Obviously dated,this has some interesting bits,especially on the island.They never do go much into the why's and how's of the "resident" on the island,either.Probably ahead of its time in terms of "spookiness",worth a glance,but probably not much else...An opener for,perhaps,films of greater import??
10 Reviews
Not bad...just not all that good.
planktonrules3 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This film was included on a DVD along with three other films. One, TANGLED DESTINIES, is interesting because its plot is so incredibly similar to the one in INTRUDER. Both films feature someone being killed and a shipment of jewels is stolen in the process. The major difference is that in INTRUDER, soon after the murder is discovered on a ship, the boat sinks and the suspects are all washed ashore on an island. One of them is the murderer and the rest are potentially at risk.
Once on the island, things get rather odd to say the least. After the Captain is murdered, two women stumble upon the murderer and when he is about to kill them, a gorilla (i.e., a guy in a cheesy 1930s gorilla costume) intervenes! The ladies then run to the hut belonging to an insane shipwrecked man (who appeared to have been there for many, many years—along with his friend, Mary). Soon, the maniac killer arrives and shoots one of them—at which point the hero comes to save the day. Surprisingly, after the murderer is killed, the story is NOT over—there's a bit more to come as well as a few twists and turns.
Like many very early sound films (particularly Poverty Row productions like this one), the film is very quiet—as there is no incidental music like you'd hear in just about every film made since then. I can't blame the film makers too much for this, but it does make for some odd viewing. Despite this as well as the very silly plot devices (a gorilla AND Robinson Crusoe, Jr. on the same island!), the film is entertaining and worth seeing for laughs. While NOT an especially good B-movie, there is a certain kitschy charm to it.
Once on the island, things get rather odd to say the least. After the Captain is murdered, two women stumble upon the murderer and when he is about to kill them, a gorilla (i.e., a guy in a cheesy 1930s gorilla costume) intervenes! The ladies then run to the hut belonging to an insane shipwrecked man (who appeared to have been there for many, many years—along with his friend, Mary). Soon, the maniac killer arrives and shoots one of them—at which point the hero comes to save the day. Surprisingly, after the murderer is killed, the story is NOT over—there's a bit more to come as well as a few twists and turns.
Like many very early sound films (particularly Poverty Row productions like this one), the film is very quiet—as there is no incidental music like you'd hear in just about every film made since then. I can't blame the film makers too much for this, but it does make for some odd viewing. Despite this as well as the very silly plot devices (a gorilla AND Robinson Crusoe, Jr. on the same island!), the film is entertaining and worth seeing for laughs. While NOT an especially good B-movie, there is a certain kitschy charm to it.
"Have You Gone Nuts?!"...
azathothpwiggins30 June 2021
In the opening moments of THE INTRUDER, a murder is committed on a ship at sea. A group of suspects is assembled, while a storm rages outside. Panic commences when the ship sinks, sending everyone into lifeboats.
Winding up on an island, the suspects, along with some crewmembers, discover a wild man (Mischa Auer) inhabiting the island. Horror ensues.
Basically, this is an "old dark house" movie set on board the aforementioned ship, and the island, instead of a huge mansion. Auer is his usual hulking, brooding self. The rest are fairly expendable.
Not a bad way to burn up an hour...
Winding up on an island, the suspects, along with some crewmembers, discover a wild man (Mischa Auer) inhabiting the island. Horror ensues.
Basically, this is an "old dark house" movie set on board the aforementioned ship, and the island, instead of a huge mansion. Auer is his usual hulking, brooding self. The rest are fairly expendable.
Not a bad way to burn up an hour...
Shipped wrecked with a killer.
michaelRokeefe6 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Very low budget with a simple story line. The Intruder is one of those movies that you wish could have been a little bit better. Not exactly a bad film, but fun as heck to watch in the middle of a stormy night. A cruise ship, The Intruder, ends up in dire straits. A murder has taken place, but as an investigation gets started the ship falls victim to a powerful storm and starts sinking. The Captain and a group of passengers manage a lifeboat ride that leaves them stuck on an almost deserted island. Once on land the Captain is killed and it becomes apparent that the shipboard killer is among these survivors. Things then get a bit silly.Two female castaways are separated from the group and take shelter in caves that are home to skeletons. The killer is searched for while the two women stumble into a wild jungle-type man that has been sharing the island with his favorite skeleton, named Mary, and a gorilla. Finally the Intruder survivors are rescued by a French ship and the French speaking sailors add another quirky little twist to the film. Players include: veteran actor Monte Blue, Lila Lee, John Beck, William B. Davidson, Gwen Lee, Sidney Bracy and Mischa Auer.
