Editing Fu Manchu

{{Short description|Fictional villain based on Asian stereotypes}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Dr. Fu Manchu
| series = 
| image = Boris Karloff in The Mask of Fu Manchu.jpg
| caption = [[Boris Karloff]] as Fu Manchu in the 1932 film ''[[The Mask of Fu Manchu]]''
| first = "The Zayat Kiss" (1912)<ref name="history">{{cite book |author1=Romer, Sax |author2=S. Klinger, Leslie |author2link=Leslie S. Klinger |title=The Hand of Fu-Manchu |year=2012 |publisher=[[Titan Books]] |isbn=978-0-85768-605-3 |chapter=Appreciating Doctor Fu-Manchu |page=265}}</ref>
| last = ''Emperor Fu Manchu'' (1959)
| creator = [[Sax Rohmer]]
| voice = {{unbulleted list
  |[[Arthur Hughes (American actor)|Arthur Hughes]]
  |John C. Daly
  |[[Harold Huber]]
  |[[Frank Cochrane]]
 }}
| portrayer = {{unbulleted list
  |[[Harry Agar Lyons]]
  |[[Warner Oland]]
  |[[Boris Karloff]]
  |Lou Marcelle
  |[[Henry Brandon (actor)|Henry Brandon]]
  |[[John Carradine]]
  |[[Glen Gordon]]
  |[[Christopher Lee]]
  |[[Peter Sellers]]
  |[[Nicolas Cage]]
 }}
| gender = Male
| title = [[Doctor (title)|Doctor]]
| occupation = [[Mad scientist]], [[supervillain]], [[Assassination|assassin]], [[crime boss]]
| affiliation = Si-Fan
| nationality = Chinese [[Manchu people|Manchu]]
| family = [[Fah Lo Suee]] (daughter)
}}
'''Dr. Fu Manchu''' ({{lang-zh|t=傅滿洲/福滿洲|p=Fú Mǎnzhōu}}) is a <!--Do not add "fictional" as it is tautological; supervillains (and characters in general) are by definition implied to be fictionalized to some extent.-->[[supervillain]] who was introduced in a series of novels by the English author [[Sax Rohmer]] beginning shortly before [[World War I]] and continuing for another forty years. The character featured in cinema, television, radio, comic strips and comic books for over 100 years, and he has also become an [[archetype]] of the evil criminal genius and [[mad scientist]], while lending his name to the [[Fu Manchu moustache]].

== Background and publication ==
According to his own account, Sax Rohmer decided to start the Dr. Fu Manchu series after his [[Ouija]] board spelled out [[Chinaman|C-H-I-N-A-M-A-N]] when he asked what would make his fortune.<ref name="Barker" /> Clive Bloom argues that the portrait of Fu Manchu was based on the popular music hall magician [[Chung Ling Soo]], "a white man in costume who had shaved off his Victorian moustache and donned a Mandarin costume and pigtail".<ref>{{cite book|last=Bloom|first=Clive |title="West is East" in Cult Fiction: Popular Reading and Pulp Theory |publisher=St. Martin's Press|year=1996 |pages=44 |isbn=9780571254033}}</ref> As for Rohmer's theories concerning "Eastern devilry" and "the unemotional cruelty of the Chinese",<ref>''[[The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu]]'', ch. 7, 10</ref> he seeks to give them intellectual credentials by referring to the travel writing of [[Bayard Taylor]].<ref>''[[The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu]]'', ch. 19</ref> Taylor was a would-be ethnographer who, though unversed in Chinese language and culture, used the pseudo-science of [[physiognomy]] to find in the Chinese race "deeps on deeps of depravity so shocking and horrible, that their character cannot even be hinted".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.gutenberg-e.org/haj01/frames/fhaj09.html |title= The Romance of China: Excursions to China in U.S. Culture, 1776-1876|last= Haddad|first= John Rogers |date= 2008|via= Project Gutenberg|publisher= Columbia University Press|access-date= 30 July 2021}}</ref> Rohmer's protagonists treat him as an authority.

Fu Manchu first appeared in Rohmer's short story "The Zayat Kiss" (1912).<ref name="history"/> It and nine further stories were later collected into the 1913 novel ''[[The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu]]''.<ref name="history"/> Two more series were collected into ''The Devil Doctor'' (1916) and ''The Si-Fan Mysteries'' (1917), before the character entered a 14-year absence.<ref name="history"/> Following 1931's ''The Daughter of Fu-Manchu'', Rohmer wrote nine more Fu Manchu novels before his death in 1959.<ref name="history"/> Four previously published stories were posthumously collected into ''The Wrath of Fu-Manchu'' (1973).<ref name="history"/> In total, Rohmer wrote 14 novels concerning the character.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rovin|first=Jeff|author-link=Jeff Rovin|title=The Encyclopedia of Supervillains|publisher=Facts on File|date=1987|location=New York|isbn= 0-8160-1356-X|pages=93–94}}</ref> The image of "Orientals" invading Western nations became the foundation of Rohmer's commercial success, being able to sell 20 million copies in his lifetime.<ref name="Seshagiri 2006 162–194">{{Cite journal|last=Seshagiri|first=Urmila|date=2006|title=Modernity's (Yellow) Perils: Dr. Fu-Manchu and English Race Paranoia|jstor=4489239|journal=Cultural Critique|volume=62|issue=62|pages=162–194|doi=10.1353/cul.2006.0010|s2cid=143720341 }}</ref>

== Characters ==
=== Dr. Fu Manchu ===
{{quote box|width=30%|align=right|quote=Imagine a person, tall, lean and feline, high-shouldered, with a brow like [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] and a face like [[Satan]],&nbsp;...Invest him with all the cruel cunning of an entire Eastern race, accumulated in one giant intellect, with all the resources of science past and present&nbsp;...Imagine that awful being, and you have a mental picture of Dr. Fu-Manchu, the [[Yellow Peril]] incarnate in one man.|source=—''The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu''}}
[[Supervillain]] Dr. Fu Manchu's murderous plots are marked by the extensive use of arcane methods; he disdains guns or explosives, preferring [[Dacoity|dacoits]] (armed robbers in India), [[Thuggee|Thugs]] (professional robbers and murderers in India) and members of other secret societies as his agents (usually armed with knives) or using "[[Pythonidae|pythons]] and [[cobra]]s&nbsp;... [[Fungus|fungi]] and my tiny allies, the [[Bacillus|bacilli]]&nbsp;... my black spiders" and other peculiar animals or natural chemical weapons. He has a great respect for the truth (in fact, his word is his bond), and uses torture and other gruesome tactics to dispose of his enemies.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Young|first=Ian|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1228548/racist-curse-fu-manchu-back-spotlight-after-chevrolet-ad|title=The racist curse of Fu Manchu back in spotlight after Chevrolet ad|work=South China Morning Post|date=3 May 2013|access-date=2018-03-15}}</ref>

Dr. Fu Manchu is described as a mysterious villain because he seldom appears on the scene. He always sends his minions to commit crimes for him. In the novel ''The Insidious Dr Fu-Manchu'', he sends a beautiful young girl to the crime scene to see that the victim is dead. He also sends a dacoit to attack Sir [[Denis Nayland Smith]] and Dr Petrie.

