Face of Fu Manchu, The

In foreground left, Sir Denis Nayland Smith waits to witness the ultimate fate of his nemesis. Not the County Jail of the Mikado, but...

"Behold the Lord High Executioner". Is this where Messrs. Gilbert and Sullivan got the idea from, but set in Japan?

Where the expression 'Basket Case' comes from...

The southeast exercise yard, Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin.

"Imagine a person, tall, lean and feline...with a face like Satan...Imagine that awful being and you have a mental picture of Dr. Fu-Manchu, the yellow peril incarnate in one man". (A pre-PC Sax Rohmer - apparently familiar with what the devil looks like - describing the mad scientist in 'The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu).

Despite warnings to let evil lie, David had to see and photograph the Satanic One's place of execution for himself: Kilmainham Gaol appears in ‘The Italian Job’, ‘The Escapist’, 'The Whistle Blower', 'The Last Remake of Beau Geste' and ‘The Mackintosh Man’.

I wonder why Fu Manchu always reminds me of Dracula...

"If you can keep your head..." The good doctor should have paid closer attention to Kipling...

Policeman rounds corner to graveyard. Pat Cleary identifies this as Church Avenue on the approach to the entrance gates of St. John the Baptist church in Drumcondra, Dublin 9.

Pat matches the screen capture with this comparison.

Policeman examines Mathius' body at graveyard entrance. A lightened shot that has more grain in the capture than on the path! The entrance gates to the historic graveyard in the grounds of St. John the Baptist Church of Ireland, Drumcondra located by Pat Cleary.

The location now, taken by Pat.

Sráid an Teampaill (Church Street) near the junction with Sráid Na Trá (Strand Street) in Skerries, County Dublin. Located by Dave Lally.

Scotland Yard? So we're told...except our own detective sussed this as being the west end of Government Buildings, Merrion Street, Dublin.

A (gated) sign of the times. There's a security presence at the end of the building to the right of the picture. David took this shot from the other side of a railing.

Screen shot's reference number has nothing to do with Bond, though Ian Fleming modeled his Dr. No on our subject. Visitors (Fu Manchu henchmen?) approach the 'Museum of Oriental Studies', crossing what looks suspiciously like...

...Merrion Street, Dublin, across from Government Buildings. The gate in the capture was closed to our intrepid photographer.

What's going on here? Lin Tang, disguised as an old woman, eludes Irish actors disguised as British police guarding the east gate of the Museum of Oriental Studies...

...which looks remarkably similar to the east gate at Government Buildings. "The story is real. Only the paint has been changed..."

Can't blame the Constabulary on this one! That's Aiden Grenell (RIP) on the right.

Even the guard shack looks the same!

The Doctor's equally nefarious daughter wheels her way to Daddy's car. Looking towards Merrion Square.

The double stripes mean 'No Parking'!!! This and other violations of Irish traffic laws by the megalomaniac led to the introduction of the 'Fu Manchu Traffic Act' of 1965.

The Lanchester 40 speeds off towards Fitzwilliam Lane...

...despite clearly marked 'No Entry' signs. Is there no end to the man's contempt for the laws of another country?!

Add speeding, wreckless driving and bodily injury to the mad scientist's ballooning criminal CV. (Not to mention pollution - one can barely see the poor victim knocked to the street behind all that smoke!)

To add insult to injury, the events described in the capture took place in sight of the Prime Minister's office!

The chase is on...!!! Sir Denis and Dr. Petrie rush towards the little Austin...

...that sits pointing towards Baggot Street. The building they're rushing from houses the offices of the Taoiseach (Irish PM) and others. Designed by Sir Aston Webb - the architect responsible for the present facade of Buckingham Palace - it was the last major construction undertaken by the British in Ireland.

A cleaner view towards Baggot Street...

...and what is presumably a weekend evening shot, considering the sun's position and the near empty street.

The evil mastermind barrels the wrong way down one one-way street (Fitzwilliam Lane) and whips the Lanchester into yet another (Baggotrath Street).

The no-entry sign for Baggotrath Street looks plain enough to me - unless the Demon Doctor dropped off for a quick one and was in the grip of the Demon Drink! All, as mentioned earlier, under the nose of the Prime Minister's office in the dome-topped Government Buildings, background centre.

Mount Street Crescent from Saint Stephen's Church, left.

Inhabited as he is by both Dracula and Fu Manchu, Christopher Lee must surely have shuddered at such proximity to a church - unless he begged the filmmakers to use a double.

No, the mad dash here - evidenced by the exhaust from the tortured engine - to get clear of the church suggests a double wasn't available. St. Stephen's church on Mount Street Crescent, Dublin 2, which also features in 'Murder in Eden', 'Girl with Green Eyes', 'Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx' and 1971's 'Black Beauty'.

Saint Stephen's Church, looking towards Upper Mount Street (to the right of the red building).

Whoops...that was close! Photographic proof here to support those calling for a halt to police chases, due to the danger they pose to others. (According to IMCDb, the convertible that Commissioner Smith narrowly avoids is a Hupmobile).

Calmer days!

Wait a minute! Isn't this where the chase began?

Yep, Merrion Street again! These houses were still owned by the state in 1965, hence the uniform blue of all the doors seen in the capture. The government sold them in the mid-1980s to fund an interior remodelling of Government Buildings.

Does the Moustached One think he's in America...or China? (Ask him if he cares which side of the road he's supposed to be on - and where have we seen the parked Hupmobile before?).

Painted lines and arrows on Clare Street, near the junction with Lincoln Place. Another knee-jerk reaction to the mayhem of 1965.

Clare Street again, near junction with Lincoln Place and Leinster Street.

The black painted shop on the right of the now deserted street is where we see the Lanchester in the capture. Note the posts in front and on the adjacent corner - set in cement following what became known as 'The Day of Terror'!

Corner of Clare Street and Lincoln Place...

...is no longer a blur, thanks to David's steadier hand! (Nice of the red car to stand in for the Lanchester!)

Lincoln Place towards Westland Row and Fenian Street.

Anyone can easily retrace the route taken by the dastardly devil on that fateful day in 1965. Just follow the posts - insurance against a recurrence - lining the now deserted streets.

Another close call - for woman, horse and buildings.

Hence the posts!

Bridge at Percy Place, looking towards Upper Mount Street and St. Stephen's Church (out of view to the right across bridge).

Thanks, David! St. Stephen's now visible to the right.

Beresford Place from corner of Custom Quay.

In the wee small hours...The building that replaced what was Brooks catches the rising sun.

Custom House. Looking east towards the North Wall. The late great gasometer on Cardiff Lane across the Liffey on the right.

The old and the new. Dublin's Financial Centre stands next to the Custom House.

Tony Hanna advises that this is St. John's Road in Dublin 8, looking towards Kilmainham, alongside Kingsbridge station to the right adding "The train was owned by the Guinness Brewery and the line was used to transfer vats of beer onto the CIE network for destinations in the south of the country. There was an access to the the main line network just west of the station which was renamed Heuston in 1966."

The extensively redeveloped area is apparent in Tony Hanna's comparison.

Tony Hanna locates this as the point where the line turns from the road to join sidings just outside Kingsbridge station and this is the view looking east along St. John's Road in Dublin 8.

Tony Hanna provides this view showing the wall that survives to the left.

Lesson to be learned here. Have your car serviced before embarking on a chase!

Considering the massive regeneration of the docklands, it's a miracle these warehouses are still standing. The second miracle is David coming across them on an unrelated reconnaissance trip a year ago - and remembering it! 10-12 Hanover Quay, Dublin.

Hanover Quay continues west until it becomes Misery Hill. The thing is, ffm024 shows them heading back this way, east on Misery Hill. Either FM's driver got turned around, or the filmmakers got good use out of the same real estate!

U2's graffiti covered recording studio (a compulsory purchase by the Dublin Docklands Authority) sits a few hundred yards up the quay to the left. Behind the subject warehouses is the abandoned site (for now)for a skyscraper designed to be topped by a new pod-shaped home for the band.

Fortunately for Rita's education, her walk home towards Cardiff Lane took place 18 years later. Otherwise, the Evil One's rap sheet would almost certainly have included the vehicular manslaughter of an Open University student.

Misery Hill, looking towards Cardiff Lane. See also 'Educating Rita'.

Dublin's docklands . . . looking towards Misery Hill in the distance advises Pat Cleary, which can also be seen in 'Term of Trial' and 'Educating Rita'.

Note the coal shovel in foreground right.

Chimney View, from Pearse Street, Dublin. Thankfully, the section of the Bord Gais (Gas Board) Energy Theatre seen in centre background doesn't obscure the chimney, one of the few structures in the docklands area to escape the wrecker's ball. Misery Hill lies on the other side of the theatre.

An example of the Doctor's reach. One of his henchmen, (possibly a member of the Irish branch of the Worshipful Order of Dacoites) tries to bury the Burma Commissioner in coal.

Lucky those boxes were there!

Alan Bourke believes this to be a bridge over the Royal Canal near Enfield, Co. Meath and Pat Cleary confirms the identification of Cloncurry Bridge.

Pat points out that some alterations have been made here including the curved foreground wall and the centre straight wall having been demolished.

Pat Cleary explains that the camera moves with the car after it leaves the bridge over the Royal Canal.

The location now captured by Pat showing that trees and other high growth over the years now obscure the view from the original camera position. The canal banks were extremely popular with walkers and cyclists during his Sunday morning visit.

Steve Randall identifies this as Brook House School on Herbert Road, Killarney near Bray in County Wicklow.

The bridge over the River Boyne at Ardmulchan Lower, near Slane Castle, County Meath. With thanks to Alan Bourke. (RL)

58 years of growth here but, thankfully, no bomber aircraft for Pat Cleary to contend with on his visit.

The bridge over the River Boyne at Ardmulchan Lower, near Slane Castle, County Meath. With thanks to Alan Bourke. (RL)

Pat Cleary provides this additional capture, explaining that this is the same grassed area in Skerries, County Dublin where tea is being served in the following capture. The once popular Red Island Holiday Camp stands in the background which opened a few years after WW2 when most of the guests were mainly from the north of England. The camp closed in the 70s and was demolished in 1980.

Pat's comparison shows the site of the camp with the Martello Tower, partly hidden in the screen capture, now clearly visible.

Dave Lally advises that this is Skerries in County Dublin.

Capturing a changed scene now, Pat Cleary tells us that this is the grassy area above the South Beach, to the right.

Bóthar an Chuain (Harbour Road) from Banc Na Gainimh (Sandybanks) in Skerries identified by Dave Lally, who appeared as an extra in the film.

The cafe building on the corner has been demolished as Pat Cleary's view shows.

Facing Sráid Na Cé (Quay Street) from Sandybanks. Location spotted by Dave.

Pat Cleary explains that the thatched cottage has been demolished and just to the right among the greenery now stands a sculpture of a cormorant and a plaque noting that Skerries is twinned with the Canton of Guichen, Brittany.

Dave Lally tells us that this is Quay Street in Skerries.

Quay Street taken by Pat Cleary. Remarkably, it looks like the poles on the left hand side are still in situ after 58 years!

The Commissioner's car approaches. Pat Cleary identifies this as York Road, Ringsend in Dublin 4, looking west with the River Liffey to the right. The infamous, see the 'Educating Rita' blog, gasometer to the left of the chimney was situated at Cardiff Lane and can also be seen in 'The Big Gamble' as well as 'The Quare Fellow'.

Pat took this view from York Road explaining that the key to this location is the old river wall. This is a long straight road that, behind the camera, morphs into Pigeon House Road and ran all the way east along the river to the old Pigeon House Power Station.

Deepest, darkest Lime House, London is actually York Road in Dublin, pinpointed by Pat Cleary.

The same place now captured by Pat.

St. John the Baptist Church of Ireland, Drumcondra found by Pat Cleary who adds that the door in the wall leads to the grounds of the former All Hallows Seminary College which is now owned by Dublin City University.

Taken from inside the gates looking out. There is a now a newer larger gate beside the small door in the wall. That's not Pat's car! Sadly, it was parked there throughout the entirety of his two hour visit to the location.

Looking towards the main gates from inside the grounds of St. John the Baptist Church of Ireland, Drumcondra in Dublin 9 identified by Pat Cleary.

Everything is much tidier today. Pat thanks Brian, who has done a fantastic job of keeping the grounds in great condition over a great many years, for his invaluable assistance in getting comparison shots of the location.

The architect for these buildings in Tibet was very prolific, but apparently limited in his vision. His work here is remarkably similar to his design for the complex in China, where FM's 'execution' took place at the beginning, and...

...Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin.