American Cinematographer - January 1995 - 75

Fu prepares to

inject Starrett
with "dragon's
blood formula."

MGM made

some

200 brocaded

garments in addi¬

tion to many rented from sources in the
of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Chinatowns
A museum

loaned the costumes of the Samurai warriors who

Loy to the feast, where the low tables are
covered with exotic foods and the entertainments
include a sword duel to the death.
escort

Among the pre-Code delights is one of the
perversely erotic sequences this side of a stag
show, in which the gorgeous and innocent-looking
Fah Lo See orders the handsome Terrence flogged
by two muscular black men. Myrna Loy's hereto¬
fore placid features become contorted with lust as
most

she cries, "Aiee! Faster! Faster! Faster! Faster! Faster!
Faster!" (Some of her scenes are missing in the vid¬

eotape version.) While the youth lies unconscious,
Fu's evil

daughter, panting heavily, lasciviously
torso. When her
the unconscious
man, she says (coyly): "Fie is not entirely unhand¬
some, is he, my father?" "For a white man, no," is
the reply.

fondles his half-naked, bleeding
father walks in as she is kissing

Racial slurs are hurled back and forth with¬
out restraint by both the Britishers and Dr. Fu.

Nayland Smith starts the ball rolling with remarks
about Fu Manchu's "wicked eyes" and "bony, cruel
hands." The insults continue with Sir Lionel:
"You're Fu Manchu, aren't

you? "I'm

Philosophy from Edinburgh, I'm

January 1995

a

a

Doctor of

Doctor of Law

from Christ's College, I'm a Doctor of Medicine
from Fiarvard. My friends, out of courtesy, call me
Doctor." Fu replies, "Well, three-times doctor, what
do you want from me?" When the offer of a million

pounds to reveal the location of the tomb fails to
sway Sir Lionel, Dr. Fu turns to Fah Lo See. "My
daughter, explain to this gentleman the rewards
that might be his. Point out to him the delights of
our
lovely country, the promise of our beautiful
women. Even
my daughter, even that, for you!" Sir
Lionel's

answer: "Fu Manchu, I'm not for sale!"
Later, Sir Lionel's daughter seizes an op¬

portunity to face Dr. Fu with "You hideous yellow
monster!" Sir Nayland gets in more nasty digs: "Is
this a friend of your family?" he asks Dr. Fu as a
snake slithers past.
The aristocratic Dr. Fu matches such insults
with

dignity. Fie calls Terrence a "son of a white
dog" and warns Smith that "the slightest move will
send a bullet crashing through your stiff British
spine." When Smith demands the release of

Terrence in the

name

of the British Government, Dr.

Fu

momentarily loses his cool: "British Govern¬
ment! I'll wipe them and the whole accursed white
race off the face of the earth when I get the sword
and mask that will call the teeming millions of Asia
to the uprising. . ." Fu also promises Smith that he
will "dispatch you to your cold, saintly Christian
paradise," and tells his other guests that they "will

American

Cinematographer

73
American Cinematographer - January 1995

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