Sellers bows out with reincarnation of Fu

Press, 27 November 1980, Page 18

Sellers bows out with reincarnation of Fu

A lot of thought went into writing the script for “The Fiendish Plot of Dr Fu Manchu,” which starts at the Carlton tomorrow.

However, if this film is ever remembered it will be as Peter Sellers’ last film before his untimely death last July. As mentioned last week. Sellers takes on six roles in the movie: here is a little more about its making: Much of the script was roughed out in a West Los Angeles coffee shop where the producer (Zev Braun) and the writers met every morning to swap story ideas before adjourning to their typewriters.

“Physically, we were in southern California,” Braun recalls. “But our minds were in London’s fog-shrouded Chinatown.”

The story’ sessions invariably concluded with a tribute to Fu’s hobby — torture.

“Let’s see,” one of the writers would say, “we’re at fiendish torture number 21. How about burying the victim up to his neck in a red anthill, his face smeared with Green Goddess dressing?” . In this incarnation, Fu Manchu has reached the ripe old age of 168. He remains alive by sipping a youth elixir, the ingredients of which include, crunched canary-coloured diamonds and the powdered wrappings from the mummy of King Lullmulltullmull. But the mummy is as difficult to steal as it is to pronounce, and the one remaining diamond in the world, which satisfies Fu’s recipe, is safely stashed away in the Tower of London.

What, asks Fu, his wicked eyes blazing, if someone was to kidnap the Queen of- England? Would not her loyal subjects part with a paltry gem to get their beloved monarch back?

While Fu is concocting the sinister scheme, his old enemy, Nayland Smith, is at home in a rustic cottage in Wiltshire. j Once Scotland Yard’s top expert on occult crime; Smith’s insistence that Fu is still alive — at. the age of 168 — has led the Yard to put him out to pasture. There are also the rumours of Smith’s “kinky” relationship with his lawn mower. “He’s never been the same since he was tor-

tured bv the Si Fan,” explains Police Commissioner Avery (David Tomlinson).

At the request of American G-man, Joe Capone (Sid Caesar), the eccentric detective is lured out of retirement to test his theory (about Fu — not the lawn mower).

The plan involves the plucky police constable, Alice ' Rage (Helen Mirren), whose resemblance to the queen and whose theatrical talent proven bv performing “On the Good Ship Lollipop” to her own saxophone accompaniment — suggest her for a perilous mission. When the Queen attends the royal performance of the new hit musical, “The Gay Crusader,” her box will be occupied by an incognito Alice Rage. What can possibly go wrong? Anyone who can not answer that question does not know the mind of Fu. From the outset, said Braun, there was only one candidate to play the title

role. If Peter Sellers was unamused by the idea — or unavailable — there would be no "plot,” fiendish or otherwise.

Sellers, who admits that he used to “listen in terror” to the “Fu Manchu” radio series as a , schoolboy, had just finished filming the whimsy of “Being There.” (“A role , Fd waited for years t 6 play,” he confided.) the timing was perfect ' to “do something out-’ rageous,” in the Clouseau tradition. He would portray not onlv himself but also his adversary. Nayland Smith. And if there were a few cameos kicking around that no-one else wanted. . .

As always, Sellers began by creating his roles vocally. “I’m the opposite of a method actor.” he says. “I don’t spend hours, contemplating how someone like Fu Manchbu would hold a cun. based on the trauma or having once sees his nanny in, her muslin nightie.