Fog Island (1945) User Reviews

"I had less to do with her murder than you did." Watchable mystery.

[poolandrews · 6/10 · 1 March 2006]

Fog Island starts on the remote, ominously named Fog Island itself where Leo Grainger (George Zucco) & his stepdaughter Gail (Sharon Douglas) live together with Allerton (George Lloyd) the butler. But they are not alone for long as Dr. Lake (Ian Keith) an old acquittance of Leo's turns up & Leo has also sent out invitations to Alec Ritchfield (Lionel Atwill), Emiline Bronson (Jacqueline de Wit), John Kavanaugh (Jerome Cowan), Sylvia Jordan (Veda Ann Borg) & a final invitation to someone who recently died so his son Jeff Kingsley (John Whitney) takes his Father's place. All of Leo's intended guests are the people he believes are responsible for him doing five years in prison for a bad business deal & more importantly Leo believes one of them murdered his wife over said dodgy deal. As Leo figured out his invitations are accepted as the prospect of finding Leo's supposed hidden fortune gets the better of the greedy bunch of thieves. The scene is set then, an isolated island, a selection of dubious character's, lies, intrigue, hidden money, revenge & ultimately murder...

Produced & directed by Terry O. Morse I thought Fog Island was a fairly enjoyable mystery/thriller, it's not really a horror but it does have horror themes & overtones. The script by Pierre Gendron is based upon a play called 'Angel Island' by Bernadine Angus which I unfortunately have not had the pleasure of watching so I obviously cannot compare the two. The film starts off pretty good with a quick set up & a lot of very forced sounding exposition out of the way in a short amount of time & all the potential victims/killers are assembled on the island they are given a mysterious clue but then it takes a step backwards & slows down & from that point onwards it felt like every other shot was of someone walking in the dark & acting suspiciously. Things pick up again for the nice twist climax which I have to say I did see coming as a scene earlier in the film gives it away but it was still a good way to round things off & left me satisfied overall. At only just past the 70 odd minute mark it's short & it doesn't outstay it's welcome although it did feel padded at times with all the walking around in the dark doing nothing in particular.

Director Morse does what he can, the island itself doesn't play that much of a part except that it makes for a nice isolated location & the title Fog Island just sounds cool, it mostly takes place in a house. The atmosphere is good in which the creaky old house itself plays a big part. Don't expect a high body count or any violence.

Technically Fog Island is fine considering it was made over sixty years ago, the black and white cinematography works in the films favour with all the pitch black corridors & corners. The acting is OK at best, rather wooden & stiff at worst.

Fog Island is a decent little thriller from the 40's that is simple but entertaining. Definitely worth a watch in my opinion.

Quite Foggy

[Mike-764 · 5/10 · 18 December 2003]

Leo Granger, falsely framed for embezzlement and living on Fog Island with his stepdaughter, invites the 4 persons who framed him and one of which is responsible for the murder of Granger's wife. The only reason for the 4 to go to the former pirate hideaway, is that they, along w/ Granger's former cellmate, believe that somewhere in the house is a stash of money, Granger accumulated. One of the four, Kingsley, is the son of the recently deceased person who framed Granger, and is only there for Gail, the step-daughter. At the island, Granger gives each a clue to ultimately get "what's coming to them", and he waits to see how the group's greed will get the best of them. The film has the right atmosphere and a good cast, but that's all to recommend it. Obviously with a PRC budget, you might have had a style similar to Clair's And Then There Were None. Morse's direction is uneven, very often breaking the tension. Still a good production from the studio. Rating, 5.

George Zucco, Lionel Atwill, thick fog and a murderous mansion star in this B-movie programmer

[Terrell-4 · 5/10 · 1 February 2008]

A pen for Emiline Bronson.

A small book of multiplication tables for John Kavanaugh.

A toy skull for Sylvia Jordan.

A chisel for Alec Richfield.

A knife for Jeff Kingsley.

And a key for Gail, whose last name we never learn.

