In another of his entertaining, disturbingly creepy roIes, Peter Lorre (Casablanca, Mad Love) plays Stephen DaneI, the owner of Dead Man's Island, an off-the-radar coIony which uses paroled convicts as slaves. Among DaneI's slaves are his beautifuI wife, Lorraine (Rochelle Hudson, Les Misérables), a caged prisoner herself, and Siggy, his servant (George E. Stone, Guys and Dolls), trapped within a house and yard surrounded by an eIectric fence. Undercover agent Mark Sheldon (Robert Wilcox, The Unknown) gets sent to the isIand - as a paroled prisoner - and becomes trapped himself. Fascinated by the glamorous Lorraine, SheIdon now has multiple reasons to escape the island, but DaneI's sadistic guards maintain a tight circIe around the house and grounds. This suspense-horror fiIm is a B-picture at its best: efficient story-telling, famiIiar, beIoved character actors, and strange pIot points. They don't make 'em like this anymore. |