Il mostro dell'isola (1954)

An Italian government agent is assigned to break up a drug smuggling ring on the island of Ischia but his daughter is kidnapped by the gang.

Director:

Roberto Bianchi Montero

Writers:

Roberto Bianchi Montero, Carlo Lombardo (story),

Stars:

Boris Karloff, Franca Marzi, Renato Vicario

Cast

Credited cast:
Boris Karloff	...	Don Gaetano
Franca Marzi	...	Gloria D'Auro (as Frana Marzi)
Renato Vicario	...	Ten. Mario Andreani
Patrizia Remiddi	...	Fiorella Andreani (as Patricia Remiddi)
Jole Fierro	...	Giulia
Carlo Duse	...	Foster
Germana Paolieri	...	Adalgisa
Giuseppe Chinnici	...	Maresciallo Antonio Carcani
Giulio Battiferri	...	Il rapitore
Domenico De Nimmo	...	Uomo di Pozzuoli
Clara Gamberini	...	La contessa
Salvatore Scibetta	...	Col. Della Finanza
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Giuseppe Addobbati	...	Direttore 'Sirena'
Gianni Breschi
Bruna Camerini

Storyline

An Italian government agent is assigned to break up a drug smuggling ring on the island of Ischia but his daughter is kidnapped by the gang.

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Plot Keywords:

daughter | island | drug smuggling | italian | gang | 

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Island Monster

Filming Locations:

Incir De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Romana Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

Boris the benefactor

Boris Karloff and the title "Island Monster" does not a horror movie make, as is evidenced in this tepid crime-drama concerning a government investigator sent to break a drug ring, until things go awry when his young daughter is kidnapped. Local benefactor (Karloff) seems a kindly old gentleman, whose hospice for ill children paints him as the town's saint, but there's something distinctly unsavoury about the milk he imports.

Karloff is wasted as the benevolent Samaritan above suspicion while local mule Franca Marzi has a decent role as a nightclub singer whose drug addiction has brought her into the criminal arena, with a sad past and an opportunity for atonement ahead. Fierro is okay as the frantic mother whose child is abducted, and Vicario, playing essentially the leading man, a debonair, ladies' man loyal to the uniform, is consistently monotone.

The Napoli locations are picturesque and there's a hint of the continental lifestyle that's hard to ignore, but the film is otherwise bland and unimaginative, lacking suspense, and hopelessly clichéd - right down to the faithful mutt who does a pretty good substitute for Lassie.