Too Many Threads for Too Short a Movie
Reviews_of_the_Dead1 June 2023
This is a movie that I discovered through Letterboxd when searching for horror from 1933. The title intrigued me. I was able to find this one on Tubi to check out as well which made it easy. Surprisingly, this was a difficult one to search due to the title and the number of movies since they use it.
Synopsis: a murder is committed abroad on a cruise ship just before it sinks in a storm. The survivors, including the killer, land on a mysterious jungle island.
We start this on an ocean liner. A murder is committed so Det. Lt. Samson (William B. Davidson) is called in to investigate. He is on this ship due to following the now deceased man. He stole diamonds and Samson was following him. It is then thought that whoever did the killing should now have what he stole. In the room is Carlo (Sidney Bracey), who I believe is the deceased's valet.
Samson demands that a group of people be brought in for questioning. This is Connie (Lila Lee), her father - Mr. Wayne (Wilfred Lucas) and her brother Reggie (Arthur Housman). The latter is incapacitated due to drinking. John Brandt (Monte Blue), Daisy (Gwen Lee) and Cramer (Harry Cording) are also called in. Before they can get into though, the ship hits something and they're sinking. This causes panic. Samson can keep everyone in the room aside from John. He flees to save Reggie who is drunk in his room.
This group takes the last lifeboat along with Jamison (Lynton Brent), Capt. Rush (Allan Cavan) and Hanson (John Beck). They are all crew of the ship. This lifeboat makes it to an island. They must hold up here until rescue comes. They aren't alone though. We see a gorilla that calls out in the night. There also is a wild man, played by Mischa Auer, living in a nearby cave. Also, as the synopsis said, the killer is a member of this group. They aren't done yet as they try to get away with murder and keep the diamonds as well.
That is where I'm going to leave my recap and introduction to the characters. The version I watched was 54 minutes so we don't have the deepest story. I do hate to start with a negative, but this movie was all over the place with different plot points that it uses as well. I'll admit, I did read someone else's review to settle in before I could get into my thoughts. This was just to make sure I had things in line.
Where I want to then start is what I like about this movie. We get a murder that shifts into solving the crime. There are a group of suspects, but I'll be honest, I did have a bit of trouble keeping them straight. Connie and Daisy are called in, but I don't believe that they're considered to be the killers. John seems more of a suspect along with Carlo and Cramer. Loosely you could consider Reggie and Mr. Wayne, but the former always seems to be drunk and there for comic relief. Samson is determined to figure it out. He also seems stuck in his ways. If I'm understanding how this plays out, that makes more sense.
This feels standard for the era. Murder mysteries tended to be placed in the horror genre. What is wild about this is that the runtime for my version was under one hour. Despite that, this movie is disjointed in what it wanted to do. We start on a cruise ship which is great. There are then troubled waters and it causes it to sink. We then are on deserted island or so they think. We have this gorilla on the island and a wild man. We still have the murder mystery, but it doesn't seem like it knows what it wants to do. It falls in the trappings of getting too complicated and not fleshing out the elements well enough. This problem caused me to need to reread a synopsis as I was lost. Again, not good for a movie with a low runtime like this.
Where I'll then take this is to the acting. Lee is fine as one of our leads. She gets to show a bit of her abilities, but she also isn't given a lot to work with. There is a romance that sparks between her and Blue's character. That was fitting for the era. I did like how Connie interacts with Gwen Lee's role. They play well off each other too. Housman does add comedy. That is about the extent for him. Davidson is solid as the detective. Other than that Bracey, Cording, Lucas, Brent, Cavan and Beck were all fine. None of them stand out. I did want to give Auer credit as the wild man. He's one that I've seen in other things. His character doesn't fit, but his performance was fine.
All that is left then is filmmaking. I do think that the cinematography is fine. It is early into history of film, so it is limited. We do get miniature work for the sea vessel when it is hitting rough water. It doesn't necessarily fit what they're conveying. It does have charm to it though. The print I saw wasn't in great shape either. There is a guy who is uncredited in an ape suit. That was interesting. Auer's look as the wild man is fine. What I'm saying is that we don't get a lot in the way of effects. It also doesn't need them. The soundtrack didn't stand out to me as a negative or a positive.