In the novel ''Fu Manchu's Bride'' (1933), Dr. Fu Manchu claims to hold doctorates from four Western universities, while in ''Emperor Fu Manchu'' (1959), he states that he attended [[Heidelberg University]], the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]] and the [[University of Edinburgh]]. (In the film ''The Mask of Fu Manchu'', however, he states proudly that "I am a doctor of philosophy from Edinburgh, a doctor of law from [[Christ's College, Cambridge|Christ's College]], a doctor of medicine from [[Harvard University|Harvard]]. My friends, out of courtesy, call me 'Doctor{{'"}}.) At the time of their first encounter (1911) Dr. Petrie believed that Dr Fu Manchu was more than 70 years old. That would mean that he studied for his first doctorate in the 1860s or 1870s.

According to [[Cay Van Ash]], Rohmer's biographer and former assistant who became the first author to continue the series after Rohmer's death, "Fu Manchu" was a title of honor, which referred to "the warlike [[Manchu people|Manchu]]".{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} Van Ash speculates that Dr. Fu Manchu was a member of the [[Emperor of China|imperial family of China]] who backed the losing side in the [[Boxer Rebellion]].{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} In the early books (1913–1917), Dr. Fu Manchu is an agent of a Chinese [[Tong (organization)|tong]], known as the ''Si-Fan'', and acts as the mastermind behind a wave of [[assassination]]s targeting Westerners living in China. In the later books (1931–1959), he has gained control of the ''Si-Fan'', which has been changed from a mere Chinese tong into an international criminal organization under his leadership. In addition to attempting to take over the world and restore China to its former glory (Dr. Fu Manchu's main goals right from the beginning), the ''Si-Fan'' now also tries to eliminate [[Fascism|fascist]] dictators and halt the spread of [[communism]] around the globe, for its leader's own selfish reasons. Dr. Fu Manchu knows that both fascism and communism present major obstacles to his plans for [[world domination]]. The ''Si-Fan'' is largely funded through criminal activities, particularly the [[Illegal drug trade|drug trade]] and [[human trafficking]]. Dr. Fu Manchu has extended his already considerable lifespan by use of the [[elixir of life]], a formula that he has spent decades trying to perfect.

=== Sir Denis Nayland Smith and Dr Petrie ===
[[File:Denis Nayland Smith in The Mask Of Dr Fu Manchu.png|thumb|Denis Nayland Smith in The Mask Of Dr Fu Manchu (1951), art by [[Wally Wood]].]]

Opposing Dr Fu Manchu in the stories are Sir [[Denis Nayland Smith]] and, in the first three books, Dr Petrie. Petrie narrates the first three novels. (The later novels are narrated by various other characters allied with Smith right up to the end of the series.) Smith carries on the fight, combating Dr Fu Manchu more by sheer luck and dogged determination than intellectual brilliance except ''in extremis''. Smith and Dr Fu Manchu share a grudging respect for one another, as each believes that a man must keep his word, even to an enemy.

In the first three books, Smith serves in the [[Indian Imperial Police]] as a police commissioner in [[British rule in Burma|Burma]] who has been granted a [[roving commission]], allowing him to exercise authority over any group who can help him in his mission. When Rohmer revived the series in 1931, Smith, who has been [[knight]]ed for his efforts to defeat Fu Manchu, is an ex-Assistant Commissioner of [[Scotland Yard]]. He later accepts a position with [[Secret Intelligence Service|MI6]]. Several books have him placed on special assignment with the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]].

=== Kâramanèh ===
{{quote box|width=30%|align=right|quote=Many there are, I doubt not, who will regard the Eastern girl with horror. I ask their forgiveness in that I regarded her quite differently. No man having seen her could have condemned her unheard. Many, having looked into her lovely eyes, had they found there what I found, must have forgiven her almost any crime.|source=—''The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu''}}

Prominent among Dr Fu Manchu's agents is the "seductively lovely" Kâramanèh. Her real name is unknown. She was sold to the ''Si-Fan'' by [[Egyptians|Egyptian]] [[Slavery in Africa|slave traders]] while she was still a child. Kâramanèh falls in love with Dr Petrie, the narrator of the first three books in the series, and rescues Petrie and Nayland Smith many times. Eventually the couple are united and she wins her freedom. They marry and have a daughter, Fleurette, who figures in two later novels, ''Fu Manchu's Bride'' (1933) and its sequel, ''The Trail of Fu Manchu'' (1934). [[Lin Carter]] later created a son for Dr Petrie and Kâramanèh.

=== Fah Lo Suee ===
[[File:The_Mask_of_Fu_Manchu_by_Sax_Rohmer_-_Illustration_by_Ron_Lesser_-_Pyramid_Books_F-740_1962.jpg|thumb|upright|Fah Lo Suee on the cover of ''The Mask of Fu Manchu'' by Sax Rohmer. Illustration by Ronnie Lesser, 1962.]]

Dr Fu Manchu's daughter, [[Fah Lo Suee]], is a devious mastermind in her own right, frequently plotting to usurp her father's position in the ''Si-Fan'' and aiding his enemies both within and outside the organization. Her real name is unknown; Fah Lo Suee was a childhood term of endearment. She is introduced anonymously while still a teenager in the third book in the series and plays a larger role in several of the titles of the 1930s and 1940s. She is known for a time as Koreani after being brainwashed by her father, but her memory is later restored. Like her father, she takes on false identities, among them Madame Ingomar, Queen Mamaloi and Mrs van Roorden. In films she has been portrayed by numerous actresses over the years. Her character is usually renamed in film adaptations because of difficulties with the pronunciation of her name. [[Anna May Wong]] played Ling Moy in ''[[Daughter of the Dragon]]'' (1931). [[Myrna Loy]] portrayed the character (as Fah Lo See) in ''[[The Mask of Fu Manchu]]'' (1932). Gloria Franklin had the role of Fah Lo Suee in ''[[Drums of Fu Manchu]]'' (1940). [[Laurette Luez]] played Karamaneh in ''[[The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu]]'' (1956), but the character owed more to Fah Lo Suee than to Rohmer's depiction of Kâramanèh. [[Tsai Chin (actress)|Tsai Chin]] portrayed Dr Fu Manchu's daughter Lin Tang in the five [[Christopher Lee]] films of the 1960s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Face of Fu Manchu |url=https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/face_of_fu_manchu_the |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=[[The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2021-09-25 |title=Why Shang-Chi's Sister Had to Change for the Marvel Cinematic Universe |url=https://www.cbr.com/shang-chi-sister-re-named-marvel-cinematic-universe-fu-manchu/ |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Books ==
=== Sax Rohmer ===
* ''[[The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu]]'' (1913) (U.S. title: ''The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu'')
* ''The Devil Doctor'' (1916) (U.S. title: ''The Return of Dr Fu-Manchu'')
* ''The Si-Fan Mysteries'' (1917) (U.S. title: ''The Hand of Fu-Manchu'')
* ''Daughter of Fu Manchu'' (1931)
* ''The Mask of Fu Manchu'' (1932)
* ''The Bride of Fu Manchu'' (1933) (U.S. title: ''Fu Manchu's Bride'')
* ''The Trail of Fu Manchu'' (1934)
* ''President Fu Manchu'' (1936)
* ''The Drums of Fu Manchu'' (1939)
* ''The Island of Fu Manchu'' (1941)
* ''Shadow of Fu Manchu'' (1948)
* ''Re-Enter Dr. Fu Manchu'' (1957) (U.S. title: ''Re-Enter Fu Manchu'')
* ''Emperor Fu Manchu'' (1959), Rohmer's last novel published before his death
* ''The Wrath of Fu Manchu'' (1973), a posthumous anthology containing the title novella, first published in 1952, and three later short stories: "The Eyes of Fu Manchu" (1957), "The Word of Fu Manchu" (1958), and "The Mind of Fu Manchu" (1959).

