The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977)

A shipwrecked survivor discovers a remote island with a mad scientist.

Director:

Don Taylor

Writers:

H.G. Wells (novel), Al Ramrus (screenplay)

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Michael York, Nigel Davenport

6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Burt Lancaster	...	Dr. Paul Moreau
Michael York	...	Andrew Braddock
Nigel Davenport	...	Montgomery
Barbara Carrera	...	Maria
Richard Basehart	...	Sayer of the Law
Nick Cravat	...	M'Ling
The Great John L.	...	Boarman
Bob Ozman	...	Bullman
Fumio Demura	...	Hyena Man
Gary Baxley	...	Lionman
John Gillespie	...	Tigerman
David S. Cass Sr.	...	Bearman (as David Cass)

Storyline

A ship-wrecked man floats ashore on an island in the Pacific Ocean. The island is inhabited by a scientist, Dr. Moreau, who in an experiment has turned beasts into human beings.

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Plot Keywords:

island | scientist | shipwrecked | experiment | pacific | 

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Taglines:

The Doctor Is In-SANE!

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Genres:

Adventure | Fantasy | Horror | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

MGM Studios [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 July 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Ilha do Dr. Moreau

Filming Locations:

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American International Pictures (AIP), Cinema 77, Major Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the fight between the bullman and the tiger, the animal actually took the stuntman's head in his jaws. Luckily he was wearing a fiberglass helmet which protected him.

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Goofs

During the opening scene when the boat is being pushed ashore you can see the shadow of the boom mic in the water's edge.

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Quotes

Dr. Paul Moreau: You've been drinking for two straight days Montgomery. I suggest that you continue.

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Connections

Referenced in The Nanny: From Flushing with Love (1997)

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Soundtracks

Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja
(Papageno's Aria from "Die Zauberflöte" K.620)
Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

User Reviews

Horror-fantasy about a mad doctor by turning animals into humans, he's turned heaven into hell

On a desolate island a man (Michael York) discovers that its inhabitants are experimental animals being turned into strange looking humans, all of it the work of a visionary doctor (Burt Lancaster) , as he's horrified to uncover experiment transforming beasts into humans , Humanimals . The mad doctor isolated on the remote island has spent years creating half-men , half-animals , some real abominations . Acceptable adaptation based on H.G. Wells' novel realized by and with remarkable makeup by John Chambers . It's an excitingly produced remake of 1933's ¨Island of the lost souls¨ with Lancaster heading a solid casting as a nutty doctor who develops a process of transforming animals into half-humans at an desolated tropical island . Through experimentation Moreau-Burt has upset the balance of nature . It starts when Michael York is shipwrecked at sea and arrives in a strange island where he's terrified to discover the terrible genetic experiments realized by Dr. Moreau .

Passable horror-fantasy chiller that is developed up and down with some grotesque moments and in other side contains eerie and thrilling scenes. It results to be a strong rendition of H.G. Wells' novel about an isolated scientific who has spent several years creating half-animals turning beasts into half-human . Cast is frankly well. Lancaster's sturdy acting and good secondary casting as Richard Bashehart displaying a magnificent portrayal of one of the beasts ,the law-sayer , Nigel Davenport and a gorgeous Barbara Carrera . Watchable by excellent makeup by the late John Chambers . Colorful cinematography by the classic cameraman Gerry Fisher and thrilling musical score by Laurence Rosenthal. The motion picture is well directed by Don Taylor . He was an actor and director as TV as cinema , he played one of the leads in the Army-Air Force production of Hart's play, "Winged Victory¨ . Returning to civilian life, Taylor resumed his work in pictures with a top role in the trend-setting crime drama ¨The naked city (1948)¨ and played successful films as ¨Destination Gobi , Battleground and Stalag 17¨. In later years Taylor became a film and TV director, being nominated for an Emmy for his direction of an episode of "Night Gallery" (1969). Don met his wife Hazel Court when he directed her in a 1958 episode of "Alfred Hitchcock presents" (1955). Taylor was an expert filmmaker on adventures genre as ¨Adventures of Tom Sawyer¨ , Terror as ¨Damien : Omen 2¨ and science fiction as ¨Island of Dr. Moreau¨, ¨Escape from Planet of Apes¨, and ¨The final of countdown¨. Rating : Good . Acceptable and passable fantasy-terror fare although better viewed in big screen . The movie will appeal to Burt Lancaster devotees who will want to check out his excessive performance .

Other adaptation based on H.G. Wells' known novel are the following : The classic of 1933 titled ¨The island of lost souls¨ by Erle C. Kenton with Charles Laughton , Kathleen Burke , Bela Lugosi and Richard Arlen ; and remade in 1996 , retelling by John Frankenheimer with Marlon Brando -who hams it up a bit- , David Twellis ,Ron Perlman , Fauriza Balk , William Hootkins and Temuera Morrison