The Terror of the Tongs – 1961 | 75 mins | Adventure, Horror | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Treading similar territory to Hammer’s The Stranglers of Bombay (1960), Terror of the Tongs is a colourful and rather silly Hong Kong melodrama embellished with ceremonial hatchet murders and ‘bone-scraping’ tortures. Directed with gusto by Anthony Bushell and scripted by Jimmy Sangster, the film is hampered by some tight production values and a procession of English actors masquerading as Chinese in make-up is far from convincing and not at all respectful.

Set around the harbour of Hong Kong in 1910, a ruthless gang called the Red Dragon Tong have thrived off the proceeds of slavery, drugs, vice, corruption and protection rackets. Aboard a Victorian steamer arrives Mr. Ming (Burt Kwouk) with evidence that names members of the Red Dragon organisations, fearing for his own safety and that the letter won’t reach its destination, he hides it in a book intended as a gift for the daughter of the ship’s captain. No sooner does Ming set foot on the dock than he is attacked and killed by one of the Tong wielding a ceremonial hatchet. Chung King (Christopher Lee), the Hong Kong leader of the Tong, demands the letter be found and after searching the ship and murdering the first-officer, the Tong gang turn their attention to Capt.Jackson Sale (Geoffrey Toone). During a search of his home they ruthlessly murder his 16-year-old daughter Helena.

A beggar (Marne Maitland) seeking the downfall of the Tong schemes to bring about their downfall by directing a vengeful Sale against crooked peer supervisor Tang Hao whilst he collects protection monies. Sale is subsequently drugged,and taken before the Red Dragon Tong leader, where they threaten to torture him with bone-scraping needles. Sale escapes, but the Tong decree that he must die publically on the dockside in a ceremonial killing so as to set an example to all others who defy the Tong. Sale is warned of the attempt on his life but goes ahead with his plans to be on the wharf.