There’s been a push to get Sir Christopher Lee a Lifetime Achievement Oscar over the last few years. He’s been acting in films since 1946 after serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He’s the face of Hammer Horror. He’s been a part of several billion dollar movie series including James Bond, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. He’s been knighted. Why hasn’t he stood on the stage to receive his just reward? The rumors vary, but supposedly a few of Lee’s roles have upset the more sensitive members of the Academy. If Lee ever gets the honor, his time as Fu Manchu won’t be part of the clip show. The Face of Fu Manchu was his first of five movies where he portrayed the diabolical Chinese villain.
The Face of Fu Manchu appears to start at the end. The Chinese government chops off the criminal mastermind’s head. Dr. Denis Nayland Smith (The Wrecking Crew‘s Nigel Green) witnesses the execution so he swears it’s legit. Can a silly little blade stop the greatest evil brain in the world? Of course not. Otherwise the movie is over before the opening credits. Fu Manchu is smarter than the average inmate. Dr. Smith returns to England to report his arch-enemy is dead, but it quickly turns out to be a lie. Fu Manchu is back and with a more terrifying plot than his previous ones. He’s devised a poison so deadly that a few drops can wipe out a city. The only thing holding back the plan is a lack of the toxic flower in the recipe. He’s not sure where to find it so he needs to kidnap an academic with the knowledge. Dr. Smith must once more stop the plan else the world will belong to Fu Manchu.
This was one of the best of the Fu Manchu films done by Lee. They get rather sloppy and weird as the series progressed. The Castle of Fu Manchu was almost too much for Mystery Science Theater 3000 to mock. This one isn’t nearly as confusing as the finale. Lee’s portrayal of Fu Manchu is not nearly as embarrassing playing an Asian character as Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Lee plays Fu Manchu as a stuck up British royal and not an over-the-top Chinese stereotype. What’s strange is that two decades after Mickey’s painful Japanese impersonation, the Academy gave him a lifetime Oscar. It’s time that Christopher Lee gets celebrated like they did for Roger Corman. When did showbiz people get so stuck up? The Face of Fu Manchu is good for fans curious about the series that gave Lee his funkiest of facial hair.
The video is 2.35:1 anamorphic. The transfer looks clear enough so you can tell when an actor with Asian heritage is on the screen. The audio is Dolby Digital Mono. The levels are fine when Fu Manchu announces his evil plan.
There are no bonus features.
The Face of Fu Manchu is the best of the five Fu Manchu films Sir Christopher Lee made in the late ’60s. The opening is dramatic as it seems Fu Manchu is dead. But you can’t keep a good diabolical genius down. This is a DVD-R as part of Warner Archive’s Manufacture on Demand program. While there’s a warning that the discs might not play on computer disc drives, Fu Manchu played properly on my laptop.
Warner Archive Collection presents The Face of Fu Manchu. Directed by: Don Sharp. Screenplay by: Harry Allan Towers. Starring: Christopher Lee, Nigel Green and Karen Dor. Running Time: 96 minutes. Released: September 26, 2012. Available at Amazon.com
