Isle of the Dead (Mark Robson, 1945)

Isle of the Dead, you are invited to a Forbidden Adventure

Abandon all hope, you are on the Isle of the Dead!

Isle of the Dead is one of the most significant horror films ever (I share the same idea with Martin Scorsese (Isle of the Dead is among the 11 horror films of all time). The film “Isle of Dead” is directed by Mark Robson, the screenplay was written by Ardel Wray and the idea of the film is based on the Arnold Bocklin painting “Isle of the Dea”. The score of the film is was composed by Leigh Harline and director of photography is Jack Mackenzie and the film was edited by Lyle Boyer and finally the film was distributed by RKO Radio Pictures.

The cast of “Isle of the Dead”

The part of General Nikolas Prenides (the main male character) is performed by Boris Karloff, the part of Thea (the main female character) is played by Ellen Drew. Also, in film participate Marc Cramen, Katherine Emery, Helen Thing, Alan Napier, Jason Robards, Ernst Deutsh, Sherry Hall, Erick Hanson and Skelton Knaggs.

The plot structure of film “Isle of the Dead”

During the first world war in a small Greek island a plaque forces an emergency situation and a quarantine. One by one the habitats of the isle are dying and ayoung woman is accused by being a “vrykolakas” a Greek - version of vampire and actually the oldest on earth.

Isle of Dead and box - office

The film was not a huge box office success and it’s production budget was the highest in relation with previous films of Val Lewton

You can see on the following video, the trailer of the film "Isle of the Dead".

Follow us on twitter (twitter.com/horror2112)

Elias Stoikos

Relative Articles

Cat people

Val Lewton

I walked with a Zombie

Resources

Isle of the Dead

Isle of the Dead - Internet Movies Database

Isle of the Dead - painting

I need to mention that this article tries to provide information to reader using all the available data on the day of its publishing. New information and data for this subject and issue are published every day. It’s been highly recommended to the reader to search on Google for more information. World is moving searching is the driving force. Searching is the source of inspiration and the source of truth.                    

I walked with a Zombie (1943, Jacues Tourner)

I Walked with a Zombie - Who said the dead don't walk

The film “I Walked with a Zombie” is considered one of the best horror films ever and it’s among the most significant films in Zombie sub – genre. The concept of the film is based on an article which was published published in American Weekly magazine by Columnist Inez Wallace “I walked with a Zombie”. The rights of the article were acquired by RKO Pictures head Charles Koerner and he asked the producer Val Lewton to start the preproduction of a film based on the article.

At the beginning Val Lewton had a different idea and wanted to change the title of the film but finally he and the film director Jacques Tourneur produced a masterpiece of horror cinema and now days is considered one of the greatest achievements in the genre. According to Alan Jones is a rare piece of visual poetry, constructed as a haunting symphony of elegant nightmare imagery.

The main persons behind the success of film “I walked with a Zombie”

As I have already mentioned earlier the film “I walked with a Zombie” was directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by Val Lewton, the screenplay of the film was directed by Curt Siodmak and Adrel Wray. The story of the film is based on an article with the same name written by Inez Wallace and published in American Weekly Magazine. The film “I walked with a Zombie” it was distributed by RKO Radio Pictures and Director of Photography was Roy Hunt and the unforgettable soundtrack of the film eas composed by J. Roy Hunt.

Cast of the film “I walked with a Zombie”

James Ellison performs the part of Wesley Rand, France Dee performs the part of Betsy Connell (the main female character) Tom Conway performs the part of Paul Holland and Edith Barrett performs the part of Mrs. Rand. In the film participate also Jame Bell, Christine Gordon, Theresa Harris, Sir Lancelot, Darby Jones and Jeni Le Gon.    

The plot structure of the film “I walked with a Zombie”

The film “I walked with a Zombie” is about the most common question – the powers of reason struggling against the powers of unknown.

The plot of the film is developed in the exotic background of a tropical island in West Indies. Jessica (the role performed by Christine Gordon) is catatonic and her husband is a rich American plantation owner Paul Holland (the part performed by Tom Conway). There is a strong belief among the local habitants of the small island that Jessica suffers because the mother of her husband Mrs Rand (Edith Barret) has placed a voodoo curse on her because Jessica had a love affair with her half – brother Wesley (part is performed by James Ellison).        

Holland the husband of Jessica can’t accept the rumors and the superstitions beliefs of locals and he believes that his wife is mentally ill. The main character of the film is Betsy (role played by Frances Dee) a Canadian nurse who arrives in the island to look after Jessica. Betsy tries to solve the various problems of Jessica. Betsy takes Jessica in a voodoo ceremony in an effort to help Jessica return back to her normal life.

The film is known to audience, to film industry and to all media for the amazing, unforgettable and unique nocturnal walk of Betsy and Jessica through a sugar cane field as they walking to get to Houmfort, the island’s voodoo centre. During their walk they will meet various talisman, a tree hung goat carcass, a horse’s skull garlanded with faded flowers and they are approaching drums drown out the sound of the rustling wind.

You can see om youtube the legendary sugar cane scene from the film “I walked with a Zombie”

Follow us on twitter (horror2112)

Elias Stoikos

Relative Articles

Les Diaboliques

The thing from another world

The 50s decade horror films

Sir Alfred Hitchcock

Psycho

Resources

I Walked with a Zombie - Wikipedia

I walked with a Zombie - Internet Movies Data base

I walked with a Zombies - Rotten Tomatoes

I need to mention that this article tries to provide information to reader using all the available data on the day of its publishing. New information and data for this subject and issue are published every day. It’s been highly recommended to the reader to search on Google for more information. World is moving searching is the driving force. Searching is the source of inspiration and the source of truth.