In conclusion, this movie feels too generic. It doesn't do well enough in building the story elements that would work. We are falling into a trap of trying to set itself apart by adding too many threads. The acting doesn't do well in carrying this. It is fine, but no one stands out. The filmmaking is about the same. It also doesn't do much to set itself apart either. I can't recommend this outside of seeing this oddity. There are good parts if they just would have focused on them. They didn't unfortunately.
My Rating: 4 out of 10.
Synopsis: a murder is committed abroad on a cruise ship just before it sinks in a storm. The survivors, including the killer, land on a mysterious jungle island.
We start this on an ocean liner. A murder is committed so Det. Lt. Samson (William B. Davidson) is called in to investigate. He is on this ship due to following the now deceased man. He stole diamonds and Samson was following him. It is then thought that whoever did the killing should now have what he stole. In the room is Carlo (Sidney Bracey), who I believe is the deceased's valet.
Samson demands that a group of people be brought in for questioning. This is Connie (Lila Lee), her father - Mr. Wayne (Wilfred Lucas) and her brother Reggie (Arthur Housman). The latter is incapacitated due to drinking. John Brandt (Monte Blue), Daisy (Gwen Lee) and Cramer (Harry Cording) are also called in. Before they can get into though, the ship hits something and they're sinking. This causes panic. Samson can keep everyone in the room aside from John. He flees to save Reggie who is drunk in his room.
This group takes the last lifeboat along with Jamison (Lynton Brent), Capt. Rush (Allan Cavan) and Hanson (John Beck). They are all crew of the ship. This lifeboat makes it to an island. They must hold up here until rescue comes. They aren't alone though. We see a gorilla that calls out in the night. There also is a wild man, played by Mischa Auer, living in a nearby cave. Also, as the synopsis said, the killer is a member of this group. They aren't done yet as they try to get away with murder and keep the diamonds as well.
That is where I'm going to leave my recap and introduction to the characters. The version I watched was 54 minutes so we don't have the deepest story. I do hate to start with a negative, but this movie was all over the place with different plot points that it uses as well. I'll admit, I did read someone else's review to settle in before I could get into my thoughts. This was just to make sure I had things in line.
Where I want to then start is what I like about this movie. We get a murder that shifts into solving the crime. There are a group of suspects, but I'll be honest, I did have a bit of trouble keeping them straight. Connie and Daisy are called in, but I don't believe that they're considered to be the killers. John seems more of a suspect along with Carlo and Cramer. Loosely you could consider Reggie and Mr. Wayne, but the former always seems to be drunk and there for comic relief. Samson is determined to figure it out. He also seems stuck in his ways. If I'm understanding how this plays out, that makes more sense.
This feels standard for the era. Murder mysteries tended to be placed in the horror genre. What is wild about this is that the runtime for my version was under one hour. Despite that, this movie is disjointed in what it wanted to do. We start on a cruise ship which is great. There are then troubled waters and it causes it to sink. We then are on deserted island or so they think. We have this gorilla on the island and a wild man. We still have the murder mystery, but it doesn't seem like it knows what it wants to do. It falls in the trappings of getting too complicated and not fleshing out the elements well enough. This problem caused me to need to reread a synopsis as I was lost. Again, not good for a movie with a low runtime like this.
Where I'll then take this is to the acting. Lee is fine as one of our leads. She gets to show a bit of her abilities, but she also isn't given a lot to work with. There is a romance that sparks between her and Blue's character. That was fitting for the era. I did like how Connie interacts with Gwen Lee's role. They play well off each other too. Housman does add comedy. That is about the extent for him. Davidson is solid as the detective. Other than that Bracey, Cording, Lucas, Brent, Cavan and Beck were all fine. None of them stand out. I did want to give Auer credit as the wild man. He's one that I've seen in other things. His character doesn't fit, but his performance was fine.
All that is left then is filmmaking. I do think that the cinematography is fine. It is early into history of film, so it is limited. We do get miniature work for the sea vessel when it is hitting rough water. It doesn't necessarily fit what they're conveying. It does have charm to it though. The print I saw wasn't in great shape either. There is a guy who is uncredited in an ape suit. That was interesting. Auer's look as the wild man is fine. What I'm saying is that we don't get a lot in the way of effects. It also doesn't need them. The soundtrack didn't stand out to me as a negative or a positive.
In conclusion, this movie feels too generic. It doesn't do well enough in building the story elements that would work. We are falling into a trap of trying to set itself apart by adding too many threads. The acting doesn't do well in carrying this. It is fine, but no one stands out. The filmmaking is about the same. It also doesn't do much to set itself apart either. I can't recommend this outside of seeing this oddity. There are good parts if they just would have focused on them. They didn't unfortunately.
