Horror Island (1941)

A down-on-his-luck businessman organizes an excursion to Sir Henry Morgan's Island for a treasure hunt only to encounter a mysterious phantom and murder.

Director:

George Waggner

Writers:

Maurice Tombragel (screenplay), Victor McLeod (screenplay)

Stars:

Dick Foran, Leo Carrillo, Peggy Moran

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dick Foran	...	Bill Martin
Leo Carrillo	...	Tobias Clump
Peggy Moran	...	Wendy Creighton
Fuzzy Knight	...	Stuff Oliver
John Eldredge	...	Cousin George
Lewis Howard	...	Thurman Coldwater
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	Professor Jasper Quinley
Walter Catlett	...	Sergeant McGoon
Ralf Harolde	...	Rod Grady
Iris Adrian	...	Arleen Grady
Foy Van Dolsen	...	The Phantom
Emmett Vogan	...	The Stranger

Storyline

Down-on-his-luck entrepreneur Bill Martin and sidekick Stuff Oliver try to stay one step in front of creditors in their seedy waterfront office when they meet "The Captain," an idiosyncratic peg-legged old sailor. The Captain is convinced that the treasure of pirate Sir Henry Morgan is hidden somewhere in a castle on an offshore island recently inherited by Martin. His proof is a treasure map, half of which has been stolen by a mysterious phantom who lurks in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to steal the other half. Sensing a moneymaking opportunity, Bill tries to recruit customers willing to pay $50 apiece for a "treasure hunt" outing to the "haunted" island. Among those signing up are heiress Wendy Creighton and her bored, ineffectual boy friend, a dimwitted police sergeant, a professor whose expertise is old maps, a wanted murderer and his moll, and Bill's cousin George, who has recently offered $20,000 to buy the supposedly worthless island. They all get more than the few ...

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Plot Keywords:

map | wooden leg | heebie jeebies as slang | reference to bluebeard | reference to shakespeare's hamlet | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Universal" released this film only 25 days after shooting began on March 3, 1941, finishing on the 15th.

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Goofs

Though the Phantom has never been in the castle before, he seems to have a detailed knowledge of the house's layout with all its secret rooms and passages.

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Quotes

Professor Jasper Quinley: [examining the treasure map] It's amazing, positively amazing!
Bill Martin: You mean, it's on the level?
Professor Jasper Quinley: On the level? Oh, you mean "authentic?"
Stuff Oliver: Oh, what we want to know - is it real?

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Connections

Featured in 100 Years of Horror: Scream Queens (1996)

User Reviews

Amusing horror quickie

Horror Island was obviously made on a shoestring budget to accompany some bigger Universal film. I wasn't surprised it took only twelve days to shoot. In spite of this, however, Horror Island is an entertaining little flick that never really has time to get boring. The first half of the film is the best; and this is mostly thanks to Dick Foran. He plays a 'wheeling and dealing' businessman who has a lot of creditors on his back. This leads him to begin offering trips to a haunted island where his punters can look for buried treasure. After getting together a party of people through various means, they set off to the island...and the film goes downhill from there. There's some subplot about a mysterious phantom wanting the treasure for himself; but it seems like the writer didn't really know what to do once we get to the main bulk of the film and a lot of the early momentum is lost. Still, the film is always at least amusing and at only sixty minutes, there's not enough time for it to outstay its welcome. The whole thing is rather jokey and silly and I'm not surprised it hasn't endured as one of Universal's classics. Still, it's worth a look if you have an hour to spare.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 March 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Ilha do Horror

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$93,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1