The Face of Fu Manchu

The beheading of Dr. Fu Manchu is witnessed by Nayland Smith in China, suggesting the mastermind may still be alive. Smith is left to wonder whether the apparent death is a ruse or the work of a new plan. This opening moment establishes the antagonist's continued threat.

Back in London, Nayland Smith, now assistant commissioner in Scotland Yard, concludes that Fu Manchu remains active. He suspects a hypnotized actor may have taken the master's place, indicating a deeper conspiracy behind public appearances. The case expands from a dramatic defeat to a nationwide plot.

The plot centers on a poison distilled from Blackhill poppy seeds, supposedly capable of granting eternal life. A pint of this poison could kill everyone in London, underscoring the catastrophe Fu Manchu intends to unleash. The sheer scale of the threat heightens the urgency to act.

Nayland Smith deduces that Professor Muller's supply of seeds comes from illegal drug networks, linking the operation to Hanuman, a warehouse owner allied with Fu Manchu. The discovery tightens the network around the mastermind. It clarifies who is moving the critical seed stock.

Smith confronts Hanuman in his warehouse and, after a tense confrontation, knocks him out and escapes. The encounter exposes the clandestine workings behind the seed trade. Smith's escape preserves the investigation's momentum while the villain's web remains intact.

Lin Tang recognizes Nayland Smith and is ordered by Fu Manchu to kill him, revealing the personal betrayals woven into the plot. She informs Hanuman that Smith is meddling in their plans. The betrayal adds a dangerous personal dimension to the chase.

Hanuman and Lin Tang retreat to a secret base under the River Thames, where Lin Tang reports Smith's interference to her father. The hidden facility expands Fu Manchu's reach and deepens the conspiratorial underworld. The base acts as a new focal point for the antagonist's operations.

Professor Muller is kidnapped, and his daughter Maria is taken as leverage. Muller reveals that key documents from the Younghusband expedition are locked in a vault in the Museum of Oriental Studies, setting up a critical objective for the heroes. The vault holds the information needed to exploit the poison's secret.

Lin Tang infiltrates the Museum of Oriental Studies, planting a listening device, while her henchmen enter via the sewers. Nayland Smith and allies battle the intruders and discover that Professor Gaskel has emptied the vault, a twist Lin Tang overhears. The espionage advances the plot toward the next confrontation.

Lin Tang and her father escape to Gaskel's study as Fu Manchu hypnotizes Gaskel into obedience. The hypnotic control links key players to Fu Manchu's scheme and enables him to steer crucial information. This moment showcases the depth of his influence.

In Fu Manchu's underground lair, Professor Gaskel and Muller translate the Younghusband papers and reveal how to stabilise the poisonous essence at room temperature. The discovery gives Fu Manchu a practical pathway to weaponize the poison. Nayland Smith and allies race to intercept before it can be deployed.

Fu Manchu learns that the Essex village of Fleetwick is under freezing temperatures and broadcasts his return to the country. He orders a plane to spray the poison and kill thousands in Fleetwick, demonstrating his willingness to unleash genocide. The attack shows the global reach of his threat.

Nayland Smith and his associates locate Fu Manchu's hideout and plan to flood it by breaking in through a hidden entrance in Hanuman's warehouse. A fierce battle erupts as the complex floods and Fu Manchu and his minions escape toward the Tibetan monastery with Muller. The chase links London to the Himalayas in a single arc.

In a Tibetan monastery, Smith and Muller confront Fu Manchu, who already has the knowledge and seeds. Smith reveals a detonator hidden beneath the poppy seeds in one of Fu Manchu's boxes, and the monastery erupts in a massive fireball when it explodes. Fu Manchu's ominous vow lingers as the eruption lights the sky.

Smith rides away with his allies as the monastery explodes behind them. The film ends with a closeup of Fu Manchu fading in over the flames as he vows that the world shall hear from him again, signaling a continuing threat.