That famous quote, which appears at the end of every Christopher Lee Fu Manchu movie, is particularly appropriate for this new double feature from Kino Lorber for the first two Fu Manchu films which were made in 1929 and 1930. Both movies were big budget affairs from Paramount and showcased future Charlie Chan star Warner Oland. In fact it was these two pictures that got Oland the job of portraying Chan which he would do over the course of 16 movies made over a span of 7 years from 1931 until his death in 1938. Also appearing in these two films were Jean Arthur before she became a big star in the 1930s and Neil Hamilton before he played Commisioner Gordon in the 1960s BATMAN TV series.
THE MYSTERIOUS DR. FU MANCHU sets the stage by showing how Fu Manchu developed his hatred for the British. The film opens during the Boxer Rebellion in China (1899-1901) where a stray artillery shell hits Fu’s home killing his wife and young son. Unhinged by the experience, Fu vows vengeance on the British officer responsible for firing the shell and on his son and his grandson. MYSTERIOUS then moves forward to what was then a contemporary setting (1929) where Lia Eltham (Jean Arthur), a British orphan raised by Fu Manchu, becomes the instrument of his revenge. She is loved by the grandson of the Petrie family (Neil Hamilton). Fortunately Fu’s plan ultimately fails leading to his “demise”.
The success of MYSTERIOUS quickly led to a sequel, which unlike most sequels, was better than the original. Just as lavish in its settings as the first movie, THE RETURN OF DR. FU MANCHU benefitted from the advance in sound technology which allowed for more camera movement and a less theatrical style of acting from the performers. Having escaped death in the first movie, Fu returns to try and get the last Petrie and fufill his revenge. He is opposed (as in MYSTERIOUS) by Sotland Yard Inspector Denis Nayland Smith (O.P. Heggie) who here, for some reason, is referred to only as Smith. After various escapes worthy of a Republic serial, Fu Manchu is vanquished once again. But is he?
For years these movies were very hard to find and the copies were of very poor quality. In fact, I didn’t believe that decent prints existed until I saw this Blu-Ray. Hats off to Kino Lorber for bringing these films back in such good condition. The picture image is sharp and clear for movies of this vintage and the early sound has been cleaned up and is a revelation. Both movies come with astute and informative commentary by Tim Lucas which gives us background not only on the films, but on the Fu Manchu character and author Sax Rohmer. Oland would play Fu one last time in DAUGHTER OF THE DRAGON (1931) with Anna May Wong (not availabe for this set). Fu’s next feature appearance would be in MGM’s THE MASK OF FU MANCHU (1932) with Boris Karloff.
The Capsule Critic 