=== Cay Van Ash ===
* ''Ten Years Beyond Baker Street'' (1984), the first of two authorised [[continuation novel]]s by [[Cay Van Ash]], Sax Rohmer's former assistant and biographer; set in early 1914, it sees Dr Fu Manchu come into conflict with [[Sherlock Holmes]].
* ''The Fires of Fu Manchu'' (1987), the second authorized continuation novel by Cay Van Ash; it is set in 1917, and documents Smith and Petrie's encounter with Dr Fu Manchu during the [[World War I|First World War]], culminating in Smith's knighthood. 
* A third continuation novel, ''The Seal of Fu Manchu'', was underway when Van Ash died in 1994 and it is believed to be lost.

=== Other authors ===
* ''The Terror of Fu Manchu'' (2009), the first of three authorised continuation novels by William Patrick Maynard; it expands on the continuity established in Van Ash's books and sees Dr Petrie teaming with both Nayland Smith and a Rohmer character from outside the series, Gaston Max, in an adventure set on the eve of the First World War
* ''The Destiny of Fu Manchu'' (2012), the second authorised continuation novel by William Patrick Maynard, set between Rohmer's ''The Drums of Fu Manchu'' and ''The Island of Fu Manchu'' on the eve of the [[World War II|Second World War]]; it follows the continuity established in Maynard's first novel
* ''The Triumph of Fu Manchu'' (announced), the third authorised continuation novel by William Patrick Maynard, set between Rohmer's ''The Trail of Fu Manchu'' and ''President Fu Manchu''
* ''The League of Dragons'' by [[George Alec Effinger]], an unpublished and unauthorised novel, narrated by Conan Doyle's character [[Reginald Musgrave]], involving a young Sherlock Holmes matching wits with Dr Fu Manchu in the 19th century, of which two chapters have been published in the anthologies ''Sherlock Holmes in Orbit'' (1995) and ''My Sherlock Holmes'' (2003)

Dr Fu Manchu also makes appearances in the following non-Fu Manchu/Rohmer works:
* "Sex Slaves of the Dragon Tong" and "Part of the Game", a pair of related short stories by [[F. Paul Wilson]] in his collection ''Aftershocks and Others: 19 Oddities'' (2009), featuring anonymous appearances by Fu Manchu and characters from ''[[Little Orphan Annie]]''
* Several stories in [[August Derleth]]'s detective series [[Solar Pons]], in which he appears as "the Doctor"; Derleth's successor, [[Basil Copper]], also made use of the character.
* [[Kurt Vonnegut]]'s ''[[Slapstick (novel)|Slapstick]]'' (1976), in which he is the Chinese ambassador
* ''[[The Destroyer (novel series)|The Destroyer]]'' #83, ''Skull Duggery'' (1976), in which It is revealed that Chiun, the Master of [[Sinanju (martial art)|Sinanju]] has worked for the Devil Doctor, as have previous generations of Masters.
* [[Kim Newman]]'s ''[[Anno Dracula]]'' (1992), in which he appears as the leader of the Si Fan and chief crime lord of London, referred to as "The Lord of Strange Deaths".
* [[Ben Aaronovitch]]'s series ''[[Rivers of London (novel)|Rivers of London]]'', in which Fu Manchu is a charlatan and con man rather than a supervillain, a [[Canadians|Canadian]] married to a Chinese wife and only pretending to be Chinese himself; the grand criminal schemes attributed to him are mere myths concocted either by himself or by the sensationalist press and publicity-seeking police officers, the latter partly motivated by anti-Chinese prejudice.

== Actors ==
Actors who have played Dr Fu Manchu:
* [[Harry Agar Lyons]] in ''The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu'' (1923) and ''The Further Mysteries of Dr Fu-Manchu'' (1924)
* [[Warner Oland]] in ''[[The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu]]'' (1929), ''[[The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu]]'' (1930), ''[[Paramount on Parade]]'' (1930), and ''[[Daughter of the Dragon]]'' (1931)
* [[Boris Karloff]] in ''[[The Mask of Fu Manchu]]'' (1932)
* Lou Marcelle in ''[[The Shadow of Fu Manchu]]'' (1939–1940)
* [[Henry Brandon (actor)|Henry Brandon]] in ''[[Drums of Fu Manchu]]'' (1940)
* [[John Carradine]] in ''Fu Manchu: The Zayat Kiss'' (1952)
* [[Glen Gordon]] in ''[[The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu]]'' (1956)
* [[Christopher Lee]] in ''[[The Face of Fu Manchu]]'' (1965), ''[[The Brides of Fu Manchu]]'' (1966), ''[[The Vengeance of Fu Manchu]]'' (1967), ''[[The Blood of Fu Manchu]]'' (1968), and ''[[The Castle of Fu Manchu]]'' (1969)
* [[Peter Sellers]] in ''[[The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu]]'' (1980)
* [[Nicolas Cage]] in ''[[Grindhouse (film)|Grindhouse]]'' (2007)

