Hong Kong 1910: A British skipper called Captain Jackson (Geoffrey Toone) is tipped off about the Red Dragon Tong secret society and organised crime syndicate, which terrorises Hong Kong society by an agent of an undercover group seeking to bring them to book. The agent (Burt Kwouk) is murdered by the Tongs in a ceremonial killing, and after Jackson's daughter Helena (Barbara Brown), also falls victim to them he seeks revenge. After overpowering and interrogating a Tong collector, Jackson wins the affection of the collector's slave Lee (Yvonne Monlaur) and he finds out where the Tong's leader, Chung King's (Christopher Lee), is. Jackson is overpowered and tortured and is only saved from certain death because an anti-Tong agent (Marne Maitland) intervenes in the nick of time. Jackson, however, remains a marked man and he finds out that even his superior at the East India Company, Harcourt (Brian Worth), is a Tong member. The Tongs plan to dispose of Jackson by a ceremonial killing on the docks, but will he and his allies in the anti-Tong group succeed in bringing the society's reign of terror over the city to an end?A substantial box office hit on its original release back in 1961 when it went out on a double bill with William Castle's Homicidal, but rarely seen nowadays. I found it quite a disappointment when I finally got to see it on the splendid Talking Pictures TV channel considering its awesome subject. The plot moves along at a fair lick and it is directed with pace but, alas, rather stolidly by Anthony Bushell. It has Hammer Films' customary eye for place and period detail thanks to the atmospheric lighting of the studio's veteran DP Arthur Grant and Bernard Robinson's magnificent sets, whom it must be said could really make silk purses out of sows ears. There are one or two eye catching shock moments including the torture scene in which Toone's Captain Jackson gets his bone marrow scraped and Burt Kwouk's demise as a result of a ceremonial killing: he fires a full clip into his assailant, but it does not succeed in stopping him until he has plunged a ceremonial hatchet into his neck killing his target. Apart from that the rest of the action is rather listlessly staged, it has to be said. Leading man Geoffrey Toone fails to convincingly convey the emotions, anger and passion in his frightfully British character's quest to avenge his daughter's death by finishing off the Red Dragon Tong society. In addition, his scenes with Yvonne Monlaur are rather dated and silly and will succeed in generating more giggles than pumping up emotions. The acting honours here go to Christopher Lee who offers a nice essay in evil as Chung King, which is really a prototype of one of his most celebrated roles as Sax Rohmer's oriental mastermind Fu Manchu. There are many familiar faces in the supporting cast to look out for including Marne Maitland, Roger Delgado and Charles Lloyd Pack.All in all, this obscure shocker from Hammer is a disappointment when one considers the potential of its subject matter and it certainly does not rank among the best of their 1960's output. Nonetheless, like most of Hammer's movies, it is highly watchable and enjoyable all the same.

Directed by Anthony Bushell who was more noted as an actor 'The Terror of the Tongs'is a lively story set in Hong Kong about a sea captain who goes against The Red Dragon Tong after his daughter is killed by the tong searching for an incriminating document. There is torture, murder, scantily clad girls and British actors trying unsuccessfully to be Chinese. What's not to like? The colourful sets and good photography add to the charm of it all.Christopher Lee plays Chung King (not Pe King?) and is actually much better than when he plays Dr. Fu Manchu. His demise is rather poignant. Geoffrey Toone is colourless as the hero Captain Sale. Support is given by always good to see actors like Marne Maitland (Beggar), Ewen Solon (Tang How), Roger Delgado (Tang Hao) and Richard Leech (Inspector Bob Dean.) The unmistakable Milton Reid plays a sadistic torturer. There are some suitable ethnic actors like the great Burt Kwouk and E(R)ic Young, the latter whom unimaginatively is called Confucious. Yvonne Monlaur (apparently born Yvonne Thérèse Marie Camille Bedat de Monlaur!) pretends to be Chinese by using the walking around in gorgeous silk dresses split up the side method. A little distracting.Not a waste of time by any means though it is a throwback to pulp fiction and Sax Rohmer, which is fine if you like that kind of thing.

Sir Christopher Lee warms up for his later Fu Manchu characterizations by playing an Asian villain here. He's Chung King, the leader of the deadly criminal organization The Red Dragon Tongs in early 20th century Hong Kong. The Tongs reign supreme, and seemingly can't be touched, not by the underwhelming local police force, anyway. However, they make their biggest mistake when, in the attempt to obtain an all-important scrap of paper, they murder Helena Sale (Barbara Brown), the daughter of sea captain Jackson Sale (Geoffrey Toone). He embarks on a one-man campaign for revenge, taking on The Tongs almost by himself.A good cast and a snappy pace make this fun. It's far from prime Hammer, but it is entertaining to watch. Some viewers may feel that seeing so many obviously Caucasian actors and actresses play Asians will take them right out of the action, but others may not mind. It is amusing to see the determined Toone take on all comers, assisted on occasion by a "beggar" (Marne Maitland) whose people are plotting an overthrow of The Tongs. Romance is also part of the mix as the young lady Lee (lovely Yvonne Monlaur, whose French accent remains intact), who's mixed up with The Tongs, falls for our stubborn hero.As usual, James Bernards' soundtrack is enjoyable, and the sets are evocatively designed. Director Anthony Bushell, himself a former actor, does a decent job; the action builds towards a brief but diverting mass confrontation between citizens and criminals. Lee is authoritative, with his deep, rich voice being perfect for an unflappable antagonist. Also very good are Maitland, Brian Worth as the district commissioner Harcourt, Roger Delgado as the primary henchman, Charles Lloyd Pack as the sinister assassin Dr. Fu Chao, and the briefly seen Burt Kwouk as the brave businessman Mr. Ming.Clocking in at 77 minutes, "The Terror of the Tongs" provides a modest diversion for Hammer fans.Seven out of 10.

Christopher Lee is good as Chung King but his performances in other films, both for Hammer and other films, are far better. In fact, this is one of my least favourite of his performances. It has some nice performances from Roger Delgado and Burt Kwouk (one of the few people in the film actually of Chinese descent and the only one with more than a few lines) but otherwise it's very dull. Marne Maitland, who was Indian, makes for the least convincing of the faux Chinese people but he's up against some pretty stiff competition. "The Hammer Story: The Authorised History of Hammer Films" said it best: "The Terror of the Tongs, perhaps thankfully a rarely-seen film, remains resolutely undistinguished in almost every department." It's only 73 minutes long, making it the shortest Hammer film that I've seen, but feels twice that. It's underwritten and the characters don't behave like real people. This is second only to "The Horror of Frankenstein" as my least favourite Hammer film, I'm afraid. This is the third and final film directed by Anthony Bushell, who had a solid career as an actor. I can't say that I'm surprised that his directing career never took off.