Island of Lost Souls Movie Review 1932

Horrifying adaptation of H.G. Wells's "The Island of Dr. Moreau" was initially banned in parts of the U.S. because of its disturbing contents. Dr. Moreau (Laughton) is a mad scientist who lives on a remote island and is obsessed with making men out of jungle animals. When shipwreck survivor Edward Parker (Arlen) gets stranded on the island, little does he know that Moreau wants to mate him with Lota (Burke), the Panther Woman, to produce the first human-animal child. As unsettling today as it was in the '30s. Lugosi has the notable role of the hybrid "Sayer of the Law" while Burke beat out more than 60,000 young women in a nationwide search to play the Panther Woman, winning the role because of her "feline" look. Remade as "The Island of Dr. Moreau" in both 1977 and 1996.

Distribution

Baker & Taylor Inc., 2709 Water Ridge Pkwy., Ste. 500, Charlotte, NC 28217, Phone: (704)357-3500, Toll-free: 800-775-1800, Email: btinfo@btol.com, URL: http://www.btol.com

Available on VHS
Running time 71 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Classic Horror, Universal Studios' Classic Horror, Mad Scientists, Island Fare, Wild Kingdom, Shipwrecked, Books to Film: H.G. Wells, Big Cats

Screenplay

Philip Wylie, Waldemar Young

Cast

Charles Laughton, Bela Lugosi, Richard Arlen, Leila Hyams, Kathleen Burke, Stanley Fields, Robert F. (Bob) Kortman, Arthur Hohl

Cinematography

Karl Struss

Director

Erle C. Kenton

Other

Alan Ladd, Randolph Scott, Buster Crabbe

Producer

Mark Huffam, MCA Home Video