Fu Manchu
The Fu Manchu recordings in GRH preserve a chaptered radio version of Sax Rohmer’s long-running villain-and-pursuer mythology. The serial form emphasizes cliffhangers, secret organizations, disguises, escapes and the continuing contest between Fu Manchu and the men trying to stop him.
Where to Start
Researched entry points from recordings already in the Golden Radio Hour archive.
Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu
This is an early surviving broadcast in the GRH holdings, useful for hearing the series at a different point in its surviving run.
Episode details →Council of the Seven
This is a middle-period broadcast in the GRH holdings, useful for hearing the series at a different point in its surviving run.
Episode details →Fu Escapes Final Episode
This is a later surviving broadcast in the GRH holdings, useful for hearing the series at a different point in its surviving run.
Episode details →Program History
Serialized radio adaptations of Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu stories, following the struggle of Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie against the schemes of the brilliant and dangerous criminal mastermind.
It adapts Sax Rohmer novels in continuing 15-minute chapters.
The run breaks into several distinct periods: 1939 Radio Attractions serial slice (May 8, 1939 to November 4, 1939).
Names that turn up again and again in the surviving run include Hanley Stafford (performer), Gale Gordon (performer and announcer), Gerald Mohr (announcer and performer), Lou Marcelle (performer), Paula Winslowe (performer), Edmond O’Brien (performer), and Howard McNear (performer).
Across its run, the surviving broadcasts are tied to Radio Attractions.
The stories often return to international and colonial settings, secret societies and hidden networks, murder and attempted murder, science used as a threat or weapon, abduction and captivity, and poisons and exotic toxins.
The show also sits in a wider radio history that includes Transcription syndication through Radio Attractions, Sax Rohmer novel-to-radio serial adaptation, Fu Manchu and Yellow Peril popular imagery, and Interwar serial cliffhanger culture.
If you are following the same actors and creative circles, related programs worth opening next include Lux Radio Theatre, Escape, The Railroad Hour, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, and Broadway Is My Beat.
All Episodes & Recordings
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Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu
Nayland Smith rushes to warn a prominent official that Fu Manchu has marked him for death, only to arrive too late and begin unraveling the method behind the mysterious killing.
Red Hand of Death
Smith and Dr. Petrie discover that Fu Manchu is using an exotic poison to eliminate people whose knowledge threatens his plans.
Death List
Smith and Petrie follow a trail of bizarre deaths and mutilations to a deadly biological weapon being used by Fu Manchu.
In Clutches of Fu Manchu
Smith and Inspector Weymouth enter a dangerous opium den in an effort to rescue Dr. Petrie from Fu Manchu's captivity.
An Ally of Love
Strange incidents at an isolated estate lead Smith and Petrie to another branch of Fu Manchu's network and an unexpected personal alliance.
Creature in the Night
At a heavily guarded country estate, Smith and Petrie investigate frightening nighttime intrusions as Fu Manchu closes in on his intended victims.
Terror at Greymoat
Smith learns that Fu Manchu is trying to stop a missionary from returning overseas, while a second threat develops around an eccentric explorer.
Green Mist of Death
A vanished mummy, a strange green mist, and a murder draw Smith and Petrie into another deadly warning from Fu Manchu.
Nocturnal Visit
Smith becomes the next target of Fu Manchu's mysterious green mist while trying to understand how the weapon reaches its victims.
Prisoners of Fu Manchu
Petrie and Smith race to protect a British official from Fu Manchu and the organization operating behind his latest plot.
Call of Siva
After escaping Fu Manchu, Petrie and Smith try to stop a mysterious lethal call from claiming another victim in London.
Karamanehs Story
Smith and Petrie move to prevent an assassination while Karamaneh's information reveals more of Fu Manchu's hidden network.
Deadly Bargain
Smith and Petrie confront Fu Manchu aboard a secluded houseboat and are forced into a desperate escape when the encounter turns against them.
