Drums of Fu Manchu

I still enjoy Zorro's Fighting Legion and Perils of Nyoka more, but the story, acting and international atmosphere( the scene on the China Clipper is straight out of James Bond) make this serial a class A production. The final scene suggests a sequel as does the mystery of whether Fu Manchu's daughter was actually killed. But WW2 changed our racial profiling, shifting from China to Japan. No more Chinese bad guys, but Pearl Buck movies. But, if a Fu Manchu seemed far fetched at the time, 911 changed that. The Islamic world has several.This may actually be an insult to Fu Manch whose determination and sincerity almost arouse our admiration. Or maybe it is Brandon's brilliant acting.

Dr. Fu Manchu is searching for the tomb of Genghis Kahn in order to obtain the conqueror's scepter, where Fu Manchu can become messiah of the numerous tribes in Asia, as prophesized, and then conquer the western world. Fu Manchu's eternal nemesis, Sir Nayland Smith, arrives in America to track down Fu Manchu and with the help of Dr. Petrie, Allan Parker (whose explorer father was killed by one of Fu's dacoits), Prof. Randolph, and Randolph's daughter Mary, and prevent the keys to the location of Khan's tomb from falling into the hands of Fu Manchu. A very good serial, helped out by directors Witney and English who took advantage from a larger Republic budget and great cinematography from William Nobles. Brandon is probably the best Fu Manchu seen on screen, but still couldn't capture the evil portrayed in the Rohmer novels. I don't understand why Republic decided to make Sir Nayland Smith older than he was in the books (as well as Dr. Petrie, limiting his role), but Royle is very good in the role. Kellard is listless at times as Parker. Franklin is at times unconvincing as Fah Lo Suee (using a thick city accent most of the time) and Walters is missing much of the times as Randolph. My real beef with this serial is when the serial shifts from Los Angeles (or San Angeles as pointed out in the serial) to the Asian hills of Branaphur, the serial starts to shift down in excitement and becomes a run of the mill Republic fare with nothing standing out. Still this is among Republic's best efforts of the 40's and worth watching. Rating, based on serials, 9.

"Drums of Fu Manchu" is another of the great serials turned out by Republic Pictures in the early 40s, in the days before the studio started relying on extensive stock footage in order to cut costs. This entry though, has the look of a big budget. It contains the expected superior Republic stuntwork and action sequences. It includes a spectacular train wreck (with no apparent sympathy for those who would have been killed), a giant realistic looking octopus and the swinging pendulum torture device borrowed from Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum". The story involves the diabolical Fu Manchu's (Henry Brandon) efforts to secure the long lost scepter of Genghis Khan with which he hopes to gain control of various Himalayan tribes which in turn will lead him to eventual world domination. Opposing him are his long time nemesis Sir Nayland Smith (William Royle) and his young partner Allen Parker (Robert Kellard).

Fu Manchu is aided by his sinister daughter Fah Lo Suee (Gloria Franklin) and a band of "Dacoits", who are lobotomized zombie like creatures (complete with fangs) that obey Fu Manchu's orders without question. Over the course of 15 action packed chapters, Fu Manchu and Sir Nayland and Allen follow the clues to the location of the scepter from America to the Chinese mainland. Each foil the other's attempts to find the scepter at every turn. Finally, the scepter is found and Fu Manchu and his adversaries try to outsmart each other amid several exciting chapter ending cliff hangers until justice is finally served in Chapter 15.

Henry Brandon's career dated back to the Laurel and Hardy 1934 comedy "March of the Wooden Soldiers (as Henry Kleinbach). He makes a perfect Fu Manchu. He was a tall and imposing figure and with the aid of oriental makeup, was a truly menacing figure. Although a sequel was planned to this serial, it was shelved when the U.S.A. entered WWII. Brandon enjoyed a long and varied career playing mostly villains until the late 80s. He is perhaps best remembered for his role as the Indian chief "Scar" in John Ford's "The Searchers" (1956).

Robert Kellard was along to handle the action as Sir Nayland Smith was a middle aged character, The fact that Kellard resembled Republic's ace stuntman David Sharpe was no coincidence either. Sharpe visibly doubled Kellard in the action scenes. Also in the cast are George Cleveland as Parker's father, John Merton (barely recognizable as a fang-toothed Dacoit) and Dwight Frye (underutilized again) as a museum director.

An excellent serial. Too bad they never got to make the sequel.

One of the best serials ever made because of superior acting, especially Henry Brandon as Fu Manchu, the atmospheric photography and the script, which is superior than the usual simplistic scripts associated with cliffhangers. Some great special effects, especially the chapter one cliffhanger, as well as the sinister ending to chapter 5, which raises goosebumps. This movie is available on VHS and DVD, and is well worth the time.

THE DRUMS OF FU MANCHU is a classic Republic-era serial in which Nayland Smith and his co-horts do battle with the ever-fiendish Dr Fu Manchu and his endless 'dacoit' army. This overlong serial clocks in at no less than fifteen chapters (with the first chapter being particularly lengthy), meaning that it has a sluggish pace. The slow and repetitive nature of the production sees it pale in comparison to the likes of RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON, for example.

Still, fans of the era will find much to enjoy here, not least the endless fisticuff action between the good guys and the bad guys. Lengthy fist-fights are the order of the day here, along with shoot-outs and knife-throwing. At least a couple of henchmen are bumped off every chapter, while the action roves around the globe and takes place in planes, trains, cars, clifftops, and hidden underground temples.

The simplistic storyline sees Fu Manchu in search of the tomb of Genghis Khan, which is said to contain a magical artifact allowing him to control the whole of Asia. A white actor, Henry Brandon, plays the villain, and he looks very sinister; the rest of the cast are a little dull, though, aside from an ever-fun Dwight Frye in a minor villainous role. Come chapter seven or eight, I couldn't help but feel this was all very repetitive and dragged out; there are only so many times you can put up with Fu Manchu being captured and escaping, for example. Still, the cliffhanger scenes are ever fun, and it's still worthwhile escapism.