THE FACE OF FU MANCHU (1965) THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU (1969) Similarly to Dracula, but on a far lesser scale, the character of Fu Manchu has become entirely associated with Lee. In a series of five films, Lee donned heavy makeup to simulate an oriental look and chew the scenery as the Easts most devious villain - a dastardly Chinese doctor who plots a series of diabolical schemes to achieve world domination. The Fu Manchu films are far from high quality, with tight budgets, low production values and rather hammy dialogue however, unlike other roles Lee has played, its obvious that hes having fun with the material here. Plummeting into the realms of (unintentional) camp, the Fu Manchu series pokes fun at Lees status as a horror icon at the height of his popularity. With increasingly absurd plots, Lee remains charismatic throughout his increasingly tongue-in-cheek performances. Thankfully, the final instalment of the franchise slipped into the public domain when copyright was not renewed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFlIG7ZT_84