Actors who have played Dr Petrie:
* H. Humberston Wright in ''The Mystery of Dr Fu-Manchu'' (1923) and ''The Further Mysteries of Dr Fu-Manchu'' (1924)
* [[Neil Hamilton (actor)|Neil Hamilton]] in ''The Mysterious Dr Fu Manchu'' (1929) and ''The Return of Dr Fu Manchu'' (1930)
* [[Holmes Herbert]] in ''Daughter of the Dragon'' (1931)
* [[Gale Gordon]] in ''The Shadow of Fu Manchu'' (1939–1940)
* [[Olaf Hytten]] in ''Drums of Fu Manchu'' (1940)
* [[John Newland]] in ''Fu Manchu: The Zayat Kiss'' (1952)
* [[Clark Howat]] in ''The Adventures of Dr Fu Manchu'' (1956)
* [[Howard Marion-Crawford]] in ''The Face of Fu Manchu'' (1965), ''The Brides of Fu Manchu'' (1966), ''The Vengeance of Fu Manchu'' (1967), ''The Blood of Fu Manchu'' (1968) and ''The Castle of Fu Manchu'' (1969)

Actors who have played Sir Denis Nayland Smith
{{main|Denis Nayland Smith#Films}}

== Cultural impact ==
The style of facial hair associated with Fu Manchu in film adaptations has become known as the [[Fu Manchu moustache]]. The "Fu Manchu" moustache is defined in the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' as a "long, narrow moustache whose ends taper and droop down to the chin",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/fu_manchu |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301104132/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/fu_manchu |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 March 2018 |title=Fu Manchu |work=Lexico |publisher=Oxford Dictionaries and Dictionary.com |access-date=2018-03-01}}</ref> although Rohmer's writings described the character as wearing no such adornment.

Before the creation of Fu Manchu, Chinese people were often portrayed in [[Western culture|Western media]] as victims. Fu Manchu indicated a new phase in which Chinese people were portrayed as perpetrators of crime and threats to Western society as a whole.<ref name="Frayling">{{cite book |last=Frayling |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Frayling |year=2014 |title=[[The Yellow Peril: Dr Fu Manchu & The Rise of Chinaphobia]] |place=New York |publisher=Thames & Hudson |isbn=978-0-500-25207-9}}</ref>{{page needed|date=September 2020}} Rohmer's villain is presented as the kingpin of a plot by the "yellow races" threatening the existence of "the entire white race", and his narrator opines, "No white man, I honestly believe, appreciates the unemotional cruelty of the Chinese."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/173/173-h/173-h.htm |title=The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu |via=Project Gutenberg}}, ch. 13, 16</ref>

The character of Dr. Fu Manchu became, for many, a [[Stereotypes of East Asians in the United States|stereotype]] embodying the "[[Yellow Peril]]".<ref name="Seshagiri 2006 162–194"/> For others, Fu Manchu became the most notorious personification of Western views of the Chinese,<ref name="Frayling"/>{{page needed|date=September 2020}} and became the model for other villains in contemporary "Yellow Peril" thrillers:<ref>{{cite book |last1=Marchetti |first1=Gina |editor-last1=Pomerance |editor-first1=Murray |title=Bad: Infamy, Darkness, Evil, and Slime on Screen |date=1 February 2012 |chapter=12. From Fu Manchu to M. Butterfly and Irma Vep: Cinematic Incarnations of Chinese Villainy |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-7914-8581-1 |language=en}}</ref>{{rp|188}} these villains often had characteristics consistent with [[Xenophobia|xenophobic]] and [[Racism|racist]] stereotypes which coincided with a significant increase in [[Chinese emigration]] to [[Western world|Western countries]].{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

After the [[World War II|Second World War]], the stereotype inspired by Fu Manchu increasingly became a subject of [[satire]]. Fred Fu Manchu, a "famous Chinese bamboo saxophonist", was a recurring character on ''[[The Goon Show]]'', a 1950s British radio comedy programme. He was featured in the episode "The Terrible Revenge of Fred Fu Manchu" in 1955 (announced as "Fred Fu Manchu and his Bamboo Saxophone"), and made minor appearances in other episodes (including "China Story", "The Siege of Fort Night", and in "The Lost Emperor" as "Doctor Fred Fu Manchu, Oriental tattooist"). The character was created and performed by the comedian [[Spike Milligan]], who used it to mock the racist attitudes which had led to the creation of the character.<ref>{{cite web|last=Laughlin|first=Will |url=http://www.braineater.com/fu.html |title=Blood of Fu Manchu |work=Braineater |access-date=2020-09-27}}</ref> The character was also parodied in a later radio comedy, ''[[Round the Horne]]'', as Dr Chu En Ginsberg MA (failed), portrayed by [[Kenneth Williams]].

Dr. Fu Manchu was parodied as the fiendish Dr. Wu in the action-comedy film ''[[Black Dynamite]]'' (2009), in which the executor of an evil plan against [[African Americans]] is an insidious, moustache-sporting [[kung fu]] master.<ref>{{cite AV media|last=James St. Clair|title=Fiendish Dr. Wu|date=2011-04-24|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuFL8Le1Pqk| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/BuFL8Le1Pqk| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|access-date=2018-02-09}}{{cbignore}}</ref>{{better source needed|reason=This video could be removed at any moment because YouTube user 'James St. Clair' isn't the copyright holder of ''Black Dynamite'' (2009). |date=September 2020}}

Science historian Fred Cooper and colleagues draws a parallel between [[COVID-19 lab leak theory|narratives that COVID-19 was created by China]], and the machinations of Fu Manchu, who is "expert in the deadly application of animal and biological agents" and who has been depicted on US television shows as threatening the West with lethal diseases.<ref name=fu>{{cite book |vauthors= Cooper F, Dolezal L, Rose A |title=COVID-19 and Shame{{snd}}Political Emotions and Public Health in the UK |publisher=Bloomsbury |chapter=Chapter 3: Coughing while Asian: Shame and Racialized Bodies |date=31 March 2024 |isbn= 9781350283404 |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK592730/}}</ref>

== In other media ==
=== Film ===
Dr Fu Manchu first appeared on the big screen in the British silent film series ''The Mystery of Dr Fu Manchu'' (1923) starring [[Harry Agar Lyons]], a series of 15 short feature films, each running around 20 minutes. Lyons returned to the role in ''The Further Mysteries of Dr Fu Manchu'' (1924), which comprised eight additional short feature films.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/503748/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Mystery of Dr Fu Manchu, The (1923)|work=screenonline.org.uk|access-date=2020-09-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Workman |first1=Christopher |last2=Howarth |first2=Troy |year=2016 |title=Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era |publisher=Midnight Marquee Press |page=268 |isbn=978-1936168-68-2}}.</ref>

Dr Fu Manchu made his American film debut in [[Paramount Pictures]]' early talkie ''[[The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu]]'' (1929) starring [[Warner Oland]], soon to be known for his portrayal of [[Charlie Chan]]. Oland repeated the role in ''[[The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu]]'' (1930) and ''[[Daughter of the Dragon]]'' (1931) as well as in the short film ''Murder Will Out'' (part of the omnibus film ''[[Paramount on Parade]]'') in which Dr. Fu Manchu confronts both [[Philo Vance]] and [[Sherlock Holmes]].<ref name="Hanke">{{Cite book|last=Hanke|first=Ken|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dnq4DgAAQBAJ&q=Dr.+Fu+Manchu+made+his+American+film+debut+in+Paramount%27s+early+talkie%2C+The+Mysterious+Dr.+Fu+Manchu+%281929%29+starring+Warner+Oland%2C+soon+to+be+known+fo&pg=PT15|title=Charlie Chan at the Movies: History, Filmography, and Criticism|date=2011-01-14|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-8661-8}}</ref>

