Isle of the Dead (1945)

Director:

Mark Robson

Writer:

Ardel Wray (written by)
(more)

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:

Vampire | Buried Alive | War | Greek Mythology | Island

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

Directed by
Mark Robson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Val Lewton		uncredited
Josef Mischel		uncredited
Ardel Wray		written by

Produced by
Jack J. Gross	....	executive producer
Val Lewton	....	producer

Original Music by
Leigh Harline

Cinematography by
Jack MacKenzie		(director of photography) (as Jack Mackenzie)

Film Editing by
Lyle Boyer

Art Direction by
Albert S. D'Agostino
Walter E. Keller

Set Decoration by
Albert Greenwood		(as Al Greenwood)
Darrell Silvera

Costume Design by
Edward Stevenson		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harry Scott	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jean L. Speak	....	sound recordist
James G. Stewart	....	sound re-recordist

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1945) (USA) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Fox Hills Video (video)
• Image Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Nostalgia Merchant, The (1980) (USA) (VHS)
• Turner Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Turner Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Turner Home Video (video)

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:

The 19th century artist, Bocklin, painted "The Isle of the Dead." It appears in the credits of this film and is recreated in the sets.

Movie Connections:

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

Merely okay

Not the best of the Val Lewton horror series, but it has its moments. When I think about it, the plot seems very good. A small group of people quarantine themselves on a small Greek island when they discover that one of them has the plague. Boris Karloff stars as a Greek general who becomes cruel when trying to keep order. After the army doctor dies, he becomes superstitious along the lines of an old woman who is also on the island. Somehow, the characters and the situation never come off especially well. It's never bad, but it's never great, either. The finale is quite effective, however. 7/10.