FROM AN ORIGINAL PRINT STRUCK FROM THE MASTER NEGATIVE Framegrabs below are from the actual DVD transfer DRUMS OF FU MANCHU REPUBLIC 1940 / 15 Chapters Directed by: William Witney, John English Starring: Henry Brandon as Dr. Fu Manchu William Royle as Sir Nayland Smith Robert Kellard as Allan Parker
Supporting Cast: Gloria Franklin as Fah Lo Suee, Olaf Hytten as Dr. Petrie, Tom Chatterton as Professor Randolph, Luana Walters as Mary Randolph, Lal Chend Mehra as Sirdar Prahin, George Cleveland as Professor Parker, John Merton as Loki, Dwight Frye as Anderson, John Dilson, Wheaton Chambers, George Pembroke, Guy D'Ennery
THE STORY: The immortal and insidious Doctor Fu Manchu requires artifacts which will lead him to the tomb of Genghis Khan to complete his conquest of Asia, and, subsequently, the world. His gruesome fanged Dacoit slaves help him eliminate anyone who refuses to accommodate his will. In San Angeles, California, he convenes a meeting of the Si-Fan, an international conspiracy which helps him draw up his plans. When archeologist Dr. James Parker is killed so that Fu Manchu can obtain rare scrolls in his possession, his son Allan joins forces with Sir Denis Nayland Smith of the British Foreign Office to avenge his father's death.
Thrilling action and desperate, dark atmosphere dominate this highly entertaining pulp novel come to life in classic black and white. Unlike most Republic serials which take place generally in broad daylight, the scenes here take place on dark rainy nights when assassins lurk around every corner, exotic foreign lands, spooky caves, torture chambers, and sabotaged, doomed airplanes or locomotives. The threat of deadly retribution for anyone who crosses Fu Manchu is always present, and more than a few characters meet their doom by tentacle in his concealed octopus pit or other fiendish torture devices.
But the serial isn't driven by pure sadism; in fact it's carried almost exclusively by a tour-de-force performance by 28 year old, six-foot-five experienced stage melodrama actor Henry Brandon, who recognizes in the role a wonderful opportunity to cut loose as one of the most iconic and loved-to-be-hated villains ever, and does exactly that. There's never a moment he's onscreen that doesn't ooze with menace thanks to his subtle yet powerful performance, which transcends the original stereotype and becomes a creature of his own, who operates and revels in his existence in Republic Serial fantasy-land as one of his previous character roles, Uncle Barnaby, did in BABES IN TOYLAND a few years earlier. He's not interested in mocking the Chinese. He's interested in creating a villain the kids in the audience will never forget. And he does a great job of it.
In fact, there's really nothing remotely realistic about DRUMS OF FU MANCHU at all; it exists in a unique universe of blow-guns, pendulums, Dalai Plaques and Kardak Segments (whatever they are), visits to shopkeepers who turn out to be Dwight Frye and secret agents that seemingly have no help at all but must fight the most dangerous man in the world alone. And that is why it is so much fun. "Fu Manchu, the character, is in no way Chinese. As a personification of the Yellow Peril, Fu Manchu is the personification of the West's irrational fears and phobias. He is a rare mirror, through which we can see the pathetic caricature of the Oriental that exists in the minds of so many Americans throughout history. By being a white actor in yellowface, the character's illusory, fantasy quality becomes underscored. Like children who playact as doctors and nurses, Fu Manchu is the outward representation of the childish playacting of a nation." -- Peter Nepstad, The Illuminated Lantern
TRANSFER QUALITY
This long-lost serial was traded among collectors in terrible quality VHS tape versions for years and has been released on DVD previously only in an edition mastered from an inferior 16mm dupe print.
We are pleased to announce that we have been offered the opportunity to release this serial from a transfer created from of the original Republic master print which is of extremely high quality and not washed out or missing detail in dark areas. The original film was created in the 1970s from the Republic Pictures 35mm original print or negative, we're not sure which. The picture quality is spectacular, however, though the image quality is slightly higher than that of an average DVD, the resolution achieved in the new digital transfer will not make a potential Blu-Ray release look substantially different enough from a DVD to call for one so the release will be on standard DVD only.
Status of this project: PLEDGE DRIVE COMPLETE. PRINT ACQUIRED, TRANSFER COMPLETE. PROJECT IS IN PRODUCTION, VIDEO BEING STABILIZED, AUDIO BEING RESTORED & SERIAL IS BEING PREPARED FOR DVD RELEASE.
Preorders are now being accepted for a projected March 2012 release.
Do NOT preorder if you are in a hurry and want this DVD next week -- there is no short cut to the amount of work we have to do to release this serial in full quality condition -- however, DO preorder if you’re interested in having your contribution help offset our (very high) costs in acquiring this transfer, and help speed up the release!
If you participated in the original DRUMS OF FU pledge drive several years ago, and registered an updated pledge by email last year, you do not have to preorder this title, we have retained the information you sent by email and you do not have to do anything else to receive your DVD.
Otherwise, if you pledged in the recent pledge drive, yes, you now should preorder this DVD! Note: Pledges were taken for this project at $39.95. We have reduced the price for those who preorder before this DVD is released to $29.95 and reserve the right to raise that price later if necessary!
