The Blood of Fu Manchu

For other uses, see Against All Odds (disambiguation) § Film and television.

The Blood of Fu Manchu
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJesús Franco
Screenplay by
Based onFu Manchu
by Sax Rohmer
Produced byHarry Alan Towers
Starring
CinematographyManuel Merino[1]
Edited byAllan Morrison
Production
companies
Ada Films
Terra-Filmkunst
Udastex Films
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 30 August 1968 (1968-08-30) (London)
  • 23 March 1969 (1969-03-23) (United Kingdom)
  • 24 September 1969 (1969-09-24) (Detroit)
  • 2 March 1970 (1970-03-02) (Seville)
Running time
94 minutes
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • West Germany
  • Spain
LanguageEnglish

The Blood of Fu Manchu (German: Der Todeskuss des Dr. Fu Man Chu, lit. 'The Death-Kiss of Dr. Fu Manchu', Spanish: Fu-Manchú y el beso de la muerte), also known as Kiss of Death, Kiss and Kill (U.S. title) and Against All Odds (original U.S. video title), is a 1968 British adventure crime film directed by Jesús Franco, based on the fictional Asian villain Dr. Fu Manchu created by Sax Rohmer. It was the fourth film in a series, and was preceded by The Vengeance of Fu Manchu. The Castle of Fu Manchu followed in 1969.[4]

It was produced by Harry Alan Towers for Udastex Films. It starred Christopher Lee as Dr. Fu Manchu, Richard Greene as Scotland Yard detective Nayland Smith, and Howard Marion-Crawford as Dr. Petrie. The film was filmed in Spain and Brazil. Shirley Eaton appears in a scene that she claimed she was never paid for; apparently, the director Jesús Franco had inserted some stock footage of her from one of her films (The Girl from Rio (1968)) into the film without telling her. She only found out years later that she had been in a Fu Manchu film.[5]

Plot

In his remote jungle hideout, the evil Dr. Fu Manchu, with his sadistic daughter Lin Tang, has discovered a deadly venom in a "lost city" in the Amazonian jungle that affects only men. Women can become carriers of the "kiss of death" by being bitten by venomous snakes. The venom causes blindness and is ultimately followed six weeks later by death. Using mind control, he aims six women at Nayland Smith and other key people with political influence. This prevents them from interfering with his own ambitions: to prepare millions of "doses" and spread them around the world's major cities and capitals in a plan to gain world domination.

Cast

Credits adapted from the booklet of the Powerhouse Films Blu-ray boxset The Fu Manchu Cycle: 1965-1969.[6]

Uncredited:

  • Marcelo Arroita-Jáuregui as The Governor
  • Olívia Pineschi as Fu's Girl
  • Vicente Roca as Governor's Secretary
  • Francesca Tu as Lotus

Production

In 1965, the first of many adaptations of the works of Sax Rohmer were adapted to film by producer Harry Alan Towers. The first was The Face of Fu Manchu (1965) by director Don Sharp. The film had actor Christopher Lee begin a run of five performances as the villainous mastermind Fu Manchu.[7]

In 1967, director Jesús Franco met producer Harry Alan Towers. The two would make nine feature films together during a two-and-a-half-year period.[7] These included three adaptations of works of Rohmer, The Blood of Fu Manchu, The Girl from Rio (1969) and The Castle of Fu Manchu (1970).[7][8]

Filming began on November 30, 1967 and lasted approximately three weeks.[7]

Various prints list different credited crew members. English and German prints both credit Alan Morrison as the films editor while German prints also add Waltraut Lindenau as an editor. Spanish prints credit Angel Serrano.[3] On the English prints, the music is credited to Daniel White while the Spanish print credit German composer Gert Wilden.[9]

Release

The Blood of Fu Manchu was released first in central London on August 30, 1968.[10][11] This was followed by a more general release in the United Kingdom on March 23, 1969.[10]

It was screened in Detroit on September 24, 1969. The first known release in Spain was in Seville on March 2, 1970, followed by screenings on March 16 in Barcelona and later in Madrid on February 1, 1971.[3]

References

  1. ^ Thrower 2015, p. 152.
  2. ^ BBFC.
  3. ^ a b c d Thrower 2015, p. 153.
  4. ^ Vagg, Stephen (21 January 2025). "Forgotten British Moguls: Nat Cohen – Part Three (1962-68)". Filmink. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  5. ^ "The Blood of Fu Manchu/The Castle of Fu Manchu (Blu-ray)". www.dvddrive-in.com. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  6. ^ The Fu Manchu Cycle: 1965-1969 (The Blood of Fu Manchu: Cast) (booklet). Powerhouse Films. 2020. p. 11. PHILTD201.
  7. ^ a b c d Thrower 2015, p. 154.
  8. ^ Thrower 2015, p. 162.
  9. ^ Thrower 2015, p. 156.
  10. ^ a b British Film Institute.
  11. ^ Gifford 2001, p. 778.

Sources

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