Isle of the Dead (1945)

On a Greek island during the 1912 war, several people are trapped by quarantine for the plague. If that isn't enough worry, one of the people, a superstitious old peasant woman, suspects ... See full summary »

Director:

Mark Robson

Writer:

Ardel Wray

Stars:

Boris Karloff, Ellen Drew, Marc Cramer

2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Boris Karloff	...	Gen. Nikolas Pherides
Ellen Drew	...	Thea
Marc Cramer	...	Oliver Davis
Katherine Emery	...	Mrs. Mary St. Aubyn
Helene Thimig	...	Madame Kyra
Alan Napier	...	St. Aubyn
Jason Robards Sr.	...	Albrecht (as Jason Robards)
Ernst Deutsch	...	Dr. Drossos (as Ernst Dorian)

Storyline

On a Greek island during the 1912 war, several people are trapped by quarantine for the plague. If that isn't enough worry, one of the people, a superstitious old peasant woman, suspects one young girl of being a vampiric kind of demon called a vorvolaka.

---

Plot Keywords:

plague | premature burial | catalepsy | buried alive | vampire | 

---

Taglines:

Stealthy, nameless terror empties tombs of those long dead!..buries those still alive!...leaves behind it DEATH...and worse!

---

Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 September 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

Camilla

Box Office

Budget:

$246,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film's initial television presentation took place in Hartford CT Thursday 8 March 1956 on WGTH (Channel 18); it first aired in Los Angeles Saturday 21 April 1956 on KHJ (Channel 9), in Asheville NC Friday 22 June 1956 on WLOS (Channel 13), in Altoona Saturday 30 June 1956 on WFBG (Channel 10), in Philadelphia Saturday 18 August 1956 on WFIL (Channel 6), in San Francisco Thursday 30 August 1956 on KPIX (Channel 5), and in New York City Saturday 13 October 1956 on WOR (Channel 9).

---

Goofs

When the general and Davis are walking on the beach with a lantern, an electrical cord can be seen coming from the lantern and running along the sand.

---

Quotes

Dr. Drossos: I meet my old familiar enemy, Death. I've fought him before. I've won, often. Now he wins. Let him come for me.

---

Connections

Featured in 100 Years of Horror: Blood-Drinking Beings (1996)

User Reviews

Eerie drama of quarantined souls on a Greek island in 1912...

BORIS KARLOFF is a Greek general whose wife's body has mysteriously vanished from its tomb at the start of ISLE OF THE DEAD. He's naturally suspicious that something more evil than the plague has crept over the island he decides must be quarantined--forbidding anyone from leaving it. ELLEN DREW is a young woman he suspects may have something to do with evil spirits--or even vampirism--and MARC CRAMER is a young soldier who wants to protect her.

All the ingredients for a good chiller are here, but it's a story that gets its main strength, not from the plot, but from the sinister, shadowy B&W photography that sets up the moody atmosphere from the start, with an air of dread lingering over every scene.

Aiding considerably are strong performances from KATHERINE EMERY as a sick woman who fears being buried alive, and HELEN THIMIG as a superstitious old woman. In fact, all of the supporting players do well under Mark Robson's taut direction.

The tale itself is not one of my favorites but it's a credit to all concerned that they do a job of giving it a creepiness that should satisfy even the most jaded of Gothic horror fans.

And yet, ultimately, there's a bit of a letdown as far as the story itself is concerned. The ingredients are all there, but something vital is missing and I'm sorry to say I don't know exactly what it is.

Nevertheless, holds the interest throughout.