#the mask of dr. fu manchu

[cccovers]

The Mask of Dr. Fu Manchu cover by Wally Wood.

[brokehorrorfan]

The Mask of Fu Manchu will be released on Blu-ray on May 7 via Warner Archive. Based on Sax Rohmer's 1932 novel of the same name, the 1932 horror film stars genre legend Boris Karloff as Fu Manchu.

Charles Brabin directs from a script by Edgar Allan Woolf (The Wizard of Oz), Irene Kuhn, and John Willard (The Cat and the Canary). Lewis Stone, Karen Morley, Charles Starrett, Myrna Loy, and Jean Hersholt round out the cast.

The Mask of Fu Manchu has been newly restored uncut in 4K from the best preservation elements available. Special features are listed below.

Special features:

Audio commentary by film historian Greg Mank

Freddy the Freshman - 1932 cartoon short

The Queen Was in the Parlor - 1932 cartoon short

The diabolical Dr. Fu Manchu (Boris Karloff) patiently awaits the discovery of Genghis Khan's tomb. For he is certain that possession of Khan's mask and sword will enable him to rule the East and lead it to victory over the hated Western world. When British scientists in the Gobi Desert discover the tomb, Fu captures and tortures them in his elaborate Torture Garden, hoping they will take him to the treasure he craves. But an unexpected traitor has other plans for the doctor.

Pre-order The Mask of Fu Manchu.

[ronnymerchant]

1972 Triple bill featuring DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1932), the MASK OF FU MANCHU (1932), and MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (1935)

[romanceyourdemons]

ok i’ve been reading the mystery of dr. fu-manchu and it’s so funny when the narrator looks at an asian character through racism goggles two and a half inches thick, describes their normal human features with words like simian, feline, ghastly, mask-like, uncanny, grotesque, and then says something like “i could not say why, but some preternatural instinct told me that this man was evil.” girlie please

[andersonvision]

"The Mask of Fu Manchu," directed by Charles Brabin and Charles Vidor, is a quintessential example of early 1930s horror-adventure cinema. Starring Boris Karloff as the nefarious Dr. Fu Manchu and Myrna Loy as his equally sinister daughter Fah Lo See, the film explores themes of power, control, and colonial anxiety. The recent Warner Archive Blu-ray release provides a meticulously restored version of this controversial classic, enhancing its visual and audio elements while preserving its historical significance. What's the movie about?Love that crazy vintage lookLet's talk about the Warner Archive Blu-ray release of Mask of Fu ManchuYou can buy The Mask of Fu Manchu Blu-ray from Warner Archive at MovieZyng! What's the movie about? The story follows Sir Nayland Smith (Lewis Stone) and his efforts to thwart the evil Dr. Fu Manchu's plans to gain control of Genghis Khan's artifacts, which Fu Manchu believes will give him the power to conquer the world. Fu Manchu's pursuit of these relics leads to a series of thrilling encounters, including daring rescues, elaborate tortures, and a climactic battle that decides the fate of the artifacts—and potentially the world. The film’s narrative is a mix of pulp fiction and adventure, steeped in the exoticism and fear of the "other" that characterized many Western depictions of Asia during the early 20th century. Despite its problematic racial stereotyping, "The Mask of Fu Manchu" remains a significant piece of cinematic history, reflecting the cultural attitudes and cinematic trends of its time. Love that crazy vintage look The cinematography of "The Mask of Fu Manchu," handled by Tony Gaudio, is notable for its use of shadows and dramatic lighting to create an atmosphere of suspense and danger. The film’s sets are lavish and intricate, reflecting the opulence and mystery associated with Fu Manchu’s lair. Gaudio’s use of close-ups and wide shots enhances the tension and excitement of the film’s action sequences. The Blu-ray release showcases the film’s visual style with exceptional clarity, highlighting the details of the set designs and the nuances of the lighting. The restoration process has preserved the film’s aesthetic while enhancing its visual appeal for modern audiences. Let's talk about the Warner Archive Blu-ray release of Mask of Fu Manchu The Warner Archive Blu-ray release of "The Mask of Fu Manchu" is a significant upgrade from previous editions. The high-definition transfer brings out the film’s visual details with remarkable clarity, while the enhanced audio ensures that the dialogue and sound effects are crisp and clear. Visual Restoration: The Blu-ray edition has undergone a meticulous restoration process, addressing issues such as film grain, scratches, and other imperfections. The result is a visually stunning presentation that preserves the film’s original look while enhancing its overall quality. Audio Quality: The improved audio quality on the Blu-ray release allows viewers to fully appreciate the film’s sound design, from the eerie score to the dramatic sound effects. The clarity of the dialogue also enhances the viewing experience, making the story more accessible. You can buy The Mask of Fu Manchu Blu-ray from Warner Archive at MovieZyng!

