''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 '' A Man Escaped'', ''Cool Hand Luke'', '' Midnight Express'', ''Brubaker'', '' Esca ...

directed by William Clemens and starring

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

. 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), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

's '' The Prisoner of Shark Island'', 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 far ...

, who treated the injury of

John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assassinated United States president Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the p ...

after he assassinated Lincoln.

Plot

In the early 20th century, respected French surgeon Dr. Charles Gaudet is sentenced to ten years imprisonment to the infamous French penal colony on

Devil's Island The penal colony of Cayenne ( French: ''Bagne de Cayenne''), commonly known as Devil's Island (''Île du Diable''), was a French penal colony that operated for 100 years, from 1852 to 1952, and officially closed in 1953, in the Salvation Islan ...

for treating Gustave LeBrun, a fugitive revolutionary. His appeal rejected, and assigned to hard labor, it isn't long before Gaudet speaks out against the inhuman conditions at the prison, incurring the anger of the brutal prison commander, Colonel Armand Lucien. A revolt, led by Gaudet, is quashed after a guard is killed. Lucien's daughter, Collette, receives life-threatening wounds in an accident, and the camp doctor, Duval, does not have the skills to operate. Colonel Lucien seeks help from Gaudet offering to save him and the rebellious prisoners from the death penalty if he treats her. The surgery is a success, but Lucien executes the other prisoners involved in the revolt. Madame Lucien, the Colonel's wife, devises a plan to assist Gaudet escape by bribing the guards. Gaudet, along with other prisoners, escapes the island in a boat; but, Lucien discovers his wife's involvement. Out of gas and water, the prisoners are picked up by a convict ship bound for Devil's Island. Gaudet and the other escapees are sentenced to be executed. Madame Lucien seeks help from Demonpre, the Minister of the Colonies. Demonpre arrives just in time, arrests Lucien for the injustices he implemented, and informs Gaudet that his case has been reviewed and he has been pardoned.

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 Da ...

as Madame Lucien * James Stephenson as Col. Armand Lucien * Adia Kuznetzoff as Pierre * Rolla Gourvitch as Collette * Will Stanton as Bobo * Edward Keane as Dr. Duval *

Robert Warwick Robert Warwick (born Robert Taylor Bien; October 9, 1878 – June 6, 1964) was an American stage, film and television actor with over 200 film appearances. A matinee idol during the silent film era, he also prospered after the introduction ...

as Demonpre *

Pedro de Cordoba Pedro de Cordoba (September 28, 1881 – September 16, 1950) was an American actor. Biography De Cordoba was born in New York City to parents who were French and Cuban in origin. He was a classically trained theatre actor who confessed h ...

as Marcal * Tom Wilson as Emil * John Harmon as Andre * Richard Bond as Georges * Earl Gunn as Leon *

Sidney Bracy Sidney Bracey (born Sidney Bracy; 18 December 1877 – 5 August 1942) was an Australian-born American actor. Born into an acting family, he began a stage career in Australia, on Broadway and in Britain usually as leading men in musicals and ...

as Soupy * 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 Gustav 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 made ...

as Advocate General *

Egon Brecher Egon Brecher (18 February 1880 – 12 August 1946) was an Austrian-born American actor and director. He also served as the chief director of Vienna's Stadttheater, before entering the motion picture industry. Early years Brecher was born on 1 ...

as Debriac *

Frank Reicher Frank Reicher (born Franz Reichert; 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 M ...

as President of Assize Court

Production

The film was originally made when France announced it was giving up Devil's Island as a penal colony. The French government then changed its mind. Warners temporarily shelved the film then released it.

Reception

The film depicts the French judicial system as antiquated, unfair, and biased. The depiction of Devil's Island upset the French government. They put a two month ban on any Warners film entering France or its colonies. Fear of something similar happening resulted in a proposed 1947 film from Columbia, ''The End of Devil's Island'', being cancelled.

References

External links