Isle of Missing Men
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Isle of Missing Men |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1942 |
| length | 61 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Richard Oswald |
| script | Richard Oswald Robert Chapin |
| production | Richard Oswald |
| music | Edward J. Kay |
| camera | Paul Ivano |
| cut | Jack Dennis |
| occupation | |
| |
Isle of Missing Men is an American film directed by Richard Oswald from 1942. The story is based on the play White Lady by Gina Kaus and Ladislaus Fodor .
action
Somewhere in the Pacific, shortly after the United States entered World War II. The SS Bombay was crossing the ocean with the aim of Australia when the ship was attacked by Japanese bombers. The captain decides to return to the port of departure, the prisoner island Caruba. On board are, among others, the governor of the island, Merrill Hammond, the light blonde Diana Bryce, a mysterious and always very serious-looking young lady, who offers Hammond to be his guest on the island until there is another possibility of a crossing , as well as the Germany refugee and concentration camp survivor Richard Heller, a ragged and torn figure who did not survive the bombing. Back on Caruba, the other inhabitants of the island are introduced to the story: There is Dr. Brown, the island doctor in charge, and George Kent, chief of the prison administration. Diana is billeted in a house that Merrill once had built for his late wife. Director Kent is not particularly pleased with Diana's presence, as he thinks that women have no business on a prison island.
Diana is quite interested in the other islanders, namely: the prison inmates. Especially Curtis, convicted of murder, seems to be of particular interest. While Hammond, Diana, Kent and Doc Brown are having dinner, Curtis is secretly watching them. Nobody knows that the man is really Diana's husband and that she wanted to see him again. Curtis tells her that he intends to flee. Diana asks him, however, to hope for the resumption of his trial. The Kent couple, who overhear two people talking, are almost caught on their secret rendezvous. When Merrill also shows up to give Diana a book, Kent is prevented from following up the voices. Diana gives her husband the money and jewels she brought with her so that she can escape by bribery. Prison boss Kent is suspicious and searches Curtis' cell, where he promptly discovers Diana's jewelry. Curtis is then put in solitary confinement, from where he has no chance to escape.
Meanwhile, Diana manages to get Doc Brown on her side. She persuades him to issue a death certificate on Curtis, who has "faded" from an epidemic infection, so that he can be brought out of the cell as a corpse and escape from the island. When Diana goes through Doctor Brown's files, she learns that her husband is really a pathological liar who has obviously cheated on her with other women as well. Curtis meanwhile steals from jail and onto the next departing ship, where Diana confronts him with her latest findings. She tells him that she will leave him because she no longer loves him. Meanwhile, Doc Brown admits his wrongdoing to Merrill. But he doesn't tell anyone about it because he has long since kept an eye on Diana himself and the development of the processes suits him very well. A little later there is a serious scuffle on board with the captain and two sailors, in which Curtis dies at his own hand. Diana, who wanted to accompany him, returns to the island and into the arms of widower Merrill. Both will leave the dreary island for good with the next ship.
Production notes
Isle of Missing Men was written in the spring of 1942 and premiered on September 18, 1942. In Germany, you couldn't see Oswald's penultimate film, a classic Powerty Row production that was barely noticed by the critics.
Frank Paul Sylos designed the film structures .
criticism
"The very poor people version of Papillon ."
Web links
- Isle of Missing Men in the Internet Movie Database (English)