The most controversial incarnation of the character was [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]]'s ''[[The Mask of Fu Manchu]]'' (1932) starring [[Boris Karloff]] and [[Myrna Loy]]. At the time of its first release the film was considered racist and offensive by representatives of the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)#Government|Chinese government]]. The film was suppressed for many years, but has been released on [[DVD]] uncut.<ref name="Hanke"/>

Dr Fu Manchu returned to the serial format in [[Republic Pictures]]' ''[[Drums of Fu Manchu]]'' (1940), a 15-episode serial considered to be one of the best the studio ever made. It was later edited and released as a feature film in 1943.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mathis|first=Jack|title=Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement|publisher=Jack Mathis Advertising|year=1995|isbn=0-9632878-1-8|pages=3, 10, 44–45}}</ref>

Other than an obscure, unauthorized Spanish spoof ''El Otro Fu Manchu'' (1946), the Devil Doctor was absent from the big screen for 25 years, until producer [[Harry Alan Towers]] began a series starring [[Christopher Lee]] in 1965. Towers and Lee made five Fu Manchu films: ''[[The Face of Fu Manchu]]'' (1965), ''[[The Brides of Fu Manchu]]'' (1966), ''[[The Vengeance of Fu Manchu]]'' (1967), ''[[The Blood of Fu Manchu]]'' (1968), and ''[[The Castle of Fu Manchu]]'' (1969).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/503646/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Face of Fu Manchu, The (1965)|work=screenonline.org.uk|access-date=2020-09-27}}</ref>

The character's last authorised film appearance was in the [[Peter Sellers]] spoof ''[[The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu]]'' (1980), with Sellers featured as both Dr Fu Manchu and Nayland Smith. The film bore little resemblance to any earlier film or the original books. Fu Manchu claims he was known as "Fred" at public school, a reference to the character in "The Terrible Revenge of Fred Fu Manchu", a 1955 episode of ''[[The Goon Show]]'' which had co-starred Sellers.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Roger |author-link=Roger Lewis (biographer) |title=The Life and Death of Peter Sellers |publisher=Random House |year=1995 |page=210}}</ref>

[[Jesús Franco]], who directed ''[[The Blood of Fu Manchu]]'' and ''[[The Castle of Fu Manchu]]'', also directed ''[[The Girl from Rio (1969 film)|The Girl from Rio]]'', the second of three [[Harry Alan Towers]] films based on Rohmer's Fu Manchu-like female character [[Sumuru]]. He later directed an unauthorized 1986 Spanish film featuring Dr Fu Manchu's daughter, ''Esclavas del Crimen''.<ref name="Hanke"/>

In the film ''[[Grindhouse (film)|Grindhouse]]'' (2007), [[Nicolas Cage]] makes an uncredited comedic cameo appearance as Dr Fu Manchu during the "trailer" for the fake film ''Werewolf Women of the SS'', directed by [[Rob Zombie]].

A [[composite character]] of [[Zheng Zu|Fu Manchu]] and [[Mandarin (character)|the Mandarin]], named [[Xu Wenwu]], appears in [[Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Four]] film ''[[Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings]]'', portrayed by [[Tony Leung Chiu-wai]]. The character was previously referenced in the ''Iron Man'' trilogy and ''[[All Hail the King]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Outlaw |first1=Kofi |title=Shang-Chi Casting May Confirm Major Mandarin Origin Retcon in MCU |url=https://comicbook.com/marvel/2019/07/25/shang-chi-movie-origin-mandarin-father-son/ |website=comicbook.com |date=25 July 2019 |access-date=6 August 2019}}</ref> [[Xialing]], Wenwu's daughter and [[Shang-Chi (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Shang-Chi]]'s sister, was partially inspired by Fah Lo Suee.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Poisuo|first=Pauli|date=2021-08-26|title=The Untold Truth of Marvel's Xialing|url=https://www.looper.com/586522/the-untold-truth-of-marvels-xialing/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=Looper.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=S|first1=Ian|last2=well|date=2021-09-05|title=Shang-Chi's best Easter eggs and MCU references|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a37442135/shang-chi-easter-eggs-mcu-references/|access-date=2021-09-11|website=Digital Spy|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

=== Television ===
A half-hour pilot was produced in 1952 for [[NBC]]'s consideration starring [[Cedric Hardwicke]] as Sir [[Denis Nayland Smith]], [[John Carradine]] as Dr. Fu Manchu, and [[Reed Hadley]] as Dr. John Petrie. NBC turned it down without broadcasting it, but it has been screened at special events.

The television arm of [[Republic Pictures]] produced a 13-episode syndicated series, ''[[The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu]]'' (1956), starring [[Glen Gordon]] as Dr. Fu Manchu, [[Lester Matthews]] as Sir Denis Nayland Smith, and [[Clark Howat]] as Dr. John Petrie. The title sequence depicted Smith and Dr. Fu Manchu in a game of chess as the announcer stated that "the devil is said to play for men's souls. So does Dr. Fu Manchu, evil incarnate." At the conclusion of each episode, after Nayland Smith and Petrie had foiled Dr. Fu Manchu's latest fiendish scheme, Dr. Fu Manchu would be seen breaking a black chess piece in a fit of frustration (black king's bishop, always the same scene, repeated) just before the closing credits rolled. It was directed by [[Franklin Adreon]], as well as [[William Witney]]. Dr. Fu Manchu was never allowed to succeed in this TV series. Unlike the Holmes/Watson type relationship of the films, the series featured Smith as a law enforcement officer and Petrie as a staff member for the [[Surgeon-General (United Kingdom)|Surgeon-General]].<ref name="Hanke"/> Though Republic had planned to film 78 episodes for the series, a dispute with Sax Rohmer ended the series after only 13 episodes were produced.