Plans of Destruction
A cryptic clue sends Smith and Petrie racing to prevent Fu Manchu from stealing a strategically important invention.
Ship of Spies
Nayland Smith pursues stolen aerotorpedo plans and tries to keep them from falling into Fu Manchu's hands.
Karamenehs Plea
After thwarting an attempt to steal aerotorpedo plans, Smith and Petrie are drawn into fresh danger by a mysterious death and Karameneh's desperate appeal.
Undead
Smith and Petrie uncover a scheme in which Fu Manchu uses false deaths as cover for stealing important plans.
Back to Life
Smith and Petrie raid Fu Manchu's lair and find their enemy apparently helpless, but the suspicious circumstances make them question whether his defeat is genuine.
Poison Pit
Smith, Petrie, and Weymouth fall into one of Fu Manchu's underground traps and must survive a terrifying biological weapon released inside the lair.
Last Laugh
Smith and his allies penetrate Fu Manchu's headquarters only to be captured and confronted with the doctor's plans for them.
Into the Flames
Reports of strange nighttime visitors convince Smith and Petrie that Fu Manchu has returned and may hold the answer to a friend's mysterious condition.
Mystery of Sifan
Following a shocking confrontation with Fu Manchu, Smith and Petrie investigate a suspicious death tied to the emergence of a new threat.
Flower of Silence
A dying man's cryptic clue and a lethal flower lead Smith toward the secret Si-Fan organization.
Man With Limp
Petrie and Sergeant Fletcher search London's Chinatown for a missing colleague and uncover signs of a dangerous secret society.
Treasure of Sifan
Petrie and Fletcher infiltrate a Thames-side den while searching for a missing ally and discover both the Si-Fan organization and Fu Manchu himself.
Return of Nyland Smith
Smith uses a mysterious brass chest as bait in a trap for Fu Manchu's agents, placing Petrie directly in danger when the plan unfolds.
Golden Pomegranite
A would-be thief's attempt to steal a strange brass chest reveals that the object is part of one of Fu Manchu's deadly traps.
Kidnapped
Smith and Petrie race to rescue a friend after Fu Manchu reasserts control over someone central to his scheme.
Double for Murder
Smith and Petrie attempt to save Sir Graham Guthrie, only to encounter a second mystery involving an eerie glow and a poisoned victim.
A Slave Once More
A suspicious death in a park leads Smith and Petrie to a fresh Fu Manchu trap that soon threatens their own home.
Conversation in the Dark
A bizarre death draws Smith and Petrie into Fu Manchu's latest scheme, where a treacherous agent and a familiar figure complicate the investigation.
Snakes Head
The mysterious death of a former police lieutenant reveals a new conspiracy connected to Fu Manchu and a dangerous hidden secret.
Riddle of the White Peacock
Petrie searches for the missing Smith and follows a deadly trail into Limehouse and the world of Fu Manchu.
Sacred Order of the White Peacock
Petrie and Smith become Fu Manchu's prisoners as the doctor faces pressure over the loss of a sacred white peacock.
Coughing Horror
After escaping Fu Manchu once again, Petrie and Smith are confronted by a mysterious new creature that threatens their investigation.
In the Grip of Death
A strange creature attacks Smith and leaves a chilling warning, signaling that Fu Manchu has begun another campaign against his enemies.
In the Lair of Fu Manchu
Smith and Petrie enter Fu Manchu's hidden headquarters while investigating a strange creature, but are captured and forced to fight for escape.
Ghost of Gables
Smith and Petrie investigate a supposedly haunted house where two men have died of fright and soon encounter the terrifying presence themselves.
Sword of the Samurai
Smith and Petrie uncover a hidden base while pursuing strange activity, only to walk directly into a deadly Fu Manchu trap.
Purple Spot
Smith and Petrie discover Fu Manchu's secret lair, where capture leaves them facing an elaborate and gruesome form of torture.
Cast, Crew & Contributors
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Hanley Stafford
Gale Gordon
Gerald Mohr
Edmond O'Brien
Howard McNear