A Ilha dos Mortos (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.

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Plot Keywords:

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

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Taglines:

Will keep you screaming! (original one-sheet poster)

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 September 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Ilha dos Mortos

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

A vorvolakas (also vrykolakas) occurs in Greek folklore as an undead creature capable of causing harm to the living. Its characteristics are similar to many other characters of legend, but it is most closely associated with vampires. In Hollywood movies such as Drácula (1931), the word vampire is often translated to Greek as vrykolakas. However, traditional vorvolakas are not noted for blood-drinking.

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Goofs

At the 36th minute, the general leaves the house and goes outside. Two of the buttons on his jacket are fastened. When he approaches the burnt offering on the patio, only one buttoned is fastened. After he makes his offering and hears the old woman laughing, he turns and walks towards her, now the jacket is completely open with no buttons fastened. When he then confronts her face to face in the next camera shot, the jacket is back to having two buttons fastened.

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs: Pieces (2018)

User Reviews

Under-appreciated gem

Wonderfully atmospheric film with a unique sense of place and well-drawn characters. Karloff's performance here is excellent, yet very different from his work in other films. You may be disappointed if you go in expecting something like his horror classics for Universal. This one is suggestive rather than shocking, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes the subtle horrors of Cat People, The Innocents, or even Rosemary's Baby. Because of its literate script and interesting character development, Isle of the Dead may also appeal to others who don't usually like horror.