The Mask of Fu Manchu *** (1932, Boris Karloff, Lewis Stone, Karen Morley, Charles Starrett, Myrna Loy, Jean Hersholt, David Torrence) – Classic Movie Review 7096

Directors Charles Brabin and (uncredited) King Vidor’s 1932 pre-Code adventure thriller stars Boris Karloff as Sax Rohmer’s incredibly creepy Chinese villain, the fiendish Fu Manchu. In the story, a party led by Sheila Barton (Karen Morley) on an expedition to Ghengis Khan’s tomb get more than they bargained for when they are apprehended by Fu Manchu, the old foe of Sir Denis Nayland Smith (Lewis Stone) of the British Secret Service, who of course soon turns up and proves again to be Fu Manchu’s nemesis. He who gets the tomb’s all-powerful relics can control the world.

The Camberwell, London-born Karloff, who assumes the Chinese Fu Manchu mantle from Swedish-American actor Warner Oland who had played him in three pictures, is on a power-mad quest for the golden sword and mask of legendary conqueror Genghis Khan, so that he can proclaim himself as his reincarnation and stir the people of Asia and the Middle East into total war against the white race. He urges his followers: ‘Kill the white man and take his women!’

Fu Manchu is stirred to new evil by the arrival of British Egyptologist’s beautiful daughter Sheila Barton (Karen Morley), who insists on taking her father Sir Lionel Barton (Lawrence Grant)’s place on the expedition to find the tomb of Genghis Khan, since she knows where the tomb is.

The resourceful Sheila finds the tomb and its treasures with the help of her fiancé, the handsome Terry Granville (Charles Starrett), as well as Dr Von Berg (Jean Hersholt) and McLeod (David Torrence). However, Nayland Smith joins them soon after. Myrna Loy (born in Helena, Montana) plays Fu Manchu’s diabolically villainous, depraved daughter, Fah Lo See, who is equally stirred by the handsome Terry Granville.

Karloff does his usual grand job in The Mask of Fu Manchu, which is great camp fun, with laughs both intentional and unintentional. It is written by Irene Kuhn, Edgar Allan Woolf and John Willard, based on the 1932 novel of the same name by Sax Rohmer.

It might seem good camp fun now, but The Mask of Fu Manchu was attacked by the Chinese government, and the Chinese embassy in Washington formally complained about the film as a hostile depiction of Chinese people.

The 1992 VHS release of the film removed scenes with the most criticised lines of dialogue and with Myrna Loy in an orgiastic frenzy witnessing a torture whipping. But the latest Warner Bros DVD has restored these scenes.

Also in the cast are Herbert Brunston, Willie Fung and Ferdinand Gottschalk.  Grant also appeared in the Oland Fu Manchu movie Daughter of the Dragon (1931).

It was advertised, rather oddly, as ‘The Frankenstein of the Orient!’ but you can see how that would work for film publicists.

The Mask of Fu Manchu is directed by Charles Brabin and King Vidor, runs 72 minutes, is made by MGM, is written by Irene Kuhn, Edgar Allan Woolf and John Willard, based on the novel by Sax Rohmer, is shot in black and white by Tony Gaudio, is produced by Irving Thalberg and is designed by Cedric Gibbons.

Warner Oland plays Fu Manchu in The Mysterious Dr Fu Manchu (1929), The Return of Dr Fu Manchu (1930) and Daughter of the Dragon (1931).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7096

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