller hostage. Guessing that the archvillain is bound for Tibet to collect more poppyseeds, Nayland Smith lays a trap for Fu Manchu. Muller is rescued, and Fu Manchu, Lin Tang, and the rest of the gang presumably perish in an explosion.
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