Monday, January 31, 2011

ISLE OF THE DEAD / RKO - 1945

Welcome to Mondo Monday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. Tonite we gots more Boris for your enjoyment, released just after WWII ended. Val Lewton is co-producer.

The story goes like this... On a Greek island during the 1912 war, several people get trapped there by a quarantine for the plague. To make things even more creepy, a superstitious old peasant woman that lives there suspects one young girl of being a vampiric sort of demon called a Vorvolaka! The tagline reads... "One of these six will be BURIED ALIVE! None can hear their screams on this far-off horror island! None can stop the terrors a man-monster holds in store!"

The music is by heavyweight, Leigh Harline. Leigh had 195 composing, 102 music department and 37 soundtrack credits! Check some of this out, for Disney's PINOCCHIO (music: "When You Wish Upon A Star" 1939 - uncredited, "Little Wooden Head" 1939 - uncredited, "Give A Little Whistle" 1939 - uncredited, "Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee" 1939 - uncredited, "I've Got No Strings" 1939 - uncredited), MR. BUG GOES TO TOWN, HENRY AND DIZZY, THE BRIGHTON STRANGLER, DING DONG WILLIAMS, THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY SOXER, THE BOY WITH THE GREEN HAIR, MONKEY BUSINESS, THE DESERT RATS, THE BOTTOM OF THE BOTTLE, TEENAGE REBEL, THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT, VISIT TO A SMALL PLANET and 7 FACES OF DR. LAO.

Okay then, let's bring in our littlest (and cutest) Dungeon helper and buddy, buddy... Rufus The Gnat. He'll be pushing that big red 'GO' button over there inna sec, an' start our Eariffic Earclip for... ISLE OF THE DEAD!


Boris shows Oliver Davis, played by Marc Cramer, the island cemetary where his wife is buried. They boat over for a short, 3 hour tour...

Once there, they find out that they cannot go back because there has been a plague outbreak, and the island is under quarantine! Now, that's a good one!! There's the distinctive looking Skelton Knaggs on the left, he's in one of The Dungeon's very favorite flicks, MASTERMINDS! And, he played X-Ray in DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME.

When I was a kid venetian blinds were very popular and I still love the look of them.

Now, people are starting to die from the affliction...

Here's Alan Napier as St. Aubyn, he's being covered by a sheet as he's just died. Alan also played the very clever mad doctor in MASTERMINDS! We'll be bringing you another flick starring Alan one of these days, ISLAND OF LOST WOMEN.

Depression starts to set in among the people still not affected yet.

Another one bites the dust!

Madame Kyra tells Boris that she believes young Thea is a vampire, and responsible for the disease that's spreading over the island.

Check out these shadows on Thea's face, makes me think of I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE!..

More great shadowing as Boris gets freaky with delusion near the end.

The natural beauty of a fleeting woman.

Ghoulnight Everbloody!!

8 comments:

Mark said...

This is my favorite blog. Makes me smile.

TABONGA! said...

Mark, dude, thanks!! We work hard for you...

Christopher said...

I love all the Lewtons and this one really gets rolling with the premature burial and Karloff on the rampage toward the end..The Lewton "jolt" for me in this one is when Thea follows the undead Mrs. St. Aubyn into that dark Temple and you can barely make out the figure of st. aubyn in the shadows and then she darts out into the lighted doorway..

Suzanne said...

You know i am a massive Lewton fan, and this starring Karloff is like ice cream on a sunny day. By far this is the best hair that Karloff ever sported. Downright suave I think.

Eegah!! and Tabonga! said...

Dig those curls!!

Prof. Grewbeard said...

i don't know, i think Boris was sexier in The Black Room!...

Greg Goodsell said...

Worth seeing if only for catching Jason Robards SENIOR.

venetian blinds geelong said...

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