Product Details

• Actors: Glen Gordon
• Format: Black & White, Full Screen, NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: Television Classics
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00098XVHC
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #264,553 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Four Episodes & Bonus Cartoon. The evil Dr. Fu Manchu and his minions set out to destroy the world and blacken men's hearts in these exciting episodes of the 1950's most maniacal TV series. 1. The Death Ship of Dr. Fu Manchu 2. The Prisoner of Dr. Fu Manchu 3. The Master Plan of Dr. Fu Manchu 4. The Golden God of Dr. Fu Manchu Bonus Cartoon: Betty Boop, The Candid Candidate.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Fu never had it so bad, April 12, 2005

By 

M2 (Glendale, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu, 4 Full-Length Episodes (DVD)

Long unavailable in any format, "The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu" is one of those see-it-to-believe-it kind of shows that remind us that not EVERYTHING made in the Golden Age of Television shone. This impoverished effort was produced by Republic Studios, which in 1940 had turned out the highly regarded serial "The Drums of Fu Manchu" starring Henry Brandon. Any relation between that Fu and this one, though, is coincidental, since none of Republic's trademark technical quality is in evidence (the sets are so rudimentary and flimsy they shake). Employing a halting way of talking, a bizarrely misplaced smile (possibly to keep the wobbly moustache from falling off) and a wrinkly bald cap, caucasian Glen Gordon is a total loss as Fu Manchu. He might have gotten the part simply because he resembled Henry Brandon enough to use stock footage from the serial, and his laughable "Chinese" accent and delivery sounds just like Peter Sellers' take-off of Charlie Chan in 1976's "Murder by Death." Almost as funny are Clark Howat as the Joe Friday-ish narrator Dr. Petrie, and John George, who is completely unintelligible as Fu's "Eurasian" dwarf henchman. That said, there is one reason to watch this DVD (hence the two stars): an outrageous episode titled "The Master Plan of Dr. Fu Manchu," which might be the ultimate in the "Villain-meets-Villian" genre. In it, Fu actually teams with Hitler (!) and the two try once more to conquer the world from the ubiquitous Republic Studio's cave set. This episode alone could become one of the great, jaw-dropping trash classics of all time.

3.0 out of 5 stars Fu-ooey, July 16, 2008

By 

Annie Van Auken (Planet Earth) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu, 4 Full-Length Episodes (DVD)

The syndicated Fu Manchu TV show had a brief 13 week run, from 9/3 to 11/26/56. This 4-episode pack includes the series' premiere show. (The two later chapters were directed by movie serial specialist William Witney.)

Regular cast members:
Glen Gordon (Dr. Fu Manchu)
Lester Matthews (Sir Dennis Nayland Smith)
Clark Howat (Dr. John Petrie)
Carla Balenda (Nurse Betty Leonard)
Laurette Luez (Karamaneh)
John George (Kolb)

SYNOPSES--
THE PRISONER OF... The bad doctor poisons a peace advocate and sends an imposter to a conference of nations in an attempt to disrupt a plan for world peace.

THE GOLDEN GOD OF... While searching for gold, Dr. Fu murders a man and later sends his cohort to eliminate the only witness-- the victim's widow.

THE DEATH SHIP OF... Manchu steals deadly germs from a San Fran lab with plans to smuggle them through Hong Kong's seaport.

THE MASTER PLAN OF... Fu tries to force a kidnapped plastic surgeon to change the appearance of Adolf Hitler (who's been in hiding for a decade) so that he and Manchu can conquer the world.

ALPHA VIDEO's '50s TV ADVENTURE CLASSICS offers an additiional Fu example ("The Plague of...") plus one show each from the SHEENA, FLASH GORDON and JOE PALOOKA TV series.

Program list for "The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu" has original airdates and guest stars for each episode.

(_#1) The Prisoner of Dr. Fu Manchu (9/3/56) - Steven Geray/Leonard Strong/Morris Ankrum/Keith Richards/Victor Sen Yung

(_#2) The Golden God of Dr. Fu Manchu (9/10/56) - Rick Vallin/Jean Willes/Keye Luke

(_#9) The Death Ship of Fu Manchu (10/29/56) - Peter Mamakos/Hugh Sanders

(#11) The Master Plan of Fu Manchu (11/12/56) - Alan Dexter/Steven Geray/Damian O'Flynn