The Terror of the Tongs – 1961

Columbia Pictures Corporation Presents – A Hammer film production
Copyright MCMLX by Merlin Film Company – All rights reserved
MPAA Approved Certificate
The characters and incidents portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the name, character, or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional
Produced at Bray Studios
RCA Sound Recording
Eastmancolor by Pathe 86 mins
Storyline
In the year of 1910, Hong Kong members of the secret Red Dragon Tong crime family protect their identities by murdering Helena Sale, the daughter of Captain Jackson Sale, a British sea officer who vows revenge and defies the spread of fear created by the tongs. Helped by a mysterious beggar and a young serving girl named Lee, Sale discovers there is an inside traitor who has been giving vital information to the tongs, thus making them one step ahead of Sale’s findings…
Crew
Function | Credited | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | |
Assistant Director | John Peverall | 20 | 1931 | 3 Oct 2009 | 78 | 21 | |
Associate Producer | Anthony Nelson-Keys | 49 | 13 Nov 1911 | 19 Mar 1985 | 73 | 41 | |
Camera Operator | Len Harris | 44 | 19 May 1916 | 21 Feb 1995 | 78 | 52 | |
Continuity | Tilly Day | 58 | 1 Jan 1903 | 1 Jan 1994 | 91 | 12 | |
Directed by | Anthony Bushell | 56 | 19 May 1904 | 2 Apr 1997 | 92 | 1 | |
Editor | Eric Boyd-Perkins | 44 | 1917 | 4 Dec 2014 | 97 | 10 | |
ExecutiveProducer | Michael Carreras | 33 | 21 Dec 1927 | 19 Apr 1994 | 66 | 82 | |
Hair Stylist | Frieda Steiger | 28 | |||||
Make-up Artist | Roy Ashton | 51 | 16 Apr 1909 | 10 Jan 1995 | 85 | 36 | |
Musical Supervisor | John Hollingsworth | 44 | 20 Mar 1916 | 29 Dec 1963 | 47 | 24 | |
Music | James Bernard | 35 | 20 Sep 1925 | 12 Jul 2001 | 75 | 36 | |
Produced by | Kenneth Hyman | 32 | 11 Dec 1928 | 93 | 1 | ||
Production Designer | Bernard Robinson | 48 | 28 Jul 1912 | 2 Mar 1970 | 57 | 46 | |
Production Manager | Clifford Parkes | 12 | |||||
Sound Editor | Alban Streeter | 31 | 30 Nov 1929 | 92 | 7 | ||
Sound Recordist | Jock May | 56 | 1905 | 8 Jan 1991 | 86 | 30 | |
Supervising Editor | James Needs | 41 | 17 Oct 1919 | 2003 | 83 | 110 | |
Wardrobe Mistress | Molly Arbuthnot | 52 | 19 Dec 1908 | 31 Oct 2001 | 92 | 48 | |
Written by | Jimmy Sangster | 33 | 2 Dec 1927 | 19 Aug 2011 | 83 | 65 |
Cast
Character | Actor | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Appearances |
Captain Jackson Sale | Geoffrey Toone | 50 | 15 Nov 1910 | 1 Jun 2005 | 94 | 2 |
Chung King | Christopher Lee | 38 | 27 May 1922 | 7 Jun 2015 | 93 | 22 |
District Commissioner Harcort | Brian Worth | 46 | 14 Jul 1914 | 25 Aug 1978 | 64 | 1 |
Dr. Fu Chao | Charles Lloyd-Pack | 58 | 10 Oct 1902 | 22 Dec 1983 | 81 | 8 |
Inspector Bob Dean | Richard Leech | 38 | 24 Nov 1922 | 24 Mar 2004 | 81 | 1 |
Lee | Yvonne Monlaur | 25 | 15 Dec 1935 | 18 Apr 2017 | 81 | 2 |
Mya | Marie Burke | 66 | 19 Oct 1894 | 21 Mar 1988 | 93 | 3 |
Tang Hao | Roger Dalgado | 42 | 1 Mar 1918 | 18 Jun 1973 | 55 | 4 |
Tang Hoe | Ewen Solon | 43 | 7 Sep 1917 | 7 Jul 1985 | 67 | 5 |
The Beggar | Marne Maitland | 46 | 18 Dec 1914 | March 1992 | 77 | 8 |
Production
FILMING BEGAN | 19 April 1960 | |
UK RELEASE | 29 September 1961 | |
STUDIO | Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England |
Footnotes
The film is notable in that is the first Hammer horror film to afford Christopher Lee top billing. Lee also reported to work on the film after a vacation in Northern Italy with a deep tan, which was problematic for the make-up department since his character was supposed to have very pale skin. Lee later said in interviews that the make-up to make him appear into a Chinese in this movie was the most uncomfortable make-up he had to endure up to that time.
Details were complied viewing the actual film.
Source of viewing copy – The Hammer Graveyard Collection