[seanpultz]

12 Favorite Pre-Code Horror Films

#1 

#2 

#3 

#4 

#5 

#6

#7 

#8 

#9 

#10 

#11 

#12 

[frankendavis]

In Memorium...something I made a few years ago.

[screamscenepodcast]

Our patrons voted and we dutifully answered: this month's horror adjacent episode dives into THE MASK OF FU MANCHU (1932) starring Boris Karloff as the titular "Yellow Peril incarnate" character!

Discussions of cultural fears, author Sax Rohmer, Orientalism and more abound in this bonus episode. Enjoy!

Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 1:26:54; Discussion 1:36:33

[contentabnormal]

Portrait of Boris Karloff in The Mask Of Fu Manchu

Watercolors on paper, 8.5″ x 11″, 2020

By Joshua Ryals

[balu8]

The Mask of Dr. Fu Manchu            

cover and pencils by Wally Wood

[chaptertwo-thepacnw]

the mask of fu manchu |1932|

[howardhawkshollywoodannex]

Elizabeth Allan and Carroll Borland in a scene from Mark of the Vampire (1935) wearing costumes by Adrian. Adrian was born Adrian Greenburg in Naugatuck, Connecticut, and had 270 costume designer credits from 1923 to a 1961 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show for his Camelot costumes. Most of his credits are only for gowns, as is Mark of the Vampire

He was never Oscar nominated, but his other highlights include Anna Christie, The Divorcee, The Squaw Man, Mata Hari, Beast of the City, Grand Hotel, Red Headed Woman, Red Dust, The Mask of Fu Manchu, Dinner at Eight, Dancing Lady, Queen Christina, The Barretts of Wimpole Street, David Copperfield, Wife vs Secretary, San Francisco, Born to Dance, Camille, Marie Antoinette, The Wizard of Oz, The Women, Ninotchka, Pride and Prejudice, The Philadelphia Story, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1941), Shadow of a Doubt, and They Got Me Covered.

[maxwell-grant]

Would you consider Hugo Strange a pulp villain?

Yes. And I would argue that he didn't really stop being one even after his revival.

"Professor Hugo Strange, the most dangerous man in the world! Scientist, philosopher and a criminal genius - little is known of him, yet this man is undoubtly the greatest organizer of crime in the world! - Bruce Wayne, Detective Comics #36

Hugo Strange was created with the intention of being Batman's arch-enemy right from the start, introduced as such by Bruce when he figures out he's responsible for the G-man assassination, pretty explicitly intended to be Batman's Moriarty and with even an equivalent demise. He was big enough to tower over his henchmen and fistfight Batman, he had a uniquely deformed skull, he was both a charismatic but threatening crimelord as well as a mad scientist plotting to TAKE OVER THE WORLD, and I've heard before the argument that the Monster Men were taken from a Doc Savage novel released earlier the same year called The World's Fair Goblin that revolves around a giant mutated man doing crimes under command by the story's villain

That poor devil, Maximus, was a Fair visitor himself, once. He was given injections of thyroxine and adrenalin—and changed rapidly into a pituitary giant. But, in the experiment, his will power was destroyed. Now he only follows the directions of that masked devil who has him hypnotized

He said, "The Man of Tomorrow stuff was merely publicity to draw the Fair crowds—and a shield to cover your own experiments. But the masked surgeon cashed in on it. Obviously he is mad enough to really believe a superman can be created." - The World's Fair Goblin

