Isle of the Dead (1945)
- Starring:
- Boris Karloff, Ellen Drew, (more)
- Director(s):
- Mark Robson
Synopsis of Isle of the Dead
Inspired by Swiss artist Arnold Böcklin's famous painting, this seminal horror film marked the first of three collaborations between RKO producer Val Lewton and British genre star Boris Karloff. Set during the 1912 Balkan Wars, Isle of the Death featured Karloff as Greek general Pherides who, along with an American journalist (Marc Cramer), visits the gravesite of his late wife on a deserted island. They find the grave desecrated and a group of travelers held hostage by the superstitious beliefs of Kyra (Helene Thimig). One by one, the inhabitants of the island are felled by what Dr. Drossos (Ernest Dorian aka Ernst Deutsch) terms the plague, but what Kyra insists is the work of Thea (Ellen Drew), a young nurse she believes to be a "varvoloka," an ancient Greek vampire. Thea's patient, Mrs. St. Aubun (Katherine Emery), suffers from death-like trances and, sure enough, during one of her spells, she is pronounced dead by Swiss archeologist Albrecht (Jason Robards Sr. and is interred alive. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
Complete Cast of Isle of the Dead
- Boris Karloff - Gen. Nikolas Pherides
- Marc Cramer - Oliver Davis
- Alan Napier - Mr. St. Aubyn
- Helene Thimig - Kyra
- Skelton Knaggs - Henry Robbins
- Ernst Deutsch - Dr. Drossos
- Ellen Drew - Thea
- Katherine Emery - Mrs. St. Aubyn
- Jason Robards, Sr. - Albrecht
- Ernst Dorian - Dr. Drosses
- Sherry Hall - Greek Colonel
- Erick Hanson - Officer
- Director(s):
- Mark Robson
- Writer(s):
- Ardel Wray, Val Lewton, Josef Mischel
- Producer(s):
- Val Lewton
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