Awful End To A Great Acting Career - Peter Sellers – The Fiendish Plot Of Doctor Fu Manchu

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A final acting bow so awful that time travellers ought to stop it happening on their way to kill Hitler, especially as the film, made in 1980, was immediately preceded by one of the most moving comedy dramas of all time, 1979’s Being There, with Sellers playing Forest Gump precursor, Chance The Gardener. Fu Manchu was a racist Chinese stereotype even when played as a serious sinister and sadistic criminal mastermind. Christopher Lee nevertheless played him well in a few low budget Hammer Horror Movies. Sellers played him for what was supposed to be laughs in this cringe-inducing mess. Sellers plays three roles, possibly trying to recapture the glory days of Dr. Strangeglove (1964), but he is dreadful in each; a Mexican Bandit, Fu-Manchu and the detective pursuing him, Nayland Smith. Actors John Le Mesurier, and David Tomlinson also regrettably died with this film as their final entries in Who’s Who. Fu Manchu spends the film pursuing immortality, which he ultimately achieves, though sadly, the actor playing him did not. There is a cruel irony in that Chance The Gardener is mistaken by everyone for a genius, even fooling God in the final instant when he finds he can suddenly walk on water. Fu Manchu is an evil genius, but Sellers turns him into a total doofus. The role is an excuse for joke shop novelty teeth, making the eyes go slanted and talking in silly accents, the kind of crass humour that amuses in the playground among seven year olds for about five minutes. It is a terrible way for any actor to end a career, but Sellers as co-writer and co-director as well as the star, only had himself to blame. Arthur Chappell