The Brides of Fu Manchu *** (1966, Christopher Lee, Douglas Wilmer, Howard Marion-Crawford, Marie Versini, Heinz Drache, Tsai Chin, Joseph Furst, Carole Gray, Rupert Davies) – Classic Movie Review 2943

Director Don Sharp’s capable 1966 horror movie is an acceptable sequel to 1965’s The Face of Fu Manchu, with Christopher Lee back as Sax Rohmer’s Chinese devil, the Master of Evil. It’s the second of Lee’s run of five hit Fu Manchu movies.

This time Fu Manchu wants to dominate and take over the world (like any good Sixties villain) by blowing up St Paul’s Cathedral in London with a powerful new death ray gun. Fu’s henchmen kidnap the daughters of prominent scientists and take them to his remote island headquarters, demanding that the scientists help him to build the death ray. Fu’s arch-enemy at Scotland Yard, Nayland Smith (Douglas Wilmer), has other plans.

Admittedly it is preposterous and dated, as well as less exciting than the first outing, but it’s still a fast moving and entertaining horror outing, with fine turns by Lee, Tsai Chin as his daughter Lin Tang and Wilmer as Nayland Smith.

Also in the good cast are Howard Marion-Crawford, Marie Versini, Heinz Drache, Joseph Furst, Carole Gray, Rupert Davies, Kenneth Fortescue and Roger Hanin.

The screenplay is by the producer Harry Alan Towers, writing under the pseudonym Peter Welbeck.

The Vengeance of Fu Manchu followed in 1967.

Douglas Wilmer died on 31 March 2016, aged 96. His films include Cleopatra (1962), Octopussy (1983), Patton (1970), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973), The Vampire Lovers, The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966) and The Vengeance of Fu Manchu (1967).

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2943

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