Island of Doomed Men
1940 film by Charles Barton
Island of Doomed Men is a 1940 film about a remote tropical island with a diamond mine manned by slave labor and run my a sadistic master.
- Directed by Charles Barton. Written by Robert Hardy Andrews.
There's no escape... from his FIEND'S PARADISE of torture! (taglines)
Stephen Danel
edit- You'll forgive me if I don't ask you to sit down, Mr. Smith, but your clothes and my furniture... I'm sure you'll understand.
- [Unlocking the gate] One moment, gentlemen. We have no police on the island, so one has to take certain precautions. [Mark reaches up to touch wire fencing] Oh, I wouldn't touch those wires if I were you, Mr. Smith. There's a slight electrical current passing through them, to keep out the animals and snakes. You see the jungle comes awfully close to us here.
- [to Capt. Cort who's about to flog Mark Sheldon, a.k.a. Mr. Smith] Don't overdo it, Captain. There's a lot Mr. Smith ought to tell me and he may want to tell me before you finish. Oh, and be sure that he's able to work tomorrow.
- You ought to do something about your nervous condition, Mr. Brand. You must never talk too much. Nervous men sometimes talk too much, and they make mistakes, and you musn't make mistakes, Mr. Brand.
- Crying, Lorraine? Many men are whipped on this island. You've never cried before.
Other
edit- Mitchell: You're wasting your time. There's only one way out of here. Make 'em kill you. Don't die... day at a time. Get it over! Then you can rest. Dead men can't work. Never... get out... till you die. Then you get paroled to a pine box.
Dialogue
edit- Department of Justice Official: In joining our undercover staff you'll have to burn all your bridges behind you.
- Mark Sheldon: I've done that sir.
- Department of Justice Official: You're joining an army. An army where there are no banners. No medals for heroism. And death is the only honourable discharge. When you walk out of that door you're starting on a lonely road. If you get into trouble, we won't help you. We'll deny that you're one of our men.
- Mark Sheldon: I understand.
- Department of Justice Official: Well, I hoped you wouldn't let me talk you out of it.
- Jackson: Did you ever hear of a man named Steven Danel?
- Mark Sheldon: I don't think so.
- Jackson: Well, Danel is our man. Lincoln freed the slaves. Mr. Danel is back in the trade and doing very well at it.
- Dr. Rosener: What do you plan to do about him?
- Stephen Danel: What do I plan to do about him? I have many plans for Mr. Smith.
- Stephen Danel: I've been away for a long time. You should be very glad to see me.
- Lorraine Danel: I hate the sight of you!
- Stephen Danel: I know that. Lorraine, you have been in Mr. Smith's arms. Nothing like that must ever happen again, it embarrasses me. You're my wife, and he's a murderer.
- Lorraine Danel: And what are you?
- Stephen Danel: I'm your husband. [Takes a jewelry box from his pocket] Lorraine, remember this stone?
- Lorraine Danel: You can't bribe me with that!
- Stephen Danel: Why should I bribe you?
- Lorraine Danel: You've tried everything else and failed. No matter what you do, you'll always fail!
- Stephen Danel: I've never failed and I never will fail.
- Lorraine Danel: I won't wear that! You can't make me!
- Stephen Danel: Of course you will. [Puts necklace on her] So Mr. Smith approves of my taste, huh? There's only one thing Mr. Smith doesn't know. What I own I keep. But he'll learn. So will you.
- Stephen Danel: [pointing a gun at Mark] Good evening, Mr. Smith. I was waiting for you. I was hoping you'd come soon.
- Mark Sheldon: Cort's out there, and a couple of men. They're armed and they're coming in.
- Stephen Danel: You didn't come to see me, you came to see my wife. Come, Mr. Smith, I'll get her for you. Wait. [Calls] Lorraine. Lorraine! Forgive me, Mr. Smith, she'll be here in a moment. [Lorraine comes in] You must stand very close to him, very close. Yes, Lorraine, smile. He likes you when you smile, Lorraine.
- Mark Sheldon: Listen to me. That gang's coming after her.
- Stephen Danel: When I find a flaw in a diamond I throw it away. It's so hard to remember, it's a long time ago. Everything on this island belonged to me. Everything. And it was beautiful. My wife, beautiful. So beautiful. And then you came and you touched my wife.
- [Three of the armed prisoners enter. Danel shoots one of them]
- Stephen Danel: Drop that gun! [Armed prisoner drops gun] Come in, gentlemen, come in. I want you to meet my wife - [to Mark] Don't touch her! You'll forget him, Lorraine. You'll forget everything after a while. I want you to meet these gentlemen. They are your friends, you'll like them. I'm going to let you go back with them. I want you to be happy. But you must say goodbye to Mr. Smith.
- [Lorraine stands protectively in front of Mark]
- Stephen Danel: I'm not going to kill you, Lorraine. I want you to live... live for a long time.
- [Siggy comes up with a knife and stabs Danel, who pushes him away and shoots him]
- Stephen Danel: Everything... on this island belonged to me... everything... everything... belongs to me... for as long as I... live...
Taglines
edit- There's no escape... from his FIEND'S PARADISE of torture!
- Paroled prisoners ENSLAVED... in a tropical PARADISE of torture!
- A beautiful woman... THE VICTIM... of this connoisseur of CRUELTY!
- Men die under the lash... of his TORTURING WHIP...! Women SHUDDER at the touch!
- Women shuddering at his cruel caress! Men dying under his torturing lash!
- Beauty and the Beast!
Cast
edit- Peter Lorre — Stephen Danel
- Rochelle Hudson — Lorraine Danel
- Robert Wilcox — Mark Sheldon ("Mr. Smith")
- George E. Stone — Siggy
- Charles Middleton — Cort
- Stanley Brown - Eddie
- Earl Gunn - Mitchell
External links
edit- Island of Doomed Men quotes at the Internet Movie Database