Voodoo Island (1957)

A wealthy industrialist hires the renowned hoax-buster Phillip Knight to prove that an island he plans to develop isn't voodoo cursed. However, arriving on the island, Knight soon realizes ... See full summary »

Director:

Reginald Le Borg

Writer:

Richard H. Landau

Stars:

Boris Karloff, Beverly Tyler, Murvyn Vye

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Boris Karloff	...	Phillip Knight
Beverly Tyler	...	Sarah Adams
Murvyn Vye	...	Barney Finch
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Martin Schuyler (as Elisha Cook)
Rhodes Reason	...	Matthew Gunn
Jean Engstrom	...	Claire Winter
Friedrich von Ledebur	...	Native Chief (as Frederich Ledebur)
Glenn Dixon	...	Mitchell
Owen Cunningham	...	Howard Carlton
Herbert Patterson	...	Dr. Wilding
Jerry Frank	...	Vickers

Storyline

A wealthy industrialist hires the renowned hoax-buster Phillip Knight to prove that an island he plans to develop isn't voodoo cursed. However, arriving on the island, Knight soon realizes that voodoo does exist when he discovers man-eating plants and a tribe of natives with bizarre powers.

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Plot Keywords:

voodoo | island | man eating plant | native | theremin | 

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Taglines:

A SPINE-CHILLING HORROR HIT!!!! (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Silent Death

Filming Locations:

Kaua'i, Hawaii, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$150,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aubrey Schenck Productions, Bel-Air Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the first of a three-picture deal between producer Howard W. Koch and Boris Karloff for which Karloff was to be paid $25,000 per film.

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Quotes

Howard Carlton: Knight, I'm a God-fearing man. Something happened here... to him. I don't want to think why.
Phillip Knight: Are you trying to tell me that he's under the spell of some ouanga? A hex?
Howard Carlton: All right. Go there. Find out. I'd welcome it.
Phillip Knight: When I take hold of something, I don't let go.

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Connections

Referenced in NCIS: Head Case (2006)

User Reviews

Not as bad as its reputation suggests.

I first saw this film on T.V. when I was about six years old back in the 1960s. Years later I heard this film was pretty bad. I happened to recently find a badly transfered video copy at my local video. I took it home and watched it. I did not find it as bad as I expected. The parts I liked as a kid I still found effective. Critics slammed Boris Karloff here, but he is smooth and professional. However I don't think anyone would say this was one of his best performances. The best performance in the film is Elisha Cook. The ending sequence is quite creepy and Cook pulls it off well. The rest of the cast just goes through the motions. The script however, leaves a lot to be desired. As far as I know, nothing remotely like Voodoo is practised in Polynesia where this film takes place. I also was annoyed with the mish mash of supernatural and science fiction elements. The giant carnivorous plants are explained as relics from a prehistoric age; hence science fiction. The Voodoo stuff is purely supernatural fantasy. The giant plants are effective. In frightening scene, they swallow a little girl. However they have nothing to do with the plot. They are thrown in just to use up running time and seem almost to have dropped in from some other film. None the less, this film does have a few good shocks.