The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu

71-73 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu is a 1930 American pre-Code film directed by Rowland V. Lee. It is the second of three films starring Warner Oland as the fiendish Fu Manchu, who returns from apparent death in the previous film, The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929), to seek revenge on those he holds responsible for the death of his wife and child.

Plot

Cast

• Warner Oland as Fu Manchu
• O. P. Heggie as Inspector Nayland Smith
• Jean Arthur as Lia Eltham
• Neil Hamilton as Dr. Jack Petrie
• Evelyn Hall as Lady Agatha Bartley
• William Austin as Sylvester Wadsworth
• Margaret Fealy as Lady Helen Bartley
• Shayle Gardner as Detective Harding
• Evelyn Selbie as Fai Lu
• Olaf Hytten as Deacon at Wedding (uncredited)

Production

Writing

It was loosely adapted from the 1916 novel of the same name by Sax Rohmer.^[1]

Critical reception

The New York Times critic wrote, "melodramatic as the film is, it is not quite as exciting as its predecessor, The Mysterious Dr. Fu, in which Warner Oland did better work. O.P. Heggie as the inspector, Neil Hamilton as Petrie and Jean Arthur in the rôle of Lia are acceptable".^[2]

References

External links

• The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu at the TCM Movie Database
• The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu at IMDb
• The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu at AllMovie