The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966)

 

 
Brides of Fu Manchu was a quick follow-up to the relative sucess of the first film, however, although Face of Fu Manchu was sucessful it did not make the big impact that Harry Alan Towers had hoped, and the budget was cut for the sequel. The script, co-written by director Don Sharp and producer Harry Alan Towers, follows a very similar story to that of Face; with Fu Manchu again kidnapping scientists and using threats against their daughters to make them co-operate. Fortunately, the script does not completely copy the previous film and this time around we get a lot more detail about Fu Manchu himself. There was the danger in Face that the character would become, like Hammer's Dracula, a boogeyman who was kept off screen most of the time - fortunately that has changed here, and instead we see him planning the operation and commanding his men. We do still retain all the detail on the other side as well, and Nayland Smith's activities are well plotted as well. It is good to see the men on both sides manage to trick the others and with a few clever twists, it helps to keep the film unpredictable. There is less action than the previous film, but the pacing is still good, and the climax is suitably exciting.

Unfortunately, Towers has again fallen into the trap of making Fu Manchu want to "take over the world" for no particular reason, and his motives again remain vague (although Rohmer's later novels did also fall into this trap) - equally, the actual Brides themselves seem to serve no purpose except to up the attractive, scantily clad female count. Although sharing the title of Sax Rohmer's sixth novel Bride of Fu Manchu (1933), the film misses out on a lot of that story's horror themes; including living burial (the kidnapped scientists are actually poisoned and left in concious comatose state, only to be dug from their graves by Fu Manchu's men), and details of some horrific experiements that Fu Manchu is working on, including genetically engineered spiders, and a homunculus - scenes that wound undoubtedly have made the film more memorable.

Director Don Sharp returns from the first film as does a very Hammer style attention to detail - the sets and costumes all look very elaborate and effective, creating a good pre-war atmosphere. Unfortunately the low budget does mean that some of the special effects shots look very poor - including some exterior shots that are clearly stage-bound with rear-projection. The soundtrack by frequent Carry On composer Bruce Montgomery is a standard orchestral score, but works decently well.

 
Christopher Lee returns again as Fu Manchu, with a lot more to do this time around, and he looks genuinely sinister throughout. Nigel Green is replaced as Nayland Smith by the Shakespearian actor Douglas Wilmer, who interestingly played Sherlock Holmes for the BBC the year before his casting here (Sax Rohmer's Nayland Smith character was clearly inspired by Holmes). He brings some good authority to the role, but again seems a little old to be throwing punches. British character actor Rupert Davies (best known for his appearances in classic British horrors Witchfinder General (1968) and Dracula has Risen from the Grave (1968)) plays a very haunted looking Jules Merlin, with an admirable attempt at a French accent. The German co-producers, Constanin Film, meant that there are plenty of German actors on the cast, including Karl May Western villain Harald Leipnitz as the slimy Nikki Sheldon. Look out for the character actor Burt Kwouk (Pink Panther's Cato) as one of Fu Manchu's assistants.

Brides of Fu Manchu is a rather more effective film than the first. Although taking a very similar plot, it focuses equally on Fu Manchu as Nayland Smith and is far more enjoyable as a result. A good cast with decent production make this a more than watchable film, and it comes recommended to fans of adventure movies - although anyone looking for an action-packed film will be disappointed.

All text in this review written by Timothy Young - 21st February 2007.
Text from this review not to be used without authorization.

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