These are party favors from Leo Grainger, a failed financier whose associates framed him with a fraud rap. He was sent to jail for five years. And someone murdered his rich wife. This night they are all gathered on Fog Island in Grainger's hulking mansion, amidst fog so thick you can lean against it. Grainger invited them with hints that from the money he was convicted of stealing, a fortune still remains buried somewhere in the mansion. However, Jeff Kingsley turns out to be the innocent son of one of the conspirators, a man who has died recently. And Gail is Leo Grainger's stepdaughter, a young woman who seems pouty and resentful, yet who appears to have respect for her stepfather. During this long night, Leo Grainger's party favors will lead to retribution and horrible death.

For fans of low-budget Forties' movies, especially those which feature mystery, death and strange animals, human and otherwise, roaming the moors, two names stand high in the pantheon of actors who deliver the goods: George Zucco and Lionel Atwill. They were born within a year of each other in England, Zucco in 1886 and Atwill in 1885. Both had distinguished stage careers. Zucco left Britain for Hollywood in 1935. Atwill arrived in America in 1915. Atwill was so confident and assured as an actor that it was easy to overlook how hammy he could be. Zucco's mad glare made it easy to overlook how good an actor he was, and how avuncular and reassuring he could be as a good guy. Both settled into strong character parts in the Thirties, often in A-level movies, and both, for different reasons, ended up in more and more low-budget mystery and horror programmers in the Forties...Zucco because as he got older he began to accept any roles offered to him; Atwill because he was involved in a scandal and could only find work in low-budget cheapies.

Fog Island is fun because it is one of the few films the two actors appear in together. Zucco is Leo Grainger, a man who will have his retribution. Atwill is Alec Richfield, one of the instigators of Leo's downfall and a prime suspect in the death of Leo's wife. The third major player, of course, is the glowering mansion set on this isolated island. We quickly learn, as Leo goes about setting his traps, that some of his guests are going to encounter the dank lower chambers carved in the living rock, rooms with hidden doors, pits covered with disguised lids and one water-tight room, deep in the bowels of the island, where horri...well, you need to see the movie.

The film features some barely adequate acting, gloomy and surprisingly rich-looking interiors, a lot of obviously one-take scenes, as well as a suspicious looking butler. And among the cast is that tall, blond specialist in dames you shouldn't trust, Veda Ann Borg. Those fans of low-budget programmers like me miss her.

Cheap but enjoyable.

[GroovyDoom · 24 December 2002]

Although "Fog Island" is very stagy (which is understandable, seeing as it was adapted from a play), and the acting is often atrocious, it's very enjoyable for its black and white mystery atmosphere. It reminded me of the kind of drama that used to be produced for the radio on shows like "Inner Sanctum." The admittedly contrived story takes place predominantly in an old dark mansion which is, we are told, located on an island where the fog is constant and overpowering. Lionel Atwill, who was framed and sent up the river by some shifty associates in his business, devises a scheme to lure the conspirators to his remote home and have them kill each other for the fortune they think is hidden there.

The creaky story relies on all of the characters being murderously greedy, and this is the kind of movie where booby traps exist alongside secret passages and hidden compartments. Did houses like this really exist anywhere other than the movies?

Interestingly, although the plot comes off as contrived, it's not entirely predictable, either. It also benefits from not being overly long, clocking in at just about an hour. The presence of Lionel Atwill helps immensely. Would be great on a double bill with "Secret of the Blue Room".

Justice is served on Fog Island.

[michaelRokeefe · 3/10 · 27 June 2004]

Nothing like an old, low-budget mystery. Leo Granger(George Zucco)has been released from prison after being framed for embezzlement by his once trusted associates. He decides to invite them to his hideaway haven on Fog Island intimating it is a chance to even the score for his stay in prison as well as the murder of his wife. In the name of justice due, he hopes his guests will accept the invitation in hopes of sharing in the embezzled funds. But instead he has devised a death-trap for those that ill advised and urged some of his past bad behavior.

The fog lends to an atmosphere of mystery. Plus the fact that the guests don't exactly trust each other let alone their host causes a degree of suspense. The abrupt climax serves justice. Veteran villain Lionel Atwill leads the supporting cast of Jerome Cowan, Sharon Douglas, Veda Ann Borg and John Whitney.