(Considering Lester Dent had taken potshots at Superman explicitly in "Whisker of Hercules", it's not unlikely that this is an explicit reference)

Although there's really no overlap in the stories besides that, as The World's Fair Goblin only had one giant where as Hugo mutated a couple dozen mentally ill patients to create monsters and then used them to go on mass murdering rampages, because Batman has always been over-the-top. But, yeah, original form Hugo was a pretty cut and dry pulp villain, like most of Batman's villains who debuted prior to 1940. Which is part of why he only had about 3 appearences before they killed him off.

By this point, Batman was in the process of moving away from his pulp knock-off origins into more of his own character, with the introduction of Robin and Dick Tracy cartoon villains that would set the tone for the rest of Batman in the Golden Age, and with the debut of Joker and Catwoman in Batman #1, Hugo was already obsolete as an arch-enemy, and was killed off the following appearence.

Of course, if you know Hugo Strange, you likely already know this, and that he was then revived in the 70s by Marshall Rogers with a brilliant take that stuck to the character's origins as a brilliant crimelord and scientific genius, but also added to him a specifically twisted psychological bent of being obsessed with Batman and becoming Batman, a villain of unshakeable will and even a twisted sense of honor and ethics, refusing to divulge Batman's secret identity even while beaten to death.

And from that moment onwards Hugo would go on to have some of the most consistently brilliant appearences out of any Batman villain (at least until the 2010s) and would secure himself as a mainstay, albeit a very obscure one, figure of Batman, the kind of villain whose plots can range from Born Again-esque subtle destructions of a person's life to a rampage of mutant kaijus on downtown Gotham, and like many of the best Batman villains, it all comes back to a central obsession and psychological edge upon Batman, and the weaponizing and destruction of anything that stands in his way.

You could argue Hugo Strange used to be a cut and dry pulp villain who was eventually reimagined as a Batman Villain, and it would even be somewhat fitting of his in-universe trajectory as a man who started out a career as a figure of prestige and respect, effortlessly able to blend in society, until his repeated encounters with Batman and, most importantly, his gradually increasing obsession with becoming Batman, gradually destroyed him until he's no longer the one ruling the madhouse, but instead trapped in it.

But the reason why I'd argue Hugo Strange is still a Pulp Villain is because his reinventions didn't shed away what he used to be, they merely returned him to his true origins. Because Hugo, you see, is not just a Mad Scientist or Mad Psychologist, Batman's got those by the dozens. Hugo is of a particularly nasty kind of Pulp Villain, who came to existence around the same time as the Mad Scientist if not slightly earlier, an archetype Jess Nevins has named The Evil Surgeon

Medicine has arguably thrown up more serial killers than all the other professions put together, with nursing a close second - Herbert Kinnel, former chairman of the British Medical Association

The Evil Surgeon came to existence as a pop culture archetype in the late 19th century, as the result of serial killers like Jack the Ripper and H.H Holmes making the news, with Doctor Quartz from Nick Carter being first and foremost among these, as the main arch-enemy of the most published character worldwide at the time.

He would be followed years later by H.G Wells's Doctor Moreau, and the likes of Dr Caresco and Professor Tornada, the stars of novels created by André Couvreur, who was himself a medical doctor and used these novels to both condemn the characters as well as give serious consideration to the ideas they explored, and depicted Dr Caresco's over-the-top exploits harkening back to stories about Marquis de Sade (the origin of the term "sadist"). These would be followed by characters like Grigorii Trirodov, Dr Cornelius Kramm, Dr Gogol from Mad Love, currently the most famous example of this seems to be Hannibal Lecter. And Hugo has been operating much more along the lines of those characters in the last decades, than the typical mad scientists he was once designed in reference to.

Of course there's a massive overlap between the two and room to dispute whether they even constitute separate archetypes, they practically came to existence together following the footsteps of Victor Frankenstein, who really isn't a true example of a Mad Scientist in the original novel, and wasn't even a real doctor, but Frankenstein's reputation undeniably is the oldest cultural touchstone we can point to as an influence in the archetype, even if said archetype would only truly take form in pulp magazines and serials.

