
This serial seems to be the earliest surviving film appearance of Dr. Fu Manchu. Unlike subsequent Fu Manchu films, these 13 episodes are essentially faithful (though abridged) adaptations of the events in Sax Rohmer's original stories, which are posted here for comparison. Each episode is a self-contained story, with no cliffhangers.
The protagonist duo of Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie is, superficially at least, an obvious imitation of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, with Dr. Fu Manchu taking the archvillain role of Prof. Moriarty. But in Fu Manchu stories, it is the genius of the archvillain that is the focus - not the cleverness of the detective. Nayland Smith admits: “I am a child striving to cope with a mental giant”.
Thankfully, the film adaptation ditched the repetitive narration of Dr. Petrie, with its endless vitriol against the so-called “Eastern race”. Of course, as faithful adaptations, these episodes maintain the Yellow Peril theme that is central to the story, but less explicitly.
Online: Internet Archive
Episodes
Episode 1: The Scented Envelopes [Lost film. The “scented envelopes” case is the short story The Zayat Kiss, “The first of the great struggles between Nayland Smith and the sinister Fu-Manchu” - a helpful introduction to the series.]
Episode 2: The West Case
Episode 3: The Clue Of The Pigtail
Episode 4: The Call Of Siva
Episode 5: The Miracle
Episode 6: The Fungi Cellars
Episode 7: The Knocking On The Door
Episode 8: The Cry Of The Night Hawk
Episode 9: Aaron's Rod [Currently unavailable, first reel missing. The “Aaron's rod” case is in chapters 7-10 of The Devil Doctor (UK)/The Return of Dr Fu-Manchu (US) (1916), the second novel in the Dr. Fu Manchu series. ]
Episode 10: The Fiery Hand
Episode 11: Man With The Limp
Episode 12: The Queen of Hearts
Episode 13: The Silver Buddha
Episode 14: The Sacred Order
Episode 15: The Shrine Of Seven Lamps
The Mystery Of Dr. Fu Manchu - Episode 5: The Miracle
Highlights:
- 3 dudes who accidentally wandered into the wrong movie, bow out gracefully
- Doc Fu dons spats to show us his old-school style of dealing with a two-timing lackey. But, the Doc still hasn't faced up to his bad habit of procrastination.
- Meanwhile, that double-crossing duo continue their crusade of snatching from the “Brown and Yellow”, to resurrect their putrid decayed “White” fellow (a process historians call “colonialism”).
- The butler did it - is that really a spoiler?
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The Mystery Of Dr. Fu Manchu - Episode 6: The Fungi Cellars
Those of us impatiently waiting for Doc Fu to quit stalling and get down to the serious business of homicidal mania can finally sit back and enjoy: this time Fu Manchu's gotta do what Fu Manchu's gotta do.
Continuing from episode 5, this is adapted from chapters 24-26 and the first page of chapter 27 of The Mystery of Dr. Fu Manchu (UK)/The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu (US) (1913), the first novel in the Dr. Fu Manchu series.
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The Mystery Of Dr. Fu Manchu - Episode 7: The Knocking On The Door
Continuing from episode 6, this is adapted from chapter 27 (after the first page) through chapter 30 (the final chapter) of The Mystery of Dr. Fu Manchu (UK)/The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu (US) (1913), the first novel in the Dr. Fu Manchu series.
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The Mystery Of Dr. Fu Manchu - Episode 8: The Cry Of The Night Hawk
Adapted from chapters 4-6 of The Devil Doctor (UK)/The Return of Dr Fu-Manchu (US) (1916), the second novel in the Dr. Fu Manchu series.
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The Mystery Of Dr. Fu Manchu - Episode 10: The Fiery Hand
With his brilliant-plan-to-kill speech nearly overflowing the intertitle cards, even in a silent film Dr. Fu Manchu reigns as the archetypical windbag assassin.
Adapted from chapters 24-30 of The Devil Doctor (UK)/The Return of Dr Fu-Manchu (US) (1916), the second novel in the Dr. Fu Manchu series.
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The Mystery Of Dr. Fu Manchu - Episode 11: Man With The Limp
Adapted from chapters 1-9 of The Si-Fan Mysteries (UK)/The Hand of Fu-Manchu (US) (1917), the third novel in the Dr. Fu Manchu series.
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The Mystery Of Dr. Fu Manchu - Episode 12: The Queen of Hearts
Adapted from chapters 15-18 of The Si-Fan Mysteries (UK)/The Hand of Fu-Manchu (US) (1917), the third novel in the Dr. Fu Manchu series.
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The Mystery Of Dr. Fu Manchu - Episode 13: The Silver Buddha
When Petrie enters an antique shop and is confronted by a snotty sales clerk, he chooses the most reasonable response of a refined gentleman to such pretentious pricks: grabbing the weasely snot by the neck and choking him till he shuts his annoying trap. Unfortunately, the twerp is one of Doc Fu's crew. While The Doc cannot deny the righteousness of Petrie's action, he nonetheless suggests that Petrie could benefit from a wee bit of attitude adjustment.
Adapted from chapters 18-20 of The Devil Doctor (UK)/The Return of Dr Fu-Manchu (US) (1916), the second novel in the Dr. Fu Manchu series.
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The Mystery Of Dr. Fu Manchu - Episode 14: The Sacred Order
Adapted from chapters 11-13 of The Devil Doctor (UK)/The Return of Dr Fu-Manchu (US) (1916), the second novel in the Dr. Fu Manchu series.
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The Mystery Of Dr. Fu Manchu - Episode 15: The Shrine Of Seven Lamps
A rather hasty, and less than satisfying, wrap of the series.
Adapted (with a notable twist) from chapters 30-33 of The Si-Fan Mysteries (UK)/The Hand of Fu-Manchu (US) (1917), the third novel in the Dr. Fu Manchu series.