A Man With A Plan

[sol1218 · 5/10 · 6 June 2004]

****SPOILERS**** The only thing that seems to make any sense about the movie "Fog Island" is that the bitter and vengeful Leo Grainer, George Zucco, wanted to know for sure if any or all of the people that he invited to stay over at his home Alic Ritchfield, Lionel Atwill, Kavanaugh, Jerome Cowan, Syivla, Veda Ann Borg, and Emiline Bronson, Jaqueline Dewit, on Fog Island murdered his dear wife Karma. Finding out later in the film, at the cost of Leo's life, that Karma was murdered by his invited guests he could then die happily knowing that their greed would lead them right into the trap that he set for them.

When Leo was framed by the above mentioned individuals for embezzling his company and sent to prison they not only looted whatever was still left in the company's coffers but in their mindless greed went to Fog Island. After not finding out from Leo's wife Karma where he stashed a large portion of his liquid assets, that they felt that he hid from them, they murdered her.

His business bankrupt his wife dead and his future bleak Leo after getting out of prison had only one reason for living. That was to punish those who destroyed his life and murdered his wife Karma. At first you wondered why these people would take Leo up on his invitation to come and stay overnight at his home on the Island as guests? They knew how much Leo hated them and how unstable and crazy he was. As you watched them in the movie you soon saw just how much their greed blinded them and distorted their reason from seeing this. Leo playing on their greed made them think that he had a large amount of liquid assets hidden somewhere on Fog Island. In the end Leo's guests didn't find any assets but got far more liquids that they could have ever hoped for.

The good acting in the movie "Fog Island" by George Zucco and Lionel Atwill couldn't save the films very inane and uneven story. I could not understand why it was never really explained in the movie why Leo would hire an escaped convict Allerton, George Lloyd, to be his butler? We always see Allerton snooping around the house and looking into every nook and cranny obviously looking for the money that he thinks that Leo has hidden there.

Allerton is later confronted by Doc Lake, Ian Keith, Leo's former accountant and cell-mate. Doc gets into a fight with Allerton where he knocks him over a railing into the water and to his death. Leo who was in the background watching all of this seemed about as interested in what was happening as he would have been if he were watching the swallows flying north to Capistrano.

There was also Jeff, John Whitney, who was not on Leo's guest list but who invited himself on the Island anyway. Jeff wanted to take Leo's pretty step-daughter Gail, Sharon Douglas, off the Island and away with him. The relationship between Jeff and Gail was so contrived and phony that you couldn't believe it for a second even if you wanted to.

How did Jeff know that he and Gail would find a letter from Gail's mother, Karma, hid in a secret and hidden desk compartment insisting that she leave the Island immediately? Did Jeff have a crystal ball that enabled him to see into the future?

Nice Atmospheric '40's Creeper, Terrible DVD print

[w4msw-1 · 5/10 · 22 June 2006]

I would have voted 6, but had to subtract one for the grizzly, bouncy print, even the DVD print purchased from DeepdiscountDVD was wretched (not their fault.) But, the price was right, under $5.00 on sale. The actors were wonderful in their scenery chewing portrayals of the various greedy characters. Many of them were quite well known actors in the 40s. The only truly bad acting was by the two actors portraying the young lovers, whose characters added no value to the story anyway. The other reviews pretty well cover the story and need not be repeated here. The story was adapted from the play "Angel Island". What was fun about the movie presentation is that it doesn't stray far from the stage play form. The scenes don't change often and the action is concentrated in one spot. This helps maintain the continuity of the story, which in low budget presentations can quite often get lost. If you like stories like "Ten Little Indians", you'll like this.

Welcome to Fog Island

[chris_gaskin123 · 7/10 · 13 February 2006]

Fog Island is a rather creepy little chiller from B-movie specialists PRC.

A man who lives in a creepy mansion with his step-daughter on a small island shrouded in fog invites some of his friends to stay. This mansion has hidden extras including secret passages and hidden doorways. The man also gives each of his "friends" strange little gifts including a skull, a key and a times table book. This man has a reason for all this though and strange things start happening...