What I'd argue defines the Evil Surgeon as an archetype specifically, is that they are specifically centered around the violation and destruction of the human body and function more as murderers with budgets, than supervillains in labcoats. Mad Scientists are generally more centered around plots closer to sci-fi/fantasy inventions like sentient robots and immortality potions used for large scale global domination, where as Evil Surgeons are more preoccupied with wielding psychology and torture and criminal resources to get away with destroying minds on more individual scales, or turning cities into slaughterhouses for them to work in.

They aren't quite full blown slasher villains, like Zsasz or Professor Pyg, instead they usually tend to be quite good at passing off as respectable, mentally sound figures of moral standing, and usually possess a sense of purpose towards their work, a goal they are working for by piling corpses atop each other and moving resources to achieve, even if said goal is a purely selfish fulfillment of their own desires. It's quite common for these characters to acquire large bases for them to operate in, even islands specifically.

In Caresco Surhomme, Caresco has taken control of the Pacific island of Eucrasia. Caresco applies his surgical methods to the inhabitants of the island, altering them to better do their jobs. The captain of the plane which brings outsiders to Eucrasia is a limbless trunk with telescopic vision. Even the island itself is in the shape of a human body. The natives of Eucrasia are addicted to various sensual pleasures and generally submit to Caresco’s rule, for fear that he will castrate them or worse.

On Eucrasia, Caresco makes use of “omnium,” a mysterious and unexplained power source, to create: a machine capable of stripping the years from human bodies and reversing the aging process, a fast underground train system, food pills, omnium-powered diving suits, and so on. Caresco is given to such things as collecting the spleens of all those he operates on - Jess Nevins, The Encyclopedia of Pulp Heroes

So, yes, I absolutely would argue Hugo Strange is still a Pulp Villain. Pulp villains do come in many different forms other than the Fu Manchus and Fantomases that are most commonly imitated, pulp was the breeding ground of the supervillain as a concept after all, where they got to star in their own magazines time and time again. Hugo started off as a fairly generic one, and when he's written poorly, he tends to be brought onboard of a story purely because it calls for a mad scientist.

But Strange came back from death as something much, much worse than just a crimelord and mad scientist, a much more rare and much nastier type of villain that, much like Hugo himself, may lie dormant, but refuses to stay dead for long.

"Quincy. My servant. My friend," Hugo said. "We don't have much time."

Quincy was crying again, with joy. "How, master, how did you-?"

The therapy, Quincy realized. The hypnosis. The drugs.

"Stay with me master, please!" Quincy tried to grab hold a phantom hand.

"I cannot." Strange said, looking benevolently down at Quincy, stroking his hair with a touch the prisoner couldn't feel. "But there is one last service you can perform me."

"Anything, Hugo, please."

"First, remove the sheet from your bed, Quincy. And tie it to the light-fixture on the ceiling."

[digitalcomicmuseum]

Comic Uploaded: 15-07-2011 Mask of Dr. Fu Manchu 001 (one-shot)-fixed Uploader: larrytalbot Download Link: https://digitalcomicmuseum.com/index.php?dlid=15276 Read Online

[terselylove]

Here Are All The Classic Horror Movies TCM Will Be Airing (Commercial Free!) This October

Friday, October 2,2020

Dracula

8:00pm – Dracula (1931)

11:00pm – House on Haunted Hill (1958)

12:30am – The Haunting (1963)

Monday, October 5, 2020

4:30pm – Blood and Black Lace (1964)

Friday, October 9, 2020

Night of the Living Dead

8:00pm – The Ghoul (1933)

9:30pm – The Black Sleep (1956)

11:00pm – Mark of the Vampire (1935)

12:15am – Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Monday, October 12, 2020

6:00am – The Reptile (1966)

7:45am – The Killer Shrews (1959)

9:00am – King Kong (1933)

11:00am – The Beast From 20,000 (1953)

12:30pm – Godzilla (1954)

2:00pm – Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

3:30pm – Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961)