=== Music ===
* American [[stoner rock]] band [[Fu Manchu (band)|Fu Manchu]] was formed in [[Southern California]] in 1985.
* [[Desmond Dekker]] had a 1969 [[reggae]] song titled "Fu Man Chu".
* The [[Sparks (band)|Sparks]] song "Moustache" from the 1982 album ''[[Angst in My Pants]]'' includes a lyric "My Fu Manchu was real fine".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://genius.com/8830275 |title=Sparks – Moustache Lyrics |work=Genius |access-date=2020-09-27}}</ref>
* [[The Rockin' Ramrods]] had a 1965 song based on the film ''The Face of Fu Manchu'', "Don't Fool with Fu Manchu".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ISkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20 |title=Ganim and Slay Get into Swing |magazine=Billboard |volume=77 |number=40 |date=2 October 1965 |page=20 |access-date=2020-09-27}}</ref>
* [[Quebec]] [[Rock music|rock]] singer [[Robert Charlebois]] included an epic three-part song titled "Fu Man Chu" on his 1972 album ''Charlebois''.
* Russian [[hardbass]] artist XS Project has a 2016 song named "Fu Manchu".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://genius.com/Xs-project-fu-manchu-lyrics |title=XS Project – Fu Manchu Lyrics |work=Genius |access-date=2020-09-27}}</ref>
* American [[country music]] singer [[Tim McGraw]] published a song called "[[Live Like You Were Dying]]". The song references Dr. Fu Manchu in the lyric "I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tim McGraw - Live Like You Were Dying Lyrics {{!}} Lyrics.com |url=https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/8685327/Live+Like+You+Were+Dying |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=www.lyrics.com}}</ref>
* American country music singer [[Travis Tritt]] published a song called "[[It's a Great Day to Be Alive]]". Dr. Fu Manchu's iconic moustache is referenced in the lyric "Might even grow me a Fu Manchu".<ref>{{cite web|title=Travis Tritt – It's A Great Day To Be Alive Lyrics |url=https://genius.com/Travis-tritt-its-a-great-day-to-be-alive-lyrics |work=Genius |access-date=2018-03-16}}</ref>
* Japanese electronic music band [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]] published a song called "La Femme Chinoise", in which they reference the supervillain: "Fu Manchu and Susie Que and the girls of the floating world".<ref>{{Citation |title=YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA (Ft. Tomoko Nunoi) – 中国女 (LA FEMME CHINOISE) |url=https://genius.com/Yellow-magic-orchestra-la-femme-chinoise-lyrics |access-date=2022-12-20}}</ref>
* American rock musician [[Black Francis]] released a song entitled "Fu Manchu" on his 1993 solo album ''[[Frank Black (album)|Frank Black]]'', which references both the style of moustache as well as the character after which it was named.
* British band [[The Kinks]] song 'The Village Green Preservation Society', released in 1968, includes a reference to Fu Manchu in the lyric "Help save Fu Manchu, Moriarty and Dracula".<ref>{{cite web|title=The Kinks – The Village Green Preservation Society Lyrics |url=https://genius.com/The-kinks-the-village-green-preservation-society-lyrics |work=Genius |access-date=2024-01-11}}</ref>

=== Radio ===
Dr. Fu Manchu's earliest radio appearances were on ''[[The Collier Hour]]'' 1927–1931 on the [[Blue Network]]. This was a radio program designed to promote ''[[Collier's]]'' magazine and presented weekly dramatizations of the current issue's stories and serials. Dr. Fu Manchu was voiced by [[Arthur Hughes (American actor)|Arthur Hughes]]. A self-titled show on [[CBS]] followed in 1932–33. John C. Daly, and later [[Harold Huber]], played Dr. Fu Manchu.<ref>{{cite book|last=Richards|first=Jeffrey |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lmKJDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA34 |chapter=The Devil Doctors: Cinematic Fu Manchu |title=China and the Chinese in Popular Film: From Fu Manchu to Charlie Chan |publisher=I.B. Tauris |year=2016 |page=34 |isbn=978-1-78453-720-3}}</ref>
In 2010, Fu Manchu's connections with the University of Edinburgh where he supposedly obtained a doctorate were investigated in a mockumentary by [[Miles Jupp]] for [[BBC Radio 4]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rt91z|title=Fu Manchu in Edinburgh|publisher=BBC Radio 4 Extra|access-date=2020-09-27}}</ref>
Additionally, there were [[Pirate radio|"pirate" broadcasts]] from [[Continental Europe|the continent]] into Britain, from [[Radio Luxembourg]] and Radio Lyons in 1936 through 1937. [[Frank Cochrane]] voiced Dr. Fu Manchu.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Grams|first=Martin Jr. |author-link=Martin Grams Jr.|url=http://www.otrr.org/FILES/Articles/Martin_Grams_Jr_Articles/In_The_Shadow_Of_Fu_Manchu.htm |title=In the Shadow of Fu Manchu|magazine=Scarlet Street |issue=39 |date=2000 |via=Old Time Radio Researchers Group|access-date=2020-09-27}}</ref> The BBC produced a competing radio play, ''The Peculiar Case at the Poppy Club'' written by Rohmer and broadcast in December 1938. In 1939, ''[[The Shadow of Fu Manchu]]'' aired in the United States as a thrice-weekly serial dramatizing the first nine novels.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cox |first=Jim |author-link=Jim Cox (historian) |title=Radio Crime Fighters |place=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=McFarland & Company |year=2002 |isbn=0-7864-1390-5 }}</ref>{{page needed|date=September 2020}}

=== Comic strips ===
Dr. Fu Manchu was first brought to newspaper comic strips in a black and white [[daily comic strip]] drawn by Leo O'Mealia (1884–1960) that ran from 1931 to 1933. The strips were adaptations of the first two Dr. Fu Manchu novels and part of the third.<ref name="RonGoulart">{{cite book | first=Ron | last=Goulart | author-link=Ron Goulart | title=The Funnies: 100 Years of American Comic Strips | location=Holbrook, Mass | publisher=Adams Publishing | year=1995 | isbn=978-1-55850-539-1 | pages=104, 106 }}</ref><ref name="comics">{{cite magazine|last=Maynard |first=William Patrick |url=https://www.blackgate.com/2010/07/23/fu-manchu-in-comics/ |title=Fu Manchu in Comics |magazine=Black Gate |date=23 July 2010|access-date=2019-09-10}}</ref> Unlike most other illustrators, O'Mealia drew Dr. Fu Manchu as a clean-shaven man with an abnormally large cranium. The strips were copyrighted by "Sax Rohmer and The [[Bell Syndicate]], Inc."<ref name="RonGoulart"/> Two of the Dr. Fu Manchu comic strip storylines were reprinted in the 1989 book ''Fu Manchu: Two Complete Adventures''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rohmer|first1=Sax|author-link=Sax Rohmer |last2=O'Mealia|first2=Leo |last3=Mason|first3=Tom |title=Fu Manchu: Two Complete Adventures |place=Newbury Park, CA |publisher=[[Malibu Graphics]] |year=1989 |isbn=0-944735-24-X}}</ref> In 1940, the [[Chicago Tribune]] published an adaptation of ''[[Drums of Fu Manchu]]'', at first it was a [[photo comics]], but later it was illustrated by a unicredit artist.

