Fog Island (1945)

Such a frustrating disappointment

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Lionel Atwill (Alec Ritchfield), Jerome Cowan (John Kavanaugh), George Zucco (Leo Grainger), Sharon Douglas (Gail), Veda Ann Borg (Sylvia Jordan), Ian Keith (Doc Lake), Jacqueline de Wit (Emiline Bronson), John Whitney (Jeff Kingsley), George Lloyd (the butler), Eddie Parker (fight double for Ian Keith).Director: TERRY O. MORSE. Screenplay: Pierre Gendron. Based on the 1937 play "Angel Island" by Bernadine Angus. Photography: Ira H. Morgan. Film editor: George McGuire. Art director: Paul Palmentola. Music: Karl Hajos. Assistant director: William A. Calihan, junior. Sound recording: William R. Fox. Associate producer: Terry O. Morse. Producer: Leon Fromkess.Copyright 15 February 1945 by Producers Releasing Corporation. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 15 February 1945. Australian release through Hoyts Theatres Ltd: 12 September 1946. 7 reels. 6,429 feet. 72 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Deranged man invites his enemies for a weekend on his fog- bound island.NOTES: The stage play opened on Broadway at the National on 20 October 1937 and ran a miserable 21 performances. George Abbott produced and directed a great cast: Arlene Francis, Lea Penman, Betty Field, Carroll Ashburn, Doro Merande, Edith Van Cleve, Clyde Fillmore, Eric Wollencott, Louise Larabee and Joyce Arling. COMMENT: Another killer-let-loose-on-an-inescapable-island entry, "Fog Island: is an atmospherically directed and photographed grand guignol piece, well acted by all concerned (particularly Ian Keith), but somewhat too contrived for my taste. Production values are well above the usual P.R.C. level.

Wow, Atwill and Zucco together at last. I was expecting crackling transformers, electrical arcs, and monsters galore. No such luck. They do have one minor face-off, but I don't think the producers knew what sinister potential they had in these two veteran madmen.It's a typical PRC cheap budget— a big drawing room, some secret passages, and an underground room that becomes a swimming pool at inconvenient times. And that's about it. The plot's supposed to be about an island host (Zucco) using a ruse to get people who wronged him onto his island as guests so he can get revenge. Maybe the premise is not very original, but it does have potential. Trouble is there's very little development producing either suspense or mystery. Mostly, it's scattered dialog and playing hide and seek in semi-darkness. In short, the narrative's a series of individual occurrences that fail to build beyond themselves. Thus, we're left with a few interesting set-ups but little more. Too bad. Oh yes, mustn't forget not just one spider woman, but two—Borg and DeWit. Both are tall, forceful, and attractive. Like Zucco & Atwill, they do have one minor face-off, but I guess I was hoping for an all-out catfight, or more aptly a lioness fight. Now that would have been memorable. Anyway, the film does have its moments, but fails to cohere into anything more.

A modestly crisp, but unspectacular black/white low-budget murder-mystery / revenge yarn (adapted of the stage play "Angel Island") with certain horror elements.After being framed and serving time in prison. Leo invites a group of people (old work buddies) to his secluded mansion on an island to seek revenge and single out the one who killed his wife. The temptation is there for the group, as hints are given to a possible hidden fortune to be found if they stay over the weekend.The old dark, creaky house set-up is made to good use as it's implanted on an remote foggy island (which the mist could play out like a metaphor for the growing unease and not knowing what lays ahead for these guests) and the involving material stays calculative. Moments tend to get blurry, but it's an interesting setting has above-average looking production. Sometimes the pace can flounder and the script gets dubious, but a strong cast (led admirably by a neurotic George Zucco, headstrong Lionel Atwill and classy Veda Ann Borg) seem to rise for the occasion. Director Terry O. Morse ('Unknown World (1951) 'and the American version 'Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1954) ') demonstrates a serviceable slow-burn style and lets the odd assortment of possibilities play out with well-placed suspense. Karl Hajos' moodily potent score seems to suit the growing actions and atmosphere rather well.Simple, but amusingly staged b-fodder.

This crime/mystery drama is pretty murky in a number of respects, but it holds your interest most of the time with a tense and rather complicated story. George Zucco and Lionel Atwill are right at home in this kind of material, and the rest of the cast is solid if unspectacular.The setup has Zucco as an ex-convict who has a mysterious home on "Fog Island", to which he lures an assortment of persons whom he holds responsible for framing him and for killing his wife. Zucco is convincing as a half-mad plotter, and although parts of his plan remain obscure or confusing, it's interesting in that his approach to revenge is not the usual one of direct confrontation.Atwill and Veda Ann Borg are the liveliest of the supporting characters. John Whitney and Sharon Douglas are at least likable, but they are too plain to arouse much interest in their characters, who are significant to the story.The fog and darkness that dominate the settings help to hide the low-budget production, and they also help in setting the atmosphere of confusion and distrust. There are a fair number of interesting moments, and although it doesn't all fit together as well as it could have, it's a fairly interesting offbeat feature of its kind.