4:45pm – The Green Slime (1969)

6:30pm – Night of the Lepus (1972)

9:30pm – Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965)

11:00pm – Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966)

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

The Devil Doll

2:30pm – The Thirteenth Chair (1929)

4:00pm – Freaks (1932)

5:15pm – Mark of the Vampire (1935)

6:30pm – The Devil-Doll (1936)

Friday, October 16, 2020

8:00am – Little Shop of Horrors (1960)

9:15am – Village of the Damned (1960)

10:45am – The Brain That Wouldn’t Die (1962)

12:15pm – Carnival of Souls (1962)

1:45pm – Dementia 13 (1963)

3:15pm – The Raven (1963)

4:45pm – Spider Baby (1964)

6:15pm – The Nanny (1965)

8:00pm – Dead of Night (1945)

10:00pm – Twice-Told Tales (1963)

12:15am – Black Sabbath (1963)

Saturday, October 17, 2020

5:45pm – Rollerball (1975)

Sunday, October 18, 2020

The Fearless Vampire Killers

1:45am – The Fearless Vampire Killers (1966)

3:45am – House of Dark Shadows (1970)

Monday, October 19, 2020

9:30pm – Horror of Dracula (1958)

11:15pm – The Mummy (1959)

1:00am – The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Frankenstein Created Woman

2:45am – Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)

4:30am – Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1970)

Thursday, October 22, 2020

11:30pm – The Mystery Of The Wax Museum (1968)

1:00am – Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Friday, October 23, 2020

Creature from the Black Lagoon

8:00pm – Creature of Black Lagoon (1954)

9:30pm – The Blob (1958)

11:15pm – The Tingler (1959)

12:45pm – The Thing From Another World (1951)

Saturday, October 24, 2020

2:15pm – Brainstorm (1983)

1:45am – The Werewolf (1956)

Sunday, October 25, 2020

5:00am – The Mummy (1932)

5:30pm – What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962)

Monday, October 26, 2020

Eyes Without A Face

4:15am – Eyes Without a Face

8:00pm – Nothing But the Night (1972)

9:45pm – Madhouse (1974)

11:30pm – From Beyond the Grave (1973)

1:30am – Scream and Scream Again (1970)

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

3:15am – The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)

4:45am – Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)

Thursday, October 29, 2020

From Hell it Came

7:00am – The Devil-Doll (1936)

11:00am – Tormented (1960)

2:15pm – Night of Dark Shadows (1971)

4:00pm – Indestructible Man (1956)

5:15pm – From Hell It Came (1957)

6:30pm – Death Curse of Tartu

Friday, October 30, 2020

6:30am – Doctor X (1932)

8:00am – The Mask Of Fu Manchu (1932)

9:30am – The Most Dangerous Game (1932)

10:45am – Island of Lost Souls (1932)

12:00pm – White Zombie (1932)

1:30pm – The Vampire Bat (1933)

2:45pm – The Mystery Of The Wax Museum (1933)

4:15pm – Mad Love (1935)

5:30pm – The Walking Dead (1936)

6:45pm – The Return of Doctor X (1939)

8:00pm – The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959)

9:15pm – Eye of the Devil (1966)

11:00pm – The Devil Rides Out (1968)

12:45am – The Wicker Man ((1974)

Saturday, October 31, 2020

The Body Snatcher

6:00am – Freaks (1932)

7:15am – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932)

9:00am – House of Wax (1953)

10:45am – Children of the Damned (1964)

12:30pm – The Bad Seed (1956)

4:45pm – The Wolf Man (1941)

6:00pm – The Haunting (1963)

10:00pm – Them! (1954)

12:00am – The Seventh Victim (1943)

1:30am – I Walked With A Zombie (1943)

3:00am – The Body Snatcher (1945)

[frankendavis]

I’m taking a few days off of the imagery about the upcoming food festival, because tomorrow, it will be the Commemorative Birthday of William Henry Pratt aka Boris Karloff (and the birthday of his daughter, Sara Karloff).  This was the second variation of something I called the “Small Group Project” (photomontage) I made years ago as a demonstration for my students.