This movie is quite creepy and atmospheric even though a little slow moving at times.

The cast includes horror B-movie regulars George Zucco (The Flying Serpent, Scared To Death) and Lionel Atwill (The Vampire Bat, House of Dracula).

Fog Island is worth a look at. Not too bad.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

FOG ISLAND (Terry O. Morse, 1945) **

[Bunuel1976 · 4/10 · 14 October 2011]

This does not have much of a reputation, despite a number of interesting/reliable presences – George Zucco, Lionel Atwill, Ian Keith and Jerome Cowan – and, having watched it now, I can see why! Of the quartet, Zucco (the nominal protagonist, despite expiring well before the end!) and Keith (who, at one point, engages in a vigorous and amusingly speeded-up scuffle with the hero) come off best: on the other hand, Atwill is wasted in one of his last roles, whereas Cowan barely even registers!

Anyway, the film is not really horror, more a thriller on the lines of Agatha Christie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE – whose best screen rendition actually came out the same year as this! The narrative, in fact, deals with framed ex-con Zucco inviting those responsible for his going 'up the river' to the titular abode in order to exact revenge: as bait, he uses the fact that the island is supposed to hide a fortune, while another motive has to do with his beloved wife (called Karma!)'s death. However, the plot details are so sketchy (the muffled audio and occasional splices do not help in this regard) as to make for a thoroughly dreary ride...especially in view of the fact that Zucco has arranged things so that the majority of the characters are eliminated en masse (by way of that standard device, the water-logged room) when, in this type of fare, one looks forward to as many ingenious murder methods as possible!

There is also the inevitable romance (which runs hot and cold this time around) between the young folk: one is Zucco's stepdaughter, naturally, and the other the likewise innocent son of a deceased guest (it comes as no surprise at all, then, that they emerge the sole survivors). For the rest, we get such clichéd 'old dark house' trappings as a secret passage (activated by a button on the no-less-obligatory pipe-organ and which virtually the entire cast contrives to try out – again, a distinct sign of laziness!) and a seance (held at Atwill's behest but which he then fails to attend!). Though not particularly remarkable, atmosphere is serviceably rendered throughout yet, all things considered, the film is certainly no great shakes.

Carnage For Karma

[Spondonman · 7/10 · 13 November 2005]

First time of watching: entertaining low budget spooky house mystery with Zucco and Atwill at their eye-popping peaks. Terrible print - the negative must look transparent, so I would definitely recommend switching the lights off (or a cinema) for optimum viewing.

It's a PRC stagey mix of And Then There Were None (in this case, Two) and The Cat And The Canary, with a few extra twists, but with only nine characters. The butler was a short-lived oddball however, quickly dispatched with gusto from the plot to the cynical amusement of Zucco. To my cynical amusement it's at that moment that Zucco is reminded that he "blew his top" when he was in prison - not hard to imagine!

The male romantic lead was even more wooden, impetuous and prescient than the rest of the cast (Jerome Cowan was wasted yet again), but overall I enjoyed the film, nice atmosphere when the print allowed and an almost believable nasty-revenge storyline.

B grade 1945 Murder-mystery worth watching....

[marshalskrieg · 5/10 · 27 October 2019]

The setting is a creepy mansion on a perpetually foggy island...we have two quasi- horror icons- George Zucco who seeks revenge against business associates who framed him, the other one being Lionel Atwill. This is might be the only movie where these two sub-great actors faced off- the main reason why you should watch this film. Both are very good in this one... Very atmospheric, at one point somewhat convoluted, watching the invited guests clash was interesting but the print ! My God, the print of this film is quite bad and is screaming out for a restoration. The ending did surprise me, very unusual for Hollywood back then. The romantic subplot some say is "wooden" but I feel considering the rest of the film this youthful romance was necessary. At 1 hour 8 minutes long, this is the right length for a B- flick. 5.5 stars.

A "strange" film

[Norm-30 · 9/10 · 9 June 1999]

A man (Zucco) invites the people who framed him into a prison sentence to his island, where he has an ingenious plan for their demise.

