The Castle of Fu Manchu * (1969, Christopher Lee, Richard Greene, Howard Marion-Crawford, Tsai Chin, Günther Stoll, Maria Perschy) – Classic Movie Review 2946

Director Jesús Franco’s rather tedious and shoddily made 1969 fourth and penultimate Christopher Lee appearance as Asian super-villain Fu Manchu nevertheless has its brashly eye-catching moments. Series regulars Howard Marion-Crawford and Tsai Chin (as Lin Tang) also re-appear.

Writer-producer Harry Alan Towers’s screenplay isn’t too bad, finding some new mileage in developing the regular Fu theme of the criminal mastermind’s plot to conquer the world. This time Lee’s Fu is attempting to turn the Earth’s oceans to ice with his diabolical new invention, while as usual battling his perennial arch-nemesis Scotland Yard Inspector Nayland Smith, now played by Richard Greene (Fifties TV’s Robin Hood).

Fu abducts scientist Doctor Petrie (Howard Marion-Crawford), his new toy’s inventor, as part of his diabolical planet-domination plan. Lee and Greene perform smoothly and effortlessly keep their dignity, and Marion-Crawford as Chin are assets as usual. But there is little atmosphere in the flat-feeling movie and the production is frayed more than just at the edges.

With too many zoom shots and shadows, it is hastily and not well shot by cinematographer Manuel Merino, though, with its Istanbul setting, it is at least filmed in Turkey. Also in the cast are Günther Stoll, Maria Perschy as Dr Ingrid Koch (though credited as Marie), Rosalba Neri, José Manuel Martín and Werner Abrolat.

Writer-producer Harry Alan Towers is credited as Peter Welbeck for the screenplay, director Jesús Franco as Jess Franco.

At the start, it re-uses the climax footage of the previous episode, The Brides of Fu Manchu, extending it with footage of the Titanic from A Night to Remember (1958). The dam bursting scene also uses archive footage from Campbell’s Kingdom (1957), whose stars Dirk Bogarde and Stanley Baker can both be clearly seen.

The final film in the series, The Blood of Fu Manchu, followed in 1968.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2946

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