Between 1962 and 1973, the French newspaper ''[[Le Parisien Libéré]]'' published a comic strip by [[Juliette Benzoni]] (script) and Robert Bressy (art).<ref>{{cite web|last=Ratier |first=Gilles |url=http://bdzoom.com/69109/actualites/le-retour-de-fu-manchu-et-de-pressibus%E2%80%A6/ |title=Le retour de Fu-Manchu, et de Pressibus... ! |work=BDZoom.com |date=1 December 2013 |language=fr |access-date=2019-09-10}}</ref>

=== Comic books ===
[[File:Dr Fu Manchu I W Publishing.jpg|thumb|upright|[[I. W. Publications]]' ''Dr. Fu Manchu'' (1958), reprinting material from [[Avon Comics]], cover art by [[Carl Burgos]]]]
* Dr. Fu Manchu made his first comic book appearance in ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #17 and continued, as one feature among many in the anthology series, until #28. These were reprints of the earlier Leo O'Mealia strips. In 1943, the serial ''[[Drums of Fu Manchu]]'' was adapted by Spanish comic artist José Grau Hernández in 1943.<ref>{{cite book |last=Porcel Torrens |first=Pedro |title=La historia del tebeo valenciano |year=2002 |publisher=Edicions de Ponent |language=es |isbn=84-89929-38-6|pages=47–55, 69}}</ref> Original Dr. Fu Manchu stories in comics had to wait for [[Avon Comics|Avon]]'s one-shot ''The Mask of Dr. Fu Manchu'' in 1951 by [[Wally Wood]].<ref name="comics"/> Fleetway published an adaptation of ''The Island of Fu Manchu'' in 1956 through their "pocket library" title ''Super Detective Library'' #9.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-10-02 |title=Super Detective Library |url=https://britishcomics.wordpress.com/2016/10/02/super-detective-library/ |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=British Comics |language=en}}</ref>
* In the 1970s, [[Zheng Zu|Dr. Fu Manchu]] appeared as the father of the superhero [[Shang-Chi]] in the [[Marvel Comics]] series ''[[Master of Kung Fu (comics)|Master of Kung Fu]].''<ref name="comics"/> However, [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] cancelled the book in 1983 and issues over licensing the character and concepts from the novels (such as his daughter Fah Lo Suee and adversaries Sir Denis Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie) have hampered Marvel's ability to both collect the series in trade paperback format and reference Dr. Fu Manchu as Shang-Chi's father. As such, the character is either never mentioned by name, or by an alias (such as "Mr. Han").<ref>''Black Panther'' (vol. 4) #11</ref> In ''Secret Avengers'' #6–10, writer [[Ed Brubaker]] officially sidestepped the entire issue via a storyline where the [[Shadow Council]] resurrect a zombified version of Dr. Fu Manchu, only to discover that "Dr. Fu Manchu" was only an alias; that Shang-Chi's father was really Zheng Zu, an ancient Chinese sorcerer who discovered the secret to immortality.<ref>{{cite web|last=Richards |first=Dave |url=https://www.cbr.com/benson-unleashes-shang-chis-deadly-hands-of-kung-fu/ |title=Benson Unleashes Shang-Chi's "Deadly Hands of Kung Fu" |work=Comic Book Resources |date=4 April 2014 |access-date=2019-09-10}}</ref> Later, Fah Lo Suee was renamed [[Zheng Bao Yu]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shang-Chi Comics Explained: Where The Next MCU Movie Came From|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/shang-chi-comics-explained-where-the-next-mcu-movie-came-from/1100-6495745/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=GameSpot|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0"/><ref>{{Cite web|last=Young|first=Aaron|date=2021-05-06|title=These Are Shang-Chi's Biggest Foes|url=https://www.looper.com/402132/these-are-shang-chis-biggest-foes/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=Looper.com|language=en-US}}</ref>
* Dr. Fu Manchu appears as an antagonist in [[Alan Moore]]'s ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]''. Simply called "the Doctor", he is the first to steal the [[Cavorite]] that the League is sent to retrieve. He is apparently killed in the climactic battle with [[Professor Moriarty]].
* Fu Manchu makes a cameo appearance in an issue of the ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' web comics. In the comics, Fu Manchu is a spy and one of nine mercenaries hired at some point in the 1850s by twins Redmond and Blutarch Mann to fight in the "Gravel War", a conflict about the lands in New Mexico owned by the brothers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Team Fortress - Catch-Up Comic |url=https://www.teamfortress.com/catchup/#f=9 |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=www.teamfortress.com}}</ref> 

=== Role-playing games ===
Fu Manchu appears in the adventures [[Night Moves (adventure)|''Night Moves'']] and ''Night Live'' for the role-playing game ''[[Marvel Super Heroes (role-playing game)|Marvel Super Heroes]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fu Manchu |url=http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/fumanchu.htm |access-date=2022-01-03 |website=The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe}}</ref>

== Accusations of racism ==
[[File:Coalition of Asians to Nix Charlie Chan members picketing The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu.jpg|thumb|The Coalition of Asians to Nix Charlie Chan members picketing the film ''[[The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu]]'' (1980) at the [[Hollywood Pacific Theatre]]]]
The stories of Dr Fu Manchu, both in print and on screen, have sparked accusations of [[racism]] and [[orientalism]], from his fiendish design to his nonsensical [[Chinese name]].<ref name="Kinkley 832–833">{{Cite journal|last=Kinkley|first=Jeffrey C.|date=2016-12-01|title=Book review: ''The Yellow Peril: Dr. Fu Manchu and the Rise of Chinaphobia''. By Christopher Frayling. (New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2014. Pp. 360. $35.00.)|journal=[[The Historian (journal)|The Historian]]|volume=78|issue=4|pages=832–833|doi=10.1111/hisn.12410|s2cid=152029698}}</ref> After the release of [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]'s film adaptation of ''[[The Mask of Fu Manchu]]'' (1932), which featured the Chinese villain telling his followers that they must "kill the [[White people|white man]] and take his women", the [[Embassy of China in Washington, D.C.|Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC]], issued a formal complaint against the film.<ref>[[Christopher Frayling]], quoted in "Fu Manchu", in [[Kim Newman|Newman, Kim]] (ed.), ''The BFI Companion to Horror''. London: Cassell (1996), pp. 131–132. {{ISBN|0-304-33216-X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Shih |first=David |date=April 2009 |title=The Color of Fu-Manchu: Orientalist Method in the Novels of Sax Rohmer |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-5931.2009.00681.x |journal=The Journal of Popular Culture |language=en |volume=42 |issue=2 |pages=304–317 |doi=10.1111/j.1540-5931.2009.00681.x |issn=0022-3840}}</ref>

Following the release of [[Republic Pictures]]' serial adaptation of ''[[Drums of Fu Manchu]]'' (1940) the [[United States Department of State|U.S. State Department]] requested that the studio make no further films about the character, as [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|China]] was [[Allies of World War II|an ally]] against [[Empire of Japan|Japan]] during the Second World War.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-04-11 |title=Daredevils of the Red Circle and Other Cliffhangers: Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu and Republic's Drums of Fu Manchu (1940) |url=https://filmint.nu/daredevils-cliffhangers-republics/ |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=FilmInt.nu |language=en-US}}</ref> Likewise, Rohmer's publisher, [[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]], refused to publish additions to the best-selling series for the duration of the Second World War once the United States [[United States declaration of war on Japan|entered the conflict]].{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} [[BBC Radio]] and [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] investors subsequently rejected Rohmer's proposals for an original Fu Manchu [[Radio drama|radio serial]] and [[Theatrical production|stage show]] during the 1940s.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

