Horror Island (1941)

One of my all time favorites.

As Good As It Gets

A lot of fun.

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

The film starts out a little slow but once they get to the island (about 30 minutes into the film) the movie gets good - funny. There are some suspenseful moments, a neat mystery to solve and plenty of comedy to kept it interesting.Panama Pete (The Phantom)is played by Foy Van Dolsen but I could easily see John Carradine in this role for some reason. But The Phantom is not the only reason to watch this one - the rest of the cast/characters are likable in a neat plot - so this movie is worth watching if you like a pretty good comedy-mystery story.I would not say this is Universal's best film of the time era but it certainly is a joyful watch.6.5/10

Filmed most efficiently by George Waggner on a small budget and in record time, this little movie was such an audience-pleaser that Waggner was immediately promoted to Universal's "A" unit, where he directed Maria Montez in "South of Tahiti" and Lon Chaney in "The Wolf Man" (both 1941).Although lensed on a piffling (for Universal) budget of only $93,000 on a tight twelve days' shooting schedule, there is no sense of rush or poverty on the screen. I'm told that many of the players were often ill-at-ease, but this of course adds rather than detracts from the movie's over-all atmosphere. In fact, the film can be enjoyed on several levels, thus enhancing its appeal to a wide spectrum of moviegoers from kids to adults, from sophisticated to uncultured, from cosmopolitan to backwoods, from know-alls to know-nothings. Whatever the audiences, Waggner delivers fun, thrills, suspense and above all, identification. Unless an audiences identifies with the actors on the screen, their interest in the proceedings is minimal. But when they do identify – as here – you have a blockbuster movie on your hands, no matter whether the budget was $93 thousand or $9.3 million!The movie wrapped on March 15, 1941 and was actually in theatres on March 28 – so fast that it was actually released before it was copyrighted!

Con man Bill (Dick Foran) takes a bunch of people out to an island with a "haunted" castle and a supposed buried treasure. When they get there it seems there's a phantom lurking about who wants them out of the castle and isn't above murder to get rid of them.The film has great atmosphere and sets (left over from other Universal horror films) and has Peggy Moran giving a good performance--but otherwise this is WAY too quick (half the explanations at the end make little sense) and doesn't have one even remotely scary scene in it. The picture was rushed--and it shows. Characters appear and disappear at random and the script just doesn't make much sense. There are more plot holes in this than anything else. Even Dick Foran (usually a good actor) appears lifeless here. But, if you're in the mood for a very tame and mild horror film this might work. Perfect viewing for kids. I give it a 4.

A motley assortment of people go to Sir Henry Morgan's island for a treasure hunt. The group runs afoul of a creepy killer known as "The Phantom." Director George Waggner, working from an eventful and surprisingly witty script by Victor McLeod, relates the blithely dippy story at a constant snappy pace and maintains a breezy lighthearted tone throughout. Moreover, the cast have a ball with their colorful roles: Dick Doran as amiable down-on-his luck boat captain Bill Martin and Fuzzy Knight as Martin's oafish stuttering partner Stuff Oliver make for engaging leads, the pretty Peggy Moran brings a sweetly spunky charm to her role as the sassy Wendy Creighton, Leo Carrillo is a hale'n'hearty delight as jolly peg-legged skipper Tobias Clump, plus there are nice turns by John Eldridge as the shifty Cousin George, Lewis Howard as dour sourpuss Thurman Coldwater, Hobart Cavanaugh as the timid Professor Jasper Quinley, Walter Catlett as the pesky Sergeant McGoon, and Iris Adrian as brassy moll Arleen Grady. With his gaunt face, deep gravel voice, lean build, and flowing black cape, Foy Van Dolsen makes for a nifty villain as the Phantom. Elwood Bredell's crisp black and white cinematography makes inspired use of light and shadow. The lively film library score likewise does the trick. The revelation of the real bad guy's identity is a genuine surprise. Moreover, there's a good-natured sensibility evident throughout which makes this admittedly slight hour long quickie a lot of fun to watch. A pleasingly inane and immaterial diversion.