Isle of the Dead (1945)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Mark Robson

Writer:

Ardel Wray (written by)

Release Date:

1 September 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

What evil force is loose that empties graves of these long dead...buries those still alive...leaves behind it death...AND WORSE! (original half-sheet poster)

Plot:

On a Greek island during the 1912 war, several people are trapped by quarantine for the plague. If that isn't enough worry...

Plot Keywords:

Island | Plague | Vampire | Soldier | Greek Mythology

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Boris Karloff	...	Gen. Nikolas Pherides
Ellen Drew	...	Thea
Marc Cramer	...	Oliver Davis
Katherine Emery	...	Mrs. Mary St. Aubyn
Helen Thimig	...	Madame Kyra (as Helene Thimig)
Alan Napier	...	St. Aubyn
Jason Robards Sr.	...	Albrecht (as Jason Robards)
Ernst Deutsch	...	Dr. Drossos (as Ernst Dorian)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sherry Hall	...	Col. Kobestes
Erick Hanson	...	Officer
Skelton Knaggs	...	Andrew Robbins

Runtime:

71 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

UK:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #10319)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

A vorvolakas (also vrykolakas) occurs in Greek folklore as an undead creature capable of causing harm to the living. Its characteristics are similar to many other characters of legend, but it is most closely associated with vampires. However, vorvolakas are not noted for blood-drinking.

Goofs:

Factual errors: General Pherides has two stars on his collar to denote his rank, whereas Doctor Drossos has epaulettes of knotted embroidery. The Hellenic Army of the Balkans War did not use insignia on collars to denote rank. Rank was indicated on epaulettes. A Lieutenant General's epaulette had two large silver stars on gold embroidery with red edging. A Captain's epaulette has three smaller silver stars on a striped epaulette (red-gold-red).

Movie Connections:

Featured in Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows (2007)

One of Val Lewton's best horror movie

Scary, fascinating tale set in 1912 Greece. A bunch of people are quarantined on an island (which contains a graveyard) by the plague. A general (Boris Karloff) is in charge, but people dying from the plague, the isolation and close quarters begin to eat away at him. He starts to believe a young, healthy woman among them is a vorvolaka (a vampire). And there's the woman who has an extreme fear of being buried alive...

Quick paced and very literate horror film. There's lots of dialogue about faith, wars, superstition--all of it interesting. The settings are very dark, eerie with a spooky wind always blowing. There are scary moments throughout but they really shift into high gear during the final 15 minutes.

This movie gave me nightmares when I was little! The cast is adequate (except for Jason Robards Sr.--boy, was he annoying!) but Karloff and Katherine Emery were excellent.

Truly frightening old horror film. A definite must-see.