The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980)

User Rating:

4.3/10   

Director:

Piers Haggard

Writers:

Rudy Dochtermann (writer)
Jim Moloney (writer)

Release Date:

8 August 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

BEWARE! See this movie - An hour later you'll want to see it again!

Plot:

Fu Manchu's 168th birthday celebration is dampened when a hapless flunky spills Fu's age-regressing elixir vitae...

Plot Keywords:

FBI | Fu Manchu | England | London England | Pistol

Cast

Peter Sellers	...	Dennis Nayland Smith / Dr. Fu 'Fred' Manchu
Helen Mirren	...	Alice Rage
David Tomlinson	...	Sir Roger Avery
Sid Caesar	...	Joe Capone
Simon Williams	...	Robert Townsend
Steve Franken	...	Peter Williams
Stratford Johns	...	Ismail
John Le Mesurier	...	Perkins
John Sharp	...	Sir Nules Thudd
Clément Harari	...	Doctor Arnold Wretch
Kwan-Young Lee	...	Tong
John Tan	...	Dacoit
Philip Tan	...	Dacoit
Serge Julien	...	Dacoit
Johns Rajohnson	...	Dacoit

Also Known As:

Fu Manchu (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

Norway:101 min | USA:108 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | Norway:12 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Australia:PG

Company:

Braun Entertainment Group

Trivia:

Burt Kwouk, who worked with Peter Sellers on four Pink Panther movies, makes a cameo in the movie. Upon seeing him, Seller's character says, "Your face is familiar."

Quotes:

Fu Manchu: You were the only worthy adversary I ever had Nayland, the only one.
Nayland Smith: But I hated you Fu. Oh God, did I hate you.
Fu Manchu: Yes, but they were the good old days.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Forty Deuce (1982)

Soundtrack:

Rockafu

A fitting final funny feature for fervid Peter Sellers

OK! Maybe it is not the best film making but it is fun, and is the last hurrah for one of the great comic actors of all time. A gentle spoof of all of those Fu Manchu films over the years,(and frankly better than many of them) It contained many of the hallmarks of Sellers films such as playing multiple roles (Fu Manchu and nemesis Nayland Smith) Using comic actors of similar stripe (Sid Caesar) re-uniting with Bert Kwouk (his man-servant in many of the Pink Panther movies.) This was also the farewell film of actor David Tomlinson and John Le Messeur both of whom retired from films after this. The movie is a fun romp with a mix of the absurd slapstick and the witty dialog of the characters. One of my favorite lines happens after a line of dacoit assassins appear in front of Fu Manchu and he says "you can't fool me with a cheap cinematic trick." This was very fitting farewell to a great comic genius.