East of Java (1935)

Survivors of a shipwreck find refuge on a tropical island--but so do the ship's cargo of lions and tigers.

Director:

George Melford

Writers:

James Ashmore Creelman, Gouverneur Morris (story "Tiger Island")

Stars:

Charles Bickford, Elizabeth Young, Frank Albertson

Cast

Cast overview:
Charles Bickford	...	Red McGovern aka Harvey Bowers
Elizabeth Young	...	Ann Martin
Frank Albertson	...	Larry Page
Leslie Fenton	...	Captain Wong Bo
Sig Ruman	...	Hans Muller (as Siegfried Rumann)
Clarence Muse	...	First Mate Johnson
Jay Gilbuena	...	Lee
Frazer Acosta	...	Lute (as Frazier Acosta)
Charles McNaughton	...	'Sloppy Alf'
Edgar Norton	...	Resident

Storyline

Survivors of a shipwreck find refuge on a tropical island--but so do the ship's cargo of lions and tigers.

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Taglines:

This is ADVENTURE with a VENGEANCE!

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 December 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

Java Seas

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Charles Bickford almost died when a supposedly "tame" lion turned and attacked him. The lion (which was killed by its trainer) sank its teeth into Bickford's throat. Severely injured, Bickford was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery that saved his life.

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Connections

Featured in The Universal Story (1996)

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Soundtracks

Orgy of the Spirits
by Alexander Ilynsky
(played during storm sequence)

User Reviews

Island of the Big Cats

This seldom seen Universal horror/adventure film tells the story of a ship with a cargo of lions, panthers, leopards, and tigers crashing on the shore on a small island. The animals survive only to stalk the band of survivors from the boat. Against the backdrop of this we have an odd sort of love triangle between the self-professed leader of the human survivors(played in an incredibly annoying manner by Charles Bickford), a dandy sort of fellow played by Frank Albertson, and the pretty woman aboard a boat full of men(gee, I was real surprised there was some tension amongst the men). Elizabeth Young plays the heroine and is quite good as she openly shows her love for Albertson but feels something for the bruteness of Bickford. The rest of the survivors include three wonderful characterizations by three wonderful character actors. First, Leslie Fenton plays the ship's captain and, he is very good in this subtle, complex role. Clarence Muse also shines as a deck-mate(except when he sings when he shouldn't). Sig Ruman, however, does the best as a former lion tamer who goes crazy. The sequence where he experiences his flashback is very innovative and inspired acting. The film is fast-paced and the sets look authentic. For me the only real flaw was Bickford and his annoying acting "talent."