The Terror of the Tongs 1961

In 1910, Mr. Ming, Burt Kwouk, works as an agent for a shadowy group that secretly fights the tongs, Hong Kong’s feared criminal syndicates. He travels by ship toward Hong Kong and quickly furthers his mission by befriending Captain Jackson Sale, a British sea officer who lives in the city with his teenage daughter Helena Sale, Barbara Brown. Sale is largely indifferent to the tong problem, which he feels does not directly touch his life, even as Ming discreetly slips a note containing information about the Red Dragon into a poetry book and entrusts it to Sale as a gift for Helena, understanding that her servant is a secret member of the resistance.

Ming is soon the victim of a ceremonial killing—a brutal rite meant to sow fear and control. In this ritual, the killer slaughters the target with an axe and gauntlet in a crowded public space, scaring the populace into submission to the Red Dragon Tong. Before Ming dies, he manages to kill his own assassin, a last act of defiance. The Tong search his body and find nothing that could incriminate the broader plan, so they pivot to eliminating anyone who might have received such dangerous information. They swoop into Sale’s home, kill Helena, and then also kill the servant who might have learned too much. News of his daughter’s death fuels Captain Sale’s resolve to seek revenge, and he vows to bring down the Tong.

Undeterred by warnings from the police, Sale dives into a personal investigation of the Tong. He clashes with a Tong member, and just as he is about to be overwhelmed, he is rescued by a surprising ally: Lee, [Yvonne Monlaur], the wife of the man linked to the Tong who harbors deep resentment toward her husband and toward the criminal organization. Lee’s protective act and her growing disillusionment push her to aid Sale in his bid to dismantle the gang, even as she risks her own safety by aligning with him. Sale’s path of retribution continues as he is captured and tortured by the Tong, who seek to extract what he may know about the hidden note and the resistance.

The Beggar, a steadfast ally of the resistance, comes to Sale’s aid and helps nurse him back to health. During this fragile interlude, Lee remains beside him, developing a complicated closeness as she becomes more protective—and more emotionally conflicted—about his mission and his safety. The Beggar then presents Sale with a stark choice: depart China to save himself or stay and fight in Hong Kong to rally the people against the Tong. If Sale survives another attack, his endurance could spark a larger rebellion. Fueled by the urgency of the moment, Sale chooses to stay and confront the danger head-on, a decision that will draw the attention—and the ire—of the city’s underworld.

On the night of the planned hit, Lee senses danger and hurries to the port to intervene, ultimately sacrificing herself to save Sale. He shoots the assassin in view of onlookers, turning the moment into a catalyst for public outrage. Seizing the opportunity, The Beggar seizes the crowd’s anger and urges a broader uprising against the Red Dragon Tong. The furious citizens storm the Tong’s Hong Kong headquarters, pressing for vengeance against its leadership. In a last, devastating twist, Chung King—leader of the Tong—chooses to immolate himself, attempting to honor his ancestors even as the revolt roars around him.