Adventures of Fu Manchu

Rating:
Summary: WHEN WILL FILM PRODUCER'S DO RIGHT BY FU???
Review: First off, let me say this is a nice dvd. The picture is quite good considering the age of the show, there are a few rough spots to the prints used, but overall it's a pleasing picture. The sound is ok, too. There are no extras to speak of, except for a catalogue of other Alpha Video titles to look through. Now for the shows themselves. This is a terrible show! The acting is amateurish and the stories are dull and boring! Which is a pity. Sax Rohmer wrote some great novels featuring the devil doctor ("THE BRIDE OF FU MANCHU", "THE HAND OF FU MANCHU", "THE DRUMS OF FU MANCHU", "THE ISLAND OF FU MANCHU" and "SHADOW OF FU MANCHU" being the best) but no film producers have ever adapted his stories for the screen. With this series (produced by Republic Pictures) it appears the writers had never read the books and are only vaguely aware of what Fu Manchu is all about. For example, in one episode on this disc, Dr. Fu joins forces with Adolph Hitler to wreck vengeance on the world. Now anyone who has read the books knows that in "THE DRUMS OF FU MANCHU" (published in 1939) we find out that Fu hates war and has a plot to assassinate Hitler, which good old (or dumb old) Nayland Smith tries to stop! But the hack writers of this show, probably unable to read, were not aware of this fact and just figured, well heck, Fu is evil, Hitler was evil, let's have them join forces. DUMB! Still, if you enjoy Rohmer's work and Fu, you might enjoy this disc. It's good for a few laughs anyhow and it shows what a good writer ole Sax was and how lousy many of Hollywood writers were in the Golden Age of TV. - George Bauch.

Rating:
Summary: Classic TV - The Fu Manchu Series from 1956
Review: Four episodes from the original 1956 TV Series is in BW and unclear in certain frames, but overall a very good transfer with good story lines. Episodes include 1) The Golden Egg of Dr Fu Manchu (henchmen sent to kill wife), 2) The Master Plan (revives Hitler), 3) The Death Ships (deadly germ cultures), 4) The Prisoner of Dr Fu Manchu (deadly serum at the Conference of Nations).

Rating:
Summary: This will have to do for now...
Review: Here we are presented with several episodes revolving around the infamous Fu Manchu. Considering the age of the show the picture quality is quite good and the plots are serviceable, but as has been pointed out before, anyone expecting to recognize the Fu Manchu of literature will be sadly dissapointed.
Hopefully, one day soon we will see the series of Fu Manchu movies made in the 1960s find their way onto DVD, Based on the actual books and given a decent budget those features would easily find a way into my collection.

Rating:
Summary: If you like cheese....
Review: I thought this was a pretty good series from the waning days of Republic Pictures. I enjoyed Glen Gordon's portrayal of Fu. Somewhat over-the-top. I liked it.

Rating:
Summary: If you like cheese....
Review: I thought this was a pretty good series from the waning days of Republic Pictures. I enjoyed Glen Gordon's portrayal of Fu. Somewhat over-the-top. I liked it.

Rating:
Summary: They say the Devil plays for men's souls!
Review: So does Glen Gordon as 50's TV's deliciously nefarious incarnation of Sax Rohmer's icon of Evilll...Dr. Fu Manchu.
Ian Fleming's Dr. No was Fu-ster reborn to face-off against 007. Here Sir Denis Nayland Smith and his Yankee buddy,Dr.John Petrie, reprise Rohmer's reprise of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to keep the never-ending battle between Good & Evil never-ending.The disc provides four outrageous Saturday matinee, serial-like adventures that demonstrate how Olden Days TV could do so much with so little. THE MASTER PLAN is best serving; and example of audacity no modern or PM director would dare: revival of Adolf Hitler himself.(Shades of Outer Limits/Twilight Zone & the FuMANCHURIAN CANDIDATE!)Are these ADVENTURES great? Is Elvis King & Little Richard Queen of Rock'n'Roll? The question is moot. THE ADVENTURES of FU MANCHU is cream of TV's corn on the cob. The Chess Game Opening ("Black & White...Life & Death"...Good's Pawn to Fu's Wicked King's 4...)is worth price of the disc as one of the all time teaser TEASERS. For fans of fiendish 50's TV,don't let them Fu you: this is(almost)classy stuff.