My Rating: 4 out of 10.
This is beautifully costumed 1933 murder mystery set on a steam ship and then a tropical island with a bizarre Tarzan like character.
cgvsluis7 April 2024
This film starts with a murder aboard a steamboat that already contains a detective who immediately goes to work investigating. He starts by gathering all the suspects when the ship gets in trouble in a bad storm. Forced to evacuate, all the suspects are loaded into the last lifeboat with the captain, first mate and detective. They end up castaway on a tropical island together with a gorilla and a strange Tarzan-like character...complete with his "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-aaaaaaa" call. The murder victim stole precious diamonds and the detective thinks the murder is after them. The two women, Connie and Daisy, have a gorgeous wardrobe that seems to survive their ordeal...satin (or silk) and furs...not to mention their jewelry. The mystery gets solved and they get rescued by a French ship...but not before there is some unusual comedy by a drunken brother and a skeleton.
I think this is a fun historical number...but not the most interesting of mysteries and frankly I had a little trouble keeping the suspects straight. Not on my recommendation list unless you just want some light entertainment.
I think this is a fun historical number...but not the most interesting of mysteries and frankly I had a little trouble keeping the suspects straight. Not on my recommendation list unless you just want some light entertainment.
Some of the oldest movies are some of the best. This is NOT one of those.
I_Ailurophile14 December 2022
Mere minutes have passed and the film already makes an impression of being both very direct (dialogue, plot development, scene writing, pacing), and very unbothered about itself, with acting, delivery, and direction that doesn't do well in trying to convey the import of what's going on. This feat of duality is almost impressive since the narrative begins with a murder and the sinking of a passenger cruise. Whether one wishes to assume deficiencies of the production, or prints that had degraded before digital preservation, such sensibilities aren't aided by muddled sound design and less than pristine image quality. Setting these matters aside, the scene writing, dialogue, and plot development are also decidedly unconvincing even on paper, with ideas being introduced as weakly as they possibly could be. Before even one-third of the runtime has elapsed we're already greeted with a few different moments that can only inspire quizzical skepticism, to the point that the storytelling in and of itself struggles to attain basic suspension of disbelief. Sadly, the picture never improves: 1933's 'The intruder' is a dud that sunk as surely and quickly as its ship.
Languid, passive, flimsy, half-hearted, dubious, middling, and soporific, nothing of significance comes off well in this feature. Frances Hyland's writing, Albert Ray's direction, and the acting of all are downright floundering, if not altogether bewildering. I can't tell if this is intended to be a comedy or a drama, but it doesn't matter, because it's terrible on both counts. In fairness, the crew behind the scenes did good work, on the sets in particular. The most commendable aspect of the entire movie might be the editing, with some transitions that seem advanced for 1933 - "might" is the key word, however, for the novelty is overused. Meanwhile, there comes a time when the plot becomes rather scattered and unfocused, and I wonder if even those involved knew what was going on. Characters are so poorly written, bereft of substance, that 'The intruder' may as well have been a radio play instead of a film. Best of all, however, is that the vast majority of this picture, gawky and flailing as it is, is pointlessly extraneous: within the first five minutes, we can also easily guess the reveal of the killer at the end.
Some of the best movies ever made hail from the 1920s or 30s, but 'The intruder' is apt demonstration that age is no guarantee of value, for this stinks to high heaven from the very start to the very end. I can safely say that I have seen worse pictures, though at this level, the distinction is meaningless. That the thin plot is so feebly crafted, plumbing the deepest depths, serves to distract from other rickety elements of the production, but that is absolutely no compliment. What else to say? You don't need to watch this. No one does.
Languid, passive, flimsy, half-hearted, dubious, middling, and soporific, nothing of significance comes off well in this feature. Frances Hyland's writing, Albert Ray's direction, and the acting of all are downright floundering, if not altogether bewildering. I can't tell if this is intended to be a comedy or a drama, but it doesn't matter, because it's terrible on both counts. In fairness, the crew behind the scenes did good work, on the sets in particular. The most commendable aspect of the entire movie might be the editing, with some transitions that seem advanced for 1933 - "might" is the key word, however, for the novelty is overused. Meanwhile, there comes a time when the plot becomes rather scattered and unfocused, and I wonder if even those involved knew what was going on. Characters are so poorly written, bereft of substance, that 'The intruder' may as well have been a radio play instead of a film. Best of all, however, is that the vast majority of this picture, gawky and flailing as it is, is pointlessly extraneous: within the first five minutes, we can also easily guess the reveal of the killer at the end.