It's very interesting to watch the inter-play between the "guests", and the strange "clues" to a supposed "hidden treasure" that are given them by the host. Most interesting are the scenes between Zucco & Atwill.

The only bad part is the acting of the two young lovers; it's VERY "wooden". But, despite this, it's a must-see film!

Entertaining 1940's mystery film.

[Peter22060 · 7/10 · 2 December 2001]

This genre of mystery film began in the twenties and ended in the early 1940's. It is a good late night movie to be seen before bedtime. It has none of the overkill of the movies of the 1990's.

"You killed something very dear to me..."

[utgard14 · 5/10 · 19 June 2017]

Another trip to poverty row with George Zucco. This time Zucco plays an ex-con hellbent on revenge against those who framed him. So he invites them all into coming to his house on a secluded fog-covered island. This is Zucco's show the whole way. He brings a touch of class to everything while also being menacing. He always elevated the films he was in, even when they were made by crummy studios. Lionel Atwill, Jerome Cowan, and Veda Ann Borg are all good. John Whitney and Sharon Douglas are the obligatory 'young romance' subplot. Whitney couldn't be more bland if he tried. Unfortunately the frequent cuts away from the main story to focus the boring romance hurt any chance of building suspense. It's a passable old dark house movie with a nice cast, some decent atmosphere, and the usual creaks & groans one expects from movies that have lapsed into public domain, particularly those of the poverty row studios.

When Vengeance was Complete

[theowinthrop · 16 April 2004]

I think this may be the only film where those eternal movie baddies, George Zucco and Lionel Atwill, were teamed as enemies. Both usually gave trouble to people you liked, like Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, even Basil Rathbone (both played Moriarty to Rathbone's Holmes in THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES - Zucco - and SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON - Atwill). Here Atwill is a man who helped frame Zucco with Jerome Cowan, Ian Keith, and two others, and Atwill also murdered Zucco's wife - for which Zucco was imprisoned. Zucco is determined to get back at all four. He does, posthumously (Atwill kills him first). I saw this film about 1968 or so. It convinced me that one can flood a room totally that was hematically sealed. I'm still not sure how it was done (some type of pump that is activated when a box is lifted from a floor - it is a really weird murder prop. The sequence of four people fighting the waters and each other in a hopeless attempt to remain afloat in a flooded room has remained with me ever since. FOG ISLAND is a terrible movie = hardly believable. But the cast is having fun, and it keeps your interest.

Island of fear

[russjones-80887 · 4/10 · 15 October 2020]

Ex-convict Leo Grainer lives on Fog Island with the daughter of his murdered wife. Looking to take revenge on those who framed him, he invites his former associates to his island mansion in the belief that he may share a fortune with them.

B horror movie regulars George Zucco and Lionel Atwill take the lead roles in this familiar storyline, which has been the basis for many films, often much better than this. Having said that it's more bearable than some and will pass an hour.

A Timid Thriller

[mandagrammy · 5/10 · 20 June 2020]

All in all, this is a bit of fun to watch. The thrills are not too chilling, but the ending is satisfying. My single complaint is that so many of the indoor scenes are as dark and foggy as the outdoor scenes, which made it a bit difficult to really see what was going on, but that is probably due more to the low budget than atmospheric intentions. The acting is only fair, but adequate enough. A good Saturday afternoon viewing for this one.

Should've Have Been Shot In Technicolor With Lots Of Red

[boblipton · 5/10 · 24 February 2024]

Released from prison after serving five years for ruining a company, George Zucco invites five people to come visit him on his private island, where he may entertain them, but will have his revenge!

With a cast that also includes Lionel Atwill, you can expect some fireworks, but there is surprisingly little of that until a rather gruesome ending -- implied by the reaction of one of the young lovers, rather than shown. This is a PRC movie, after all, and gruesome ending cost money. It was reported that the company paid $30,000 for filming rights to Bernadine Angus' play "Angel Island" although that seems unlikely for a company that once proposed to pay John Garfield with half the company's stock for a role. At least that's what they told the reporters.

