The Mask of Fu Manchu
| The Mask of Fu Manchu | |
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| Directed by | Charles Brabin Charles Vidor (uncredited) |
| Written by | Sax Rohmer Irene Kuhn Edgar Allan Woolf John Willard |
| Starring | Boris Karloff Lewis Stone |
| Cinematography | Tony Gaudio |
| Editing by | Ben Lewis |
| Release date(s) | 5 November 1932 |
| Running time | 68 minutes |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
The Mask of Fu Manchu is an adventure film released in 1932, featuring Boris Karloff as Fu Manchu and Myrna Loy as his daughter. The movie revolves around Fu Manchu's quest for the sword and mask of Genghis Khan. Lewis Stone plays his enemy. Directed by Charles Brabin, it is considered the best of the Fu Manchu films produced in the 1930s.
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Plot
Nayland Smith (Lewis Stone) of the British Secret Service warns scientist Sir Lionel Barton (Lawrence Grant) that he is in a race to find the tomb of Genghis Khan. The power-mad Dr. Fu Manchu (Boris Karloff) intends to use the sword and mask to proclaim himself the reincarnation of the legendary conqueror and inflame the peoples of Asia into a war to wipe out the "white race". Barton is kidnapped soon afterward and taken to Fu Manchu. Fu Manchu tries bribing his captive, even offering his own daughter, Fah Lo See (Myrna Loy). When that fails, Barton suffers the "torture of the bell" (lying underneath a gigantic, constantly-ringing bell) in an unsuccessful attempt to get him to reveal the location of the tomb.
Barton's blond daughter Sheila (Karen Morley) insists on taking her father's place on the expedition, as she knows where the tomb is. She finds the tomb and its treasures with the help of her boyfriend Terrence "Terry" Granville (Charles Starrett), Von Berg (Jean Hersholt), and McLeod (David Torrence). Nayland joins them soon afterward.
McLeod is killed by Fu Manchu's men during a robbery attempt. When that fails, an emissary offers to trade Barton for the priceless artifacts. Despite Terry's misgivings, Sheila persuades him to take the relics to Fu Manchu without telling Nayland. However, when Fu Manchu tests the sword, he determines that it is a fake (Nayland had switched them). Terry is whipped under the supervision of Fah Lo See, who is attracted to him. Meanwhile, Fu Manchu has Barton's corpse delivered to Sheila. When Nayland tries to rescue Terry, he is taken captive as well.
Terry is injected with a serum that makes him temporarily obedient to Fu Manchu and released. He tells Sheila and Von Berg that Nayland wants them to bring the sword and mask to him. Sheila senses something is wrong, but Von Berg digs up the real relics, and they follow Terry into a trap.
Sheila is to become a human sacrifice, Nayland is slowly lowered into a crocodile pit, Von Berg is placed between two sets of metal spikes inching toward each other, and Terry is prepared for another dose of the serum, which will make him a permanent slave. However, Nayland manages to free himself, Terry, and Von Berg. Using one of Fu Manchu's own weapons, they electrocute the arch-villain as he raises the sword to execute Sheila. Terry frees Sheila and they all escape. Safely aboard a ship bound for England, Nayland drops the sword over the side so that the world will be safe from any future Fu Manchu.
Cast
- Boris Karloff - Dr. Fu Manchu
- Lewis Stone - Nayland Smith
- Karen Morley - Sheila
- Charles Starrett - Terrence Granville
- Myrna Loy - Fah Lo See
- Jean Hersholt - Von Berg
- Lawrence Grant - Sir Lionel Barton
- David Torrence - McLeod
See also
External links
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