''Fog Island'' is a 1945 American mystery-suspense film directed by Terry O. Morse. The film stars

B movie A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

regulars

George Zucco George Zucco (11 January 1886 – 27 May 1960) was a British character actor who appeared in plays and 96 films, mostly American-made, during a career spanning over two decades, from the 1920s to 1951. In his films, he often played a suave vill ...

and

Lionel Atwill Lionel Alfred William Atwill (1 March 1885 – 22 April 1946) was an English and American stage and screen actor. He began his acting career at the Garrick Theatre. After coming to the United States, he appeared in Broadway plays and Hollywood ...

. It was based on the 1937 play ''Angel Island'' by Bernadine "Bernie" Angus.

Plot

A recent ex convict named Leo Grainer lives secluded on Fog Island with the daughter of his murdered wife. Seeking to learn who murdered her, and to exact revenge on those who framed him and destroyed his business, he invites his former associates to his creepy island mansion on the pretext he may share a hidden fortune with them. Prior to their arrival he rigs the mansion with secret passages and a trap. Then, once his guests arrive, he gives each a clue, including his step daughter and butler. This successfully pits everyone against the others and plays on their greed. What then transpires is conflict, revealed mysteries, sudden death, and an unlikely resolution.

Cast

as Alec Ritchfield *

as Leo Grainer *

Jerome Cowan Jerome Palmer Cowan (October 6, 1897 – January 24, 1972) was an American stage, film, and television actor. Early years Cowan was born in New York City, the son of William Cowan, a confectioner of Scottish descent, and Julia Cowan, née Pal ...

as Kavanaugh * Sharon Douglas as Gail *

Veda Ann Borg Veda Ann Borg (January 11, 1915 – August 16, 1973) was an American film and television actress. Early years Borg was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Gottfried Borg, a Swedish immigrant, and Minna Noble. She became a model in 1936 before ...

as Sylvia * John Whitney as Jeff *

Jacqueline deWit Jacqueline deWit (September 26, 1912 – January 7, 1998) was an American film and TV character actress from Los Angeles who appeared in over two dozen films, including '' Spellbound'' (1945), '' The Snake Pit'', '' The Damned Don't Cry!'', '' ...

as Emiline Bronson *

Ian Keith Ian Keith (born Keith Ross; February 27, 1899 – March 26, 1960) was an American actor. Early years Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Keith grew up in Chicago. He was educated at the Francis Parker School there and played Hamlet in a school pr ...

as Dr. Lake * George Lloyd as Allerton - Butler

Production

The rights to the play on which the film was based had been sold by ''

The New York World-Telegram The ''New York World-Telegram'', later known as the ''New York World-Telegram and The Sun'', was a New York City newspaper from 1931 to 1966. History Founded by James Gordon Bennett Sr. as ''The Evening Telegram'' in 1867, the newspaper began ...

'' for $30,000. But, this is highly suspect as it became a PRC Release and the studio would only give less than $200 to writers for the final script. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Paul Palmentola Paul Palmentola (1888–1966) was an Italian-born American art director.Stephens p.233 He designed the film sets for more than two hundred productions during his career, much of his work during the 1930s and 1940s at low-budget studios such as M ...

Soundtrack

* Sharon Douglas and Karl Hajos - "Liebestraum (Love's Dream)" by

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

Critical reception

Allmovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, television series, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was ...

noted "An early low-budget spin on ''

Ten Little Indians "Ten Little Indians" is an American children's Counting-out game, counting out rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 12976. In 1868, songwriter Septimus Winner adapted it as a song, then calledTen Little Injuns, for a minstrel show. Lyr ...

''," calling it "cheap but entertaining."

References

External links

* * *
Review of film
at ''Variety'' 1945 films 1945 horror films American mystery horror films American black-and-white films Producers Releasing Corporation films American films based on plays 1945 mystery films Films scored by Karl Hajos 1940s English-language films 1940s American films English-language horror films English-language mystery films {{1940s-US-film-stub