
Englishmen race to find the tomb of Genghis Khan. They have to get there fast, as the evil genius Dr. Fu Manchu is also searching, and if he gets the mysteriously powerful relics, he and his diabolical daughter will enslave the world!... (Full plot summary below)
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Englishmen race to find the tomb of Genghis Khan. They have to get there fast, as the evil genius Dr. Fu Manchu is also searching, and if he gets the mysteriously powerful relics, he and his diabolical daughter will enslave the world!
Leave your thoughts about The Mask of Fu Manchu.
| Creative LoafingMatt BrunsonBoris Karloff portrays the evil warlord with the right mix of menace and playfulness. |
| Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)Bob BloomA classic with a towering performance by Karloff as Fu Manchu. Only the movie's overt racism can be a mark against it today. |
| CinefantastiqueSteve BiodrowskiThis is a creaky but entertaining relic from the early sound era. Basically an adventure story...it edges into the horror category thanks to the fiendish torture devices used by the Oriental criminal mastermind - and his sadistic daughter. |
| Movie MetropolisJohn J. Puccio...the film is filled with high camp, Karloff in droopy mustache and long, curled fingernails and Loy in slinky gown and dangly headdress. |
| User ReviewMike FKarloff and Myrna Loy! Wonderful make-up, acting, and sets. A little heavy on the "Cursed White Race" thing, but whatev. |
| User ReviewJasper BI really enjoyed this one. I wouldnt necessarily say it was one of Karloff's better role's, but the plot and sets kept the film highly interesting. |
| User ReviewStella DI know what you're thinking: Boris Karloff is just furthering the stereotype that all Asians are doctors. |
| User ReviewAntonius BHokey, campy, and highly entertaining. This movie is a bit more of a thriller along the lines of Indiana Jones than it is a horror film, but there are many cool touches packed into its 68 minutes. The race is on to get to the tomb of Genghis Khan, and we first see Boris Karloff in the role of Fu Manchu with his exaggerated facial features further distorted in a convex mirror, sporting absurdly long fingernails, and drinking a bubbly, steaming concoction. Later we'll see him torturing a captive with a giant gong, and presiding over an operating room which has lizards and snakes clamoring to get out of jars, a giant python, and a tarantula he extracts poison from. The sinister operation is presided over by the inscrutable Myrna Loy with her cat-like face, calming smoking what appears to be a hookah, as well as a bunch of bare-chested African-American guys on pedestals with arms crossed. Injections are needed for one of the captives to make him Loy's "more than willing slave, until of course she tires of him" - loved that. There are also a couple of death traps that will remind you of 007 films from 30 years later, including an alligator pit, and how can you not love a laser scene from 1932? It's all truly over the top, and the sets are fantastic. Is the film racist? Well, yes, but I found it less disturbing than others from the time period. Despite the whitewashing of Hollywood - Karloff, Loy, and other Caucasians in Asian roles - I liked the strength of their characters, in direct contrast to the more common fawning, servile roles. Then again, Karloff bellows "Kill the white man, and take his women!" towards the end, in what likely directly stoked the "yellow fear" of the day. Still, I took more offense to the gap-tooth, goofy waiter ringing the dinner bell at the end, than I did to Karloff or Loy. You have to be able to forgive the filmmakers a bit, but if you can, I think you'll enjoy this one too. |
| User ReviewTerry BHopelessly racist by today's standards this film stands up as a wild entertainment dominated by an over the top performance by Karloff. The atmosphere and set design are outstanding. |
| User ReviewBill TA pretty wild film., almost comparable to the Universal horrors, that has Boris Karloff as Manchu wanting to get his hands on a mask and sword supposedly owned by Genghis Khan. A trio of British explorers try mightily to keep it away from them, but Manchu and his plethora of traps are too much for them. This has a great serial feel, wondering how are heroes are going to get out of this mess, and has an edge of nastiness to it. The ending is somewhat lame, but oh well, still worth watching. |