Drums of Fu Manchu with Henry Brandon: DVD Cover

    Drums of Fu Manchu Director: Jon English, William Witney Cast: Henry Brandon, William Royle, Robert Kellard, Gloria Franklin

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    • DVD Release Date: 01/28/2003
    • Original Release: 1940
    • Rating: Not Rated
    • Sales Rank: 31,934

    Viewer Rating: (1 ratings)

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    • Overview
    • Editorial Reviews
    • Scenes
    • Customer Reviews
    • Cast & Crew
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    Features

    Photo gallery; Video commentary; Bios

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    Scene Index

    Side #1 -- Disc 1
    1. Fu Manchu Strikes [29:23]
    2. The Monster [17:41]
    1. Ransom in the Sky [17:58]
    1. The Pendulum of Doom [16:45]
    2. The House of Terror [17:25]
    3. Death Dials a Number [17:41]
    Side #2 -- Disc 2
    1. Vengeance of the Si Fan [18:28]
    2. Danger Trail [16:46]
    3. The Crystal of Death [16:41]
    1. Drums of Doom [17:14]
    2. The Tomb of Genghis Khan [17:04]
    3. Fire of Vengeance [2:48]
    1. The Devil's Tattoo [16:49]
    2. Salan's Surgeon [16:46]
    3. Revolt [16:46]

    Scene Index

    Editorial Reviews

    Every time that sinister Oriental megalomaniac Dr. Fu Manchu is ready to kill, sounds of strange drums can be heard coming from -- well, nowhere really. In 1939, Republic Pictures purchased the rights to the first six of British pulp fiction writer Sax Rohmer's popular "Fu Manchu" stories. The result became the studio's second longest action serial and one of its most enduringly popular. The head of a sinister conglomeration known as the Si-Fan, Dr. Fu Manchu (Henry Brandon) goes in search of the Sacred Scepter of Genghis Khan, with which he hopes to rule all the tribes of the Orient and evict the foreign infidels. Helping the good doctor is Fah-Lo-Suee (Gloria Franklin), his Eurasian daughter, and a seemingly unlimited supply of Dacoits, henchmen turned into slaves by having undergone frontal lobotomies. Dr. Fu Manchu is, as always, opposed by Sir Neyland Smith (William Royle) of the British Foreign Office. This time, however, Sir Neyland is not only aided by his very own "Dr. Watson," Dr. Petrie (Olaf Hytten), but also by a young American, Allan Parker (Robert Kellard), whose father (George Cleveland) had become yet another of Fu Manchu's many victims. Complicating the search is the attractive presence of Mary Randolph (Luana Walters) who, like most of her ilk, has a tendency to get herself into serious trouble at the most inopportune moments. Although the Oriental fiend appears all-powerful at times, Sir Neyland and his friends once again save the free world from enslavement -- although it takes them 15 chapters to do so. Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

    Customer Reviews

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    • Ratings: 1Reviews: 1

    Drums of Fu Manchuby Anonymous

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    March 31, 2007: This is generally considered the best of all adventure serials, and I have to agree. Each chapter's cliff-hanger is suspenseful, with escapes that never cheat the audience. The acting is very good for a serial, and the script and direction are sharp and brisk. Knowing the limitations of their budget and technology, the effects in this film are remarkable, especially Fu's disintegration beam and the creation of the "Mr. Parker" mask. As for the insidious Fu Manchu himself, Henry Brandon's is the definitive version, even better than Karloff in the Mask of Fu Manchu. He gets the Doctor's mix of ruthless malevolence just right, and makes it fun and exciting without edging into camp. A great movie for one of the all-time villainous masterminds.