''Devil's Island'' is a 1939 American

prison film A prison film is a film genre concerned with prison life and often prison escape. These films range from acclaimed dramas examining the nature of prisons, such as ''Cool Hand Luke'', '' Midnight Express'', '' Brubaker'', '' Escape from Alcatraz'', ...

directed by William Clemens and starring

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film '' Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established ...

. This film is notable for Karloff in a then-rare sympathetic role, as opposed to his usual antagonistic characters in horror films.Stephen Jacobs, ''Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster'', Tomahawk Press 2011 p 221-223 The plot appears to have been recycled from

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

's ''

The Prisoner of Shark Island ''The Prisoner of Shark Island'' is a 1936 American drama film loosely based on the life of Maryland physician Samuel Mudd, who treated the injured presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth and later spent time in prison after his controversial c ...

'', which depicted the true story of doctor

Samuel Mudd Samuel Alexander Mudd Sr. (December 20, 1833 – January 10, 1883) was an American physician who was imprisoned for conspiring with John Wilkes Booth concerning the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Mudd worked as a doctor and tobacco fa ...

, who treated the injury of

John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who assassinated United States President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the prominent 19th-century Booth ...

after he assassinated Lincoln.

Plot

For upholding his medical oath in treating a wounded revolutionary, respected surgeon Dr. Charles Gaudet (

) is sentenced to ten years imprisonment to the infamous French penal colony on Devil's Island. It isn't long before he speaks out against the inhuman conditions and incurs the anger of the brutal prison commander, Colonel Armand Lucien ( James Stephenson). But when Lucien's daughter Collette receives life-threatening wounds in an accident, the only person on Devil's Island who can save her is Gaudet.

Cast

as Dr. Charles Gaudet *

Nedda Harrigan Nedda Harrigan Logan (August 24, 1899 – April 1, 1989) was an American actress. Early life Harrigan was the youngest of 10 children of entertainer Edward Harrigan and his wife, Annie (Braham) Harrigan. Her grandfather was conductor Davi ...

as Madame Helene Lucien * James Stephenson as Colonel Armand Lucien * Adia Kuznetzoff as Pierre Leroux * Rolla Gourvitch as Collette Lucien * Will Stanton as Bobo Hawkins * Edward Keane as Duval, Camp Doctor * Robert Warwick as Demonpre, Minister of the Colonies *

Pedro de Córdoba Pedro de Córdoba OP (c.1460–1525) was a Spanish missionary, author and inquisitor on the island of Hispaniola. He was first to denounce the Spanish system known as the '' Encomienda'', which amounted to the practical enslavement of na ...

as Defense Attorney Marcal * Tom Wilson as Emil * John Harmon as Andre Garon *

Sidney Bracey Sidney Bracey (born Sidney Bracy; 18 December 1877 – 5 August 1942) was an Australian-born American actor. After a stage career in Australia, on Broadway and in Britain, he performed in more than 320 films between 1909 and 1942. Early li ...

as Soupy, a Prisoner (as Sidney Bracy) * George Lloyd as Dogface * Charles Richman as Governor Beaufort *

Stuart Holmes Stuart Holmes (born Joseph Liebchen; March 10, 1884 – December 29, 1971) was an American actor and sculptor whose career spanned seven decades. He appeared in almost 450 films between 1909 and 1964, sometimes credited as Stewart Holmes. Biog ...

as Gustave LeBrun *

Leonard Mudie Leonard Mudie (born Leonard Mudie Cheetham; April 11, 1883April 14, 1965) was an English character actor whose career lasted for nearly fifty years. After a successful start as a stage actor in England, he appeared regularly in the US, and mad ...

as Advocate General *

Egon Brecher Egon Brecher (18 February 1880 – 12 August 1946) was an Austria-Hungary-born actor and director, who also served as the chief director of Vienna's Stadttheater, before entering the motion picture industry. Early years The son of a professor, ...

as Debriac, LeBrun's Henchman *

Frank Reicher Frank Reicher (born Franz Reicher; December 2, 1875 – January 19, 1965) was a German-born American actor, director and producer. He is best known for playing Captain Englehorn in the 1933 film ''King Kong''. Early life Reicher was born in Mu ...

as President of Assize Court

Reception

The film depicts the French judicial system as antiquated, unfair, and biased. The depiction of Devil's Island upset the French government. Fear of something similar happening resulted in a proposed 1947 film from Columbia, ''The End of Devil's Island'', being cancelled.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Devils Island 1939 films 1939 drama films American drama films American black-and-white films 1930s prison films Films directed by William Clemens Warner Bros. films Films set on Devil's Island 1930s English-language films 1930s American films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links