A Rowland V. Lee production for Paramount Famous Lasky. Presented by Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky. U.S. release: 10 August 1929. New York opening at the Rialto: 27 July 1929. Length: 7,663 feet. 85 minutes.NOTES: First of the "Fu Manchu" features, this was appropriately adapted from the premier novel in the series in which the hitherto friendly Fu vows revenge on the white devils who accidentally kill his wife in the Boxer Rebellion. It was followed by two Paramount sequels, The Return of Dr Fu Manchu (1930) and Daughter of the Dragon (1931). Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer then took the series over with The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) in which Warner Oland was replaced by Boris Karloff, and at this point the studio lost interest. Republic revived the character in 1940 with Henry Brandon playing the role in the serial Drums of Fu Manchu. In 1965, Christopher Lee took on The Face of Fu Manchu, followed by The Bride of Fu Manchu, The Vengeance of Fu Manchu, Kiss and Kill, and finally in 1967 The Castle of Fu Manchu. COMMENT: Aside from its distractingly noisy soundtrack, this Fu Manchu is not the creaky curiosity that some critics claim. True, some scenes are statically presented much in the manner of a photographed stage play, but these are counterbalanced by more cinematic sequences of action and spectacle. True, also that "comedian" William Austin (one of the drawbacks of Clarence Badger's 1927 It) is even more painful when he augments his eye-rolling with his prissy voice, but fortunately he is not in the movie all that much. Warner Oland majestically holds center stage, whilst O.P. Heggie and Neil Hamilton provide worthy opponents. Although often unattractively photographed, made up and costumed, Jean Arthur makes an appealing heroine. All in all, this Fu Manchu still has enough zing to frighten all but the most blasé movie fans. Oddly enough, the movie's original advertising poster emphasizes "ALL TALKING" rather than any members of the cast, although four of them illustrated: Neil Hamilton, Claude King, Jean Arthur (a flattering impression-she doesn't look a bit like this in the actual movie), and William Austin. But not Warner Oland!AVAILABLE on DVD through Sinister Cinema. Quality rating: seven out of ten.

Restored Version Available? Or better yet a colorized version? The original book is free on Gutenburg. The film that is shown now is practically unwatchable but the story and the actors are engaging in the film and would make it worthwhile watching in an HD or colorized version. Oland, Hamilton, and Arthur were all engaged in the silent film era and this is their plunge into the talkies. So you have skilled actors with a good story, but the display is wanting. This is the first Fu Manchu film of the talkies era and it was good. However 83 years later the film itself is in tatters. Message me if you have a lead on an A+ quality version of the film and I (and many others) will snap it up quickly.

...and you'll feel like watching this film was time well spent. Perhaps it was the job Warner Oland did here as Fu Manchu that got him the role of Charlie Chan over at Fox, because he is sensational in the part. He transitions from humanitarian to a one-man killing machine on a quest for vengeance against those he holds responsible for the death of his wife and only child. Their deaths occur in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion when a troop of soldiers fire on Fu Manchu's house. The Europeans are after the boxers, and Fu Manchu's family is just collateral damage to them. At the time of the rebellion, Fu Manchu has a young two year old European female ward (Jean Arthur). He uses the power of hypnotism he holds over her to get her to help in his dirty work without her ever remembering anything that happened.Twenty years later Fu Manchu has killed off all those he finds responsible except one man and his offspring, and this leads him to England. A detective from Scotland Yard figures out what is going on, and the surviving family members including Fu's ward are holed up in an old dark house trying to get the Chinese mastermind to show himself. The complicating factor is that one of Fu Manchu's targets (Neil Hamilton) and Fu Manchu's ward (Jean Arthur) have fallen in love.This film is pretty static, but then it is one of the first talking films and the placement of the microphone and camera demanded this. Oland and Hamilton are great in their roles, and everybody else is OK except Jean Arthur. She is really playing this one over the top, like she thinks she is still in a silent picture and expecting the villain to tie her to a railroad track at any instance. She doesn't give a glimpse of the great performances that are to come.Watch this one for Warner Oland, for the atmosphere, and for the general touch of class you find in all of the early Paramount talkies.

Very early talkie featuring pre-Charlie Chan Oland as mad Doctor, primitive with slow stretches, but watchable. They couldn't stray far from the microphone, so some scenes are VERY static with nobody moving. Comic relief just plain stupid. Interesting trivia: William Austin (Sylvester) later played Batman's butler, Alfred, in serials, while Neil Hamilton (Jack Petrie) MUCH later played Commissioner Gordon in the 60s TV Series. O. P. Heggie, a very wooden Nayland Smith, gained immortality as the blind hermit who befriends the monster in BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN.