Daughter of the Dragon

Daughter of the Dragon is a 1931 American pre-Code crime mystery film directed by Lloyd Corrigan, released by Paramount Pictures, and starring Anna May Wong as Princess Ling Moy, Sessue Hayakawa as Ah Kee, and Warner Oland as Dr. Fu Manchu (for his third and final feature appearance in the role, excluding a gag cameo in Paramount on Parade). The film was made to capitalize on Sax Rohmer's then current book, Daughter of Fu Manchu, which Paramount did not own the rights to adapt. Despite being the starring lead and having top billing in this film, Wong was paid only $6,000, half the money for her role that Oland was paid for his, even though Oland had less screen time than Wong. In a 2020 article about Wong, O, The Oprah Magazine linked this discrepancy to racism. Plot The film is set in London. Fu Manchu is thought to have died twenty years ago, wrongly believing that Sir John Petrie was responsible for the death of his family during the Boxer Rebellion. He swore revenge on Sir John and his family. Princess Ling Moy is a celebrated exotic dancer who goes to the house of her agent Morloff to finally see her father, whom has she never met. Morloff is one of Fu Manchu’s henchman, and Fu Manchu is Ling Moy’s father. Ah Kee, a Chinese detective working with Scotland Yard tells Sir Basil Courtney that Fu Manchu is still alive and he has just seen him. Sir Basil realizes Fu Manchu will try to murder Sir John, but is unable to warn him by phone because the wires were cut. Sir Basil and Ah Kee go to Sir John’s home, which is next door to Morloff’s house. Sir John Petrie receives a threatening letter from Fu Manchu, who then appears in his study. Fu Manchu drugs and hypnotizes Sir John, and then kills him in front of the Petrie family and police. Ah Kee shoots Fu Manchu before he can kill Sir John’s son Ronald. The mortally wounded Fu Manchu escapes and meets Ling Moy, making her take an oath as his son to avenge his and their family’s deaths. To remove suspicion from her, Fu Manchu apparently attempts to kill her. They are found and he is shot dead by Ah Kee. The police, Ah Kee and the Petrie family are unaware of the link between Fu Manchu and Ling Moy.