IMDb RATING
5.7/10
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In 1910, Hong Kong members of a secret Tong crime syndicate protect their identities by murdering the daughter of a British sea captain who vows revenge.In 1910, Hong Kong members of a secret Tong crime syndicate protect their identities by murdering the daughter of a British sea captain who vows revenge.In 1910, Hong Kong members of a secret Tong crime syndicate protect their identities by murdering the daughter of a British sea captain who vows revenge.
June Barry
- Tong Room Girl
- (uncredited)
Mary Rose Barry
- Tong Room Girl
- (uncredited)
Audrey Burton
- Tong Room Girl
- (uncredited)
Ruth Calvert
- Tong Room Girl
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was the first "Hammer" film for which Christopher Lee received top billing.
- GoofsThe film is set in 1910, but the knee length female costumes, revealingly slit to the hip, are strictly 1960 Suzie Wong.
- Quotes
The Tong Leader: Have you ever had your bones scraped, Captain? It is painful in the extreme I can assure you.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits prologue: HONG KONG - 1910
A bustling, growing city - but hidden deep amongst its teeming thousands was an organisation that thrived on vice, terror and corruption- THE RED DRAGON TONG
- Alternate versionsThe film suffered extensive BBFC cuts which removed shots of bloody bodies and a mutilated hand, and also heavily edited the infamous 'bone scraping' scene where Jackson Sale's chest is pricked with needles. A scene featuring Helena's fingers being severed with an axe was also re-edited, so it appears she passes out before the impact of the blade. All later releases have featured the same print and the uncut version may no longer survive.
- ConnectionsSpoofed in Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible: Frenzy of Tongs (2001)
Featured review
Terror of the Tongs is a largely unknown Hammer film and, as such, isn't one the great studio's best films. It is, however, a more than decent entry in Hammer's oeuvre, and is well worth seeking out for Hammer fans. The film takes place in Hong Kong, and director Anthony Bushell does a fairly good job of capitalising on the mystery of the eastern culture. The most prominent thing about this film is no doubt the fact that it stars the great Christopher Lee - as the Chinese head of 'The Tongs'! It's a hilarious performance, and while Lee doesn't exactly convince the audience that he's Chinese, it brilliantly shows off his charisma and ability to hold the audience's attention. The plot focuses on a secret Hong Kong society known as 'The Red Dragon Tong'. They kidnap the captain of a ship in Hong Kong harbour while he's trying to restrain the people who kidnapped his daughter. We then follow the attempt to free him from the Tong; but this isn't a group of amateurs, as the society is big and powerful and freeing the captain isn't easy.
The film actually isn't a lot like what I've come to expect from Hammer, as it's all played out rather seriously and there's not a hint of anything even resembling supernatural activity. The film doesn't reflect particularly well on the Chinese people - as despite being set in Hong Kong, there's hardly any natives on the cast list and the Chinese characters don't get to much that has any bearing on the plot. The atmosphere is nothing to write home about, although director Anthony Bushell manages to create just about enough tension to keep things ticking over. The acting is generally below average, with only Christopher Lee coming out of the film with any credibility - which is amazing considering the nature of his role. The film doesn't have a great deal of bite - in spite of a torture sequence and numerous scenes of drug use - although it mostly isn't boring. Overall, I can't say that The Terror of the Tongs is even near to being Hammer's finest hour, but it's a decent little rarity and worth tracking down for Hammer fans.
The film actually isn't a lot like what I've come to expect from Hammer, as it's all played out rather seriously and there's not a hint of anything even resembling supernatural activity. The film doesn't reflect particularly well on the Chinese people - as despite being set in Hong Kong, there's hardly any natives on the cast list and the Chinese characters don't get to much that has any bearing on the plot. The atmosphere is nothing to write home about, although director Anthony Bushell manages to create just about enough tension to keep things ticking over. The acting is generally below average, with only Christopher Lee coming out of the film with any credibility - which is amazing considering the nature of his role. The film doesn't have a great deal of bite - in spite of a torture sequence and numerous scenes of drug use - although it mostly isn't boring. Overall, I can't say that The Terror of the Tongs is even near to being Hammer's finest hour, but it's a decent little rarity and worth tracking down for Hammer fans.
- How long is The Terror of the Tongs?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Terror of the Hatchet Men
- Filming locations
- Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK(studio: produced at Bray Studios)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 16 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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By what name was The Terror of the Tongs (1961) officially released in Canada in English?
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