Although the guys put some zest into their roles, the other players, including Jerome Cowan, Sharon Douglas, Veda Ann Borg, and Ian Keith seem to project distasteful moods, as if they have reconsidered being in this movie, but can't figure out how to get out of it. The script seems to hint at the sort of thing that might play better as grand guignol.

Like watching a late night TV movie in early 50s

[rdbqpaul · 6/10 · 4 June 2022]

Watching this reminded me of staying up late at night in the early 50s after mom and dad went to bed. Cheaply made, mediocre acting, and a spooky soundtrack.

It was interesting to hear the Theme from "The Whistler" radio show in the first few moments after the opening credits. But there is no other mention of a conn3ction to the radio show in the film.

"I know where all the bodies are buried".

[classicsoncall · 5/10 · 21 March 2010]

Wait a minute - that's how it ends? Where did all that water go? Then Kingsley (John Whitney) gives Gail (Sharon Douglas) the bum's rush out of the ex-pirate mansion and she's OK with leaving her step-father behind for the rest of her life without saying good bye? Yeah, I know, her step-father was dead, but she didn't know that. I have to say, the end of this picture felt like the film makers ran out their budget and they had to pull the plug on the last dime. Very disappointing.

What led up to the finale showed some promise, even if it was a bit far fetched. You had to accept the idea that the four former business associates of Leo Granger (George Zucco) would accept an invitation to his Fog Island home, knowing that he was out for revenge on the one or more who set him up for prison and killed his wife. Greed was supposed to be the motive but I'm not buying it. Would you accept that invitation?

The film had some of the same plot elements as Vincent Price's 1959 flick "House on Haunted Hill". There's the invitation for starters, and then you have the party favors Granger offers with his guests' first drink. That was curious though, as it seemed to me each person selected their own wrapped gift, and it turned out to be exactly the one that fit their particular circumstance. The basement even had a trap door, similar to Price's vat full of poison in the floor, and there was a skeleton down there! Was that supposed to be Karma? Yikes!

A lot of mystery films of the era seemed to rely heavily on characters spying on each other from just around the corner or from another room. In this one, everyone is doing it, and it got to the point where it was amusing because each character seemed to know the precise time he should be looking out for the next guy. Granger himself was all over the place, it's too bad he didn't make it to the end of the picture.

I wanted to like this one a lot more, just because you had George Zucco and Lionel Atwill in the same picture together, and as adversaries no less. That face to face moment between them was very sinister, but the payoff almost became a 'huh?' moment until you figured out Atwill just stabbed him. Zucco kept right on talking until he just stopped in mid sentence, and that was it!

I don't know, maybe they should have put a little more thought into this. It had some great potential with the great atmospherics and spooky subterranean cavern under the house. In the end, the thing that most impressed me was the title.

Lots of atmosphere!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 14 November 2017]

Lionel Atwill (Alec Ritchfield), Jerome Cowan (John Kavanaugh), George Zucco (Leo Grainger), Sharon Douglas (Gail), Veda Ann Borg (Sylvia Jordan), Ian Keith (Doc Lake), Jacqueline de Wit (Emiline Bronson), John Whitney (Jeff Kingsley), George Lloyd (the butler), Eddie Parker (fight double for Ian Keith).

Director: TERRY O. MORSE. Screenplay: Pierre Gendron. Based on the 1937 play "Angel Island" by Bernadine Angus. Photography: Ira H. Morgan. Film editor: George McGuire. Art director: Paul Palmentola. Music: Karl Hajos. Assistant director: William A. Calihan, junior. Sound recording: William R. Fox. Associate producer: Terry O. Morse. Producer: Leon Fromkess.

Copyright 15 February 1945 by Producers Releasing Corporation. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 15 February 1945. Australian release through Hoyts Theatres Ltd: 12 September 1946. 7 reels. 6,429 feet. 72 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Deranged man invites his enemies for a weekend on his fog- bound island.

NOTES: The stage play opened on Broadway at the National on 20 October 1937 and ran a miserable 21 performances. George Abbott produced and directed a great cast: Arlene Francis, Lea Penman, Betty Field, Carroll Ashburn, Doro Merande, Edith Van Cleve, Clyde Fillmore, Eric Wollencott, Louise Larabee and Joyce Arling.