Some of the best movies ever made hail from the 1920s or 30s, but 'The intruder' is apt demonstration that age is no guarantee of value, for this stinks to high heaven from the very start to the very end. I can safely say that I have seen worse pictures, though at this level, the distinction is meaningless. That the thin plot is so feebly crafted, plumbing the deepest depths, serves to distract from other rickety elements of the production, but that is absolutely no compliment. What else to say? You don't need to watch this. No one does.
Jaw Dropping Silliness
dbborroughs25 April 2004
Moving like the wind and possessing a devil make care attitude this film has everything including gaffes for sharp eyed viewers to find.
Where to start? The basic plot has a murder at sea occurring during a wicked storm that sinks the ship and strands many of the passengers on a deserted...almost deserted island. There is much much more to it than that, but if I tried to explain the French men, the skeletons, and the other twists you'd probably think I was nuts.
This movie just goes. From the moment it starts to the end this movie twists and turns in ways that most three hour epics could only dream about. For its sheer nuttiness and throw everything at the audience attitude this film must be seen because you'll never see another movie like it.
I love this movie because it seems so intent on telling its wild story and having you believe it even as you sit there in complete disbelief. On the fun scale its easily a nine simply because its a decently made piece of madness.
Things to watch out for: The boats off shore after the sinking The factory and houses down the beach from the filming locations There are more but I'll leave it to other sharp eyed viewers to spot them.
Where to start? The basic plot has a murder at sea occurring during a wicked storm that sinks the ship and strands many of the passengers on a deserted...almost deserted island. There is much much more to it than that, but if I tried to explain the French men, the skeletons, and the other twists you'd probably think I was nuts.
This movie just goes. From the moment it starts to the end this movie twists and turns in ways that most three hour epics could only dream about. For its sheer nuttiness and throw everything at the audience attitude this film must be seen because you'll never see another movie like it.
I love this movie because it seems so intent on telling its wild story and having you believe it even as you sit there in complete disbelief. On the fun scale its easily a nine simply because its a decently made piece of madness.
Things to watch out for: The boats off shore after the sinking The factory and houses down the beach from the filming locations There are more but I'll leave it to other sharp eyed viewers to spot them.
Decent Mystery for Fans of the Genre
Michael_Elliott13 October 2009
Intruder, The (1933)
** (out of 4)
Bland "old dark house" type mystery but this one here takes place on a deserted island. The film starts off on a cruise ship where a man is murdered but before the killer can be located, the ship sinks with the survivors ending up on a strange island, which appears to be the home of a killer gorilla and a strange caveman. This is a pretty bizarre little film but the screenplay is so weak and so full of holes that I couldn't help but grow rather tired, which isn't good considering the movie runs just 57-minutes. The biggest problem is the story that seems to go in and out of focus as the movie never seems to really pay much attention to the actual mystery going on. Not only do we have the mystery but quite often it takes a back seat to various comedy attempts via a drunk, fighting characters and the strange Tarzan-like creature who keeps yelling throughout the film. The gorilla shows up in a couple scenes and to be honest, I'm still not really sure what he was up to. The inside of the cave with the two skeletons was pretty funny but in the end there's just not enough to keep this thing going. The performances are decent but nothing great. Griffith fans might be interested in checking out Wilfred Lucas in his small role here.
** (out of 4)
Bland "old dark house" type mystery but this one here takes place on a deserted island. The film starts off on a cruise ship where a man is murdered but before the killer can be located, the ship sinks with the survivors ending up on a strange island, which appears to be the home of a killer gorilla and a strange caveman. This is a pretty bizarre little film but the screenplay is so weak and so full of holes that I couldn't help but grow rather tired, which isn't good considering the movie runs just 57-minutes. The biggest problem is the story that seems to go in and out of focus as the movie never seems to really pay much attention to the actual mystery going on. Not only do we have the mystery but quite often it takes a back seat to various comedy attempts via a drunk, fighting characters and the strange Tarzan-like creature who keeps yelling throughout the film. The gorilla shows up in a couple scenes and to be honest, I'm still not really sure what he was up to. The inside of the cave with the two skeletons was pretty funny but in the end there's just not enough to keep this thing going. The performances are decent but nothing great. Griffith fans might be interested in checking out Wilfred Lucas in his small role here.
See also
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