Horror Island (1941) – Review

A haunted castle, buried treasure, hidden passages and a phantom killer all add up to a fun little “And then there were none” mystery that reveals in the “Old Dark House” subgenre, in fact, fans of Scooby-Doo should get a lot out of this mystery as the setting and the comedic hijinks have a very Mystery Incorporated feel to them, so sit back and enjoy a cheesy trip to Universal’s Horror Island!

Based on the short story “Terror of the South Seas” by Alex Gottlieb, Horror Island is set on a secluded island in a story centres around criminally unemployed Bill Martin (Dick Foran), who along with his partner Stuff Oliver (Fuzzy Knight) have tried and failed on numerous quick money-making schemes.  The only thing to Martin’s name is a rundown castle on deserted useless rock but when a peg-legged man named Tobias Clump (Leo Carrillo) brings the two them a treasure map – of course there’s a treasure map – he tells the two men that twenty million dollars worth of buried treasure is on that island. Bill becomes a little intrigued if a bit skeptical and the only piece of veracity to this tale is that some cloaked “phantom” tried to steal the map – if someone else wants it then it must be valuable – but after being told by a reputed cartographer Jasper Quinley (Hobart Cavanaugh) that the map is a fake, Bill decides to use the gullibility of the public and offers a “treasure hunt” cruise to his island, for fifty dollars apiece.

“Alas, poor Morgan, I knew him well.”

George Waggner’s Horror Island isn’t just a horror/mystery/comedy set in a spooky location it’s also got a bit of a love story thrown in for added measure, which comes in the form of Wendy Creighton (Peggy Morgan) a posh proprietor of a nearby yacht club jamboree.  Her and Bill have the standard “meet cute” that is required for these sorts of romantic comedies, and before you can say “Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum” she boards Bill’s boat The Skiddoo and becomes one of the passengers conned into this treasure hunting business. But what other suckers have been lured to this island by the prospect of pirate gold? As I mentioned at the start, this movie could be considered a precursor to the Scooby-Doo mysteries and thus the passengers are actually suspects in the forthcoming mystery and over the film’s sixty-minute running time we have to figure out what’s really going on with Morgan’s Island.

They would have been better off stopping at Gilligan’s Island.

First on the suspect list we have Bill’s cousin George (John Eldredge) who is willing to “take the island off his hands” for $20,000 dollars, then we have Wendy’s current boy toy Thurman Coldwater (Lewis Howard) who comes across as a professional gigolo, but he’s almost a better comic relief than Stuff Oliver and so he’s not really up for consideration.  Next is Jasper, a small-time gangster by the name of Rod Grady (Ralph Harolde) and his wife Arleen (Iris Adrian), then there is Sergeant McGoon (Walter Catlett) who is working for the Business Association and he wants Bill’s business shut down due to advertising of ghosts on his island – as ghosts don’t exists he considers their ad false advertising – but like Thurman, he’s here for more comic relief than anything else.  Finally there is Professor Jasper Quinley who despite claiming the map is a fake still wants to come along for the adventure.  What’s up with that?

“What are the odds that we will all be alive come morning?”

The interesting wrinkle in this mystery is that the “Haunted Castle Con” has Martin believing that all the weird stuff going on is simply stuff that Oliver’s rigged as scare tactics, that he’d set up ahead of time to give the customers a few thrills and not the work of an actual Phantom.  It’s not until bodies start piling up that he begins to realize that there is more going on than a fake treasure hunt. Continuing with the Scooby-Doo analogy, I’d say Bill Martin is a perfect fit for the part of Fred Jones as he is stoic and no-nonsense while the cowardly Stuff Oliver is a perfect Shaggy Rogers and Wendy Creighton being both beautiful and skeptical she can fill the bill for both Daphne and Velma. The only one missing character is Scooby-Doo himself – sadly, there are no animals sidekicks in this movie – but Tobias Clump at least rounds the group up to five members.

“Which one of us is a meddling kid?”

Stray Observations:

• Proof that Universal Pictures is ecologically friendly, the manor house on Morgan’s Island consisted of the stone staircase from the Carfax Abbey  from 1931’s Dracula while many of the remaining sets were recycled from 1939’s Tower of London.
• A delivery boy brings a package addressed to Bill Martin that turns out to be a time bomb and they only survive blasts because when tossed aboard their boat it falls in the water, but how did the Phantom know when the kid would deliver it? If that kid had been caught in traffic the bomb would have exploded too early.
• Though the Phantom has never been in the castle before he seems to have a detailed knowledge of the its layout, with all its secret rooms and passageways. Did someone publish a book on Morgan’s Island that he found at a local library?
• The Phantom wears a black cloak and a slouched hat and has him in danger of being sued by Lamont Cranston for ripping off the look of The Shadow.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?

The film cleverly employs spooky island mythology, such as curses and secret passageways to keep the audience engaged and on their toes, and the cast delivers performances that are true to the era’s style, with exaggerated reactions and melodramatic exchanges. Dick Foran, known for his appearances in various B-movies, leads the ensemble with his charismatic charm and he provides a solid anchor for the film. With his character combining elements of heroism and comic relief that adds a nice touch of levity to what could have been an otherwise dark narrative. The film’s pacing is commendable, consistently maintaining a sense of urgency and building tension as the characters stumble upon bizarre occurrences and encounter a masked killer. Although the plot may be predictable by today’s standards, it successfully keeps things going with its unexpected twists and turns.

“I’m pretty sure I’m not the murderer, what about you?”

A key element to pull off such a feat is the film’s setting and the excellent production designs provide everything a fan of the genre could want, particularly the manor itself as its secret passages and hidden rooms evoke a sense of intrigue and discovery, while the costume design though not extravagant suits the characters and the period in which the film is set. One of the standout aspects of Horror Island is its atmospheric cinematography by Elwood Bredell. The black and white visuals effectively create an ominous mood, especially during nighttime scenes where we see shadows dance around dimly lit corridors. Bredell is is able to beautifully capture the proper level of spookiness, enhancing the overall eerie ambience of the film, not to mention the Phantom himself is a fun villain.

“My career choice was either “killer phantom” or John Carradine look-a-like.”

George Waggner’s Horror Island remains an enjoyable and nostalgic watch for fans of classic horror cinema. Its blend of adventure, suspense and a touch of humour provides a welcome escape to a simpler era of filmmaking. If you’re in the mood for a campy and lighthearted fright fest, this 1941 gem is worth a watch. Just don’t expect groundbreaking storytelling or cutting-edge scares, but fans of Scooby-Doo will most likely get a thrill out of seeing an early version of this style of mystery.