The re-release of ''The Mask of Fu Manchu'' in 1972 was met with protests from the [[Japanese American Citizens League]], which stated that "the movie was offensive and demeaning to [[Asian Americans]]".<ref>{{cite book|last=Mank |first=Gregory William |title=Hollywood Cauldron: 13 Horror Films from the Genres's Golden Age |publisher=McFarland |year=2001 |pages=53–89 |isbn=0-7864-1112-0}}</ref> [[CBS]] Television decided to cancel a showing of ''[[The Vengeance of Fu Manchu]]''. [[Los Angeles]] TV station [[KTLA]] shared similar sentiments, but ultimately decided to run ''[[The Brides of Fu Manchu]]'' with the disclaimer: "This feature is presented as fictional entertainment and is not intended to reflect adversely on any race, creed or national origin."<ref>{{cite book|last=Richards|first=Jeffrey |author-link=Jeffrey Richards |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lmKJDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA47 |chapter=The Devil Doctors: Cinematic Fu Manchu |title=China and the Chinese in Popular Film: From Fu Manchu to Charlie Chan |publisher=I.B. Tauris |year=2016 |page=44 |isbn=978-1-78453-720-3}}</ref>

Rohmer responded to charges that his work demonized Asians in ''Master of Villainy'', a biography co-written by his widow:
{{blockquote|Of course, not the whole Chinese population of [[Limehouse]] was criminal. But it contained a large number of persons who had left their own country for the most urgent of reasons. These people knew no way of making a living other than the criminal activities that had made China too hot for them. They brought their crimes with them.}}
It was Rohmer's contention that he based Dr Fu Manchu and other "[[Yellow Peril]]" mysteries on real Chinese criminals he met as a newspaper reporter covering Limehouse.

In May 2013, [[General Motors]] cancelled an advertisement after complaints that a phrase it contained, "the land of Fu Manchu", which was intended to refer to China, was offensive.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1227375/exclusive-general-motors-pulls-racist-chevrolet-ad-over-ching-ching-chop |title=GM pulls 'racist' Chevrolet 'ching-ching, chop suey' ad |work=South China Morning Post |first=Ian |last=Young |date=1 May 2013 |access-date=30 June 2019}}</ref>

Characterizing Dr Fu Manchu as an overtly racist creation has been criticized in the book ''Lord of Strange Deaths: The Fiendish World of Sax Rohmer''.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last1=Barker |editor-first1=Phil |editor-last2=Clayton |editor-first2=Antony |year=2015 |title= Lord of Strange Deaths: The Fiendish World of Sax Rohmer |location=London |publisher=Strange Attractor Press |isbn=978-1-907222-25-2}}{{page needed|date=September 2020}}</ref> In a review of the book in ''[[The Independent]]'', Dr Fu Manchu is contextualised: "These magnificently absurd books, glowing with a crazed exoticism, are really far less polar, less black and white, less white and yellow, than they first seem."<ref name="Barker">{{cite news |last=Barker |first=Phil |date=20 October 2015 |title=Fu Manchu and China: Was the 'yellow peril incarnate' really appallingly racist? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/fu-manchu-and-china-was-the-yellow-peril-incarnate-really-appallingly-racist-a6701766.html |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=27 October 2015 }}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Stereotypes of East Asians in the United States]]
* [[Anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States]]
* [[Sinophobia]]
* [[Ming the Merciless]]
* [[David Bamberg]]
* [[Ra's al Ghul]]
* ''[[The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu]]''
{{clear}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{sister project links|display=''Fu Manchu''|d=Q1357701|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|q=no|wikt=no|s=no|species=no|c=Category:Fu Manchu}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170411062909/http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0026693/ Fu Manchu] on [[IMDb]]
* [http://philsp.com/SaxRohmer/FuManchu.htm ''The Page of Fu Manchu'']
* [http://fumanchu.seriesbooks.info/ Fu Manchu] at seriesbooks.info
* {{isfdb series|id=35604}}
* [https://comicvine.gamespot.com/fu-manchu/4005-14083/ Fu Manchu] at [[Comic Vine]]
* [http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=173 ''The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu''] by Sax Rohmer
* [http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=1183 ''The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu''] by Sax Rohmer
* [http://www.comics.org/search.lasso?type=character&query=Fu+Manchu&sort=alpha&Submit=Search A database and cover gallery of Fu Manchu comic book appearances]
* [http://TheaterOfTheEars.com/ Theater of the Ears: ''The Shadow of Fu Manchu'' Radio Dramas]
* [http://www.pjfarmer.com/woldnewton/Fumanchu.htm The Chronology of Fu Manchu]
* [http://www.pjfarmer.com/woldnewton/Shangchi.htm The Shang Chi Chronology]
* [http://www.pjfarmer.com/woldnewton/Articles7.htm#FUMANCHU The Dynasty of Fu Manchu:A Look at the Genealogies of the Heroes and Villains of the Fu Manchu Series]
* [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/f/fumanchu.htm Dr. Fu Manchu] International Heroes
* [http://www.coolfrenchcomics.com/fumanchu.htm Fu Manchu's French comic strips] on Cool French Comics
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110815072125/http://dspace.wul.waseda.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2065/10005/1/40050_3_2.pdf "Fu Manchu and the Yellow Peril" by Thomas J. Cogan]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rt91z Fu Manchu in Edinburgh] (BBC Radio 4 programme)

{{Fu Manchu}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manchu, Fu}}
[[Category:America's Best Comics characters]]
[[Category:Asian-American issues]]
[[Category:Characters in British novels of the 20th century]]
[[Category:Characters in British novels of the 21st century]]
[[Category:Characters in pulp fiction]]
[[Category:Fictional Chinese people in literature]]
[[Category:Fictional crime bosses]]
[[Category:Fictional cult leaders]]
[[Category:Chinese supervillains]]
[[Category:Fictional murderers]]
[[Category:Fictional physicians]]
[[Category:Fictional warlords]]
[[Category:Film serial characters]]
[[Category:Literary characters introduced in 1912]]
[[Category:Male characters in literature]]
[[Category:Male film villains]]
[[Category:Male literary villains]]
[[Category:Novels adapted into comics]]
[[Category:Science fiction film characters]]
[[Category:Stereotypes of East Asian people]]
[[Category:Race-related controversies in literature]]
[[Category:Race-related controversies in film]]
[[Category:Fu Manchu| ]]
[[Category:Film series introduced in 1923]]