COMMENT: Another killer-let-loose-on-an-inescapable-island entry, "Fog Island: is an atmospherically directed and photographed grand guignol piece, well acted by all concerned (particularly Ian Keith), but somewhat too contrived for my taste. Production values are well above the usual P.R.C. level.

Great title, equally chilling atmosphere, mediocre movie.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 8 August 2012]

Zucco and Atwill, the Z-Grade Karloff and Lugosi? While this is their only co-starring feature together pairing them as rivals, it seems that they would have benefited by more films together. Atwill is one of Zucco's former business associates whom Zucco blames for being framed for their own crime as well as finding out who was responsible for the death of his wife. The others consist of darkly sophisticated Jaqueline DeWitt, reporters Jerome Cowan and Veda Ann Borg, and John Whitney as the son of a late partner who has a romantic past with Zucco stepdaughter (Sharon Douglas).

They get together for a frightening weekend of revenge, fog, and murder.Veda Ann Borg, one of the most delightful "B" actresses in movie history, gets to steal the scenes with her delightfully sardonic lines, while DeWitt takes on a part that might have been considered for Gale Sondergaard. Why these people would agree to meet up with him on a deserted island (a la "And Then There Were None") is never really explained as it is obvious they are signing their own death warrant.

The showdown between Zucco and Atwill leads to an interesting twist that doesn't quite wrap things up, what allows Zucco a dramatic scene with which to make his exit. Each of the guests receives a strange gift, a la "Clue", which leads to some chilling moments. This most over-used of plots is still entertaining when filmed right, and "Fog Island" manages to be fun grand guignole of the chilliest kind right up to the spooky conclusion. It is a film that gets better upon repeat viewings although in spite of its creepy atmosphere remains quite creaky and sometimes painfully slow moving.

Top Zucco film

[yrussell · 8/10 · 2 June 2020]

I started following the films of lesser-known horror star George Zucco, a British actor who tended to play incredibly calm villains. Fog Island (1945) is a revenge thriller, where he invites his former business associates (those who betrayed him) to his isolated home on a foggy island. It's definitely a low budget film, but somehow that works in its favour. There's a few great scenes amidst the fogginess (e.g. scenes in a specially-designed "death room"). George Zucco was actually a good actor - here playing a buttoned-down Englishman whose demeanour is ready to crack at any moment due to barely-concealed rage.

Isle of Greed

[bnwfilmbuff · 6/10 · 5 April 2017]

George Zucco and Lionel Atwell in a thriller - how can you go wrong? This highly atmospheric and dark drama features a good cast but a weak script and uneven direction drag it down. The plot is solid and complex: Zucco is freshly out of prison, wrongly serving time for embezzlement, and invites his accusers supposedly for a dinner of reconciliation at his island home. Additionally, he suspects one of the invitees of having murdered his wife. Unfortunately, any time that some tension starts to build, director Morse seemed driven to relieve it with the ill-timed interjection of the love interest between Zucco's step daughter, shapely Sharon Douglas, and the son of one of the deceased invitees. At just a little over 68 minutes long there isn't much time for character development or allowing some of the eerier aspects of the film to play out like the séance or exploration of the secret passages. Still it's watchable but could have been much better with a little more budget and better direction.

Big headache

[drystyx · 2/10 · 1 July 2011]

This is supposed to be an atmospheric creepy house, murder mystery.

It begins as such with the usual group of unsavory suspects, and a hero and heroine.

It just completely deteriorates from there.

The clichés are worse than tired. They are absolutely dull. Instead of giving us mystery, the constant shifts and creeps in the shadows just give you a headache.

It's hard to care about anything here. The hero and heroine are okay. The others aren't motivated in the least. They just bore us. They sound like they had to write the lines as they went along, and didn't care what they wrote.

It's the dullness that drags this down. The atmosphere should have been there, but it isn't. It is horribly written and directed, and this from someone who likes old atmospheric movies. This is an ordeal, and not to be seen without aspirin.

May cure your Insomnia, but that's it.