Fog Island (1945)
Fog Island (1945)
„Fog Island“ is a 1945 Black & White mystery-suspense film directed by Terry O. Morse. The screenplay by Pierre Gendron is based on the 1937 play „Angel Island“ by Bernie Angus.
Leo Grainger, a former investment broker recently released from prison, is living in seclusion on Fog Island with his stepdaughter Gail. Gail has fled to the island, once a refuge for pirates, because Leo’s release has prompted renewed newspaper interest in the story of his supposed investment swindle and Gail’s mother Karma’s violent death during his imprisonment.
Leo’s former „associates“ believe he has a hidden fortune somewhere on Fog Island, so Leo invites them all for the weekend, confident that the greedy group will not suspect he is setting a death trap.
When everyone arrives, Alec Ritchfield, John Kavanaugh, Sylvia Jordan, and Emiline Bronson, Kingsley’s son Jeff, and Dr. Lake, Leo’s sinister ex-accountant, who served time with him. The atmosphere of mutual suspicion and the thick fog that covers the island promise a tense and hazardous weekend for everyone.
Jeff tries to make time with his indifferent ex-girlfriend, Gail. Leo gives party favors to his guests. 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. Sylvia and John plot to steal the key, while Emiline discovers a note inside her gift, which directs her to look in a box on the mantlepiece.
Alec persuades Emiline to conduct a seánce around a large desk. During the seánce, Alec slips away and enters the house’s secret passageway. The seánce ends abruptly when the desk starts to levitate. Lake accosts Allerton, Leo’s butler, and after identifying him as escaped convict Al Jenks, throws him out a window to the churning sea below.
Later, Alec sneaks down to retrieve Emiline’s still unclaimed key but is interrupted by Leo. Alec stabs and kills Leo, and returns to the mantle just as Emilene finds the key and offers to show her where it fits in exchange for half of Leo’s booty, then Alec leads Emiline into the passageway, and stabs her.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Jeff and Lake start to fight. Lake knocks out Jeff and flees. Sylvia and John meet up with Alec in the passageway. Using all the clues from their tokens, the three make their way to the cavernous cellar and, after being joined by Lake, locate Leo’s treasure box, which they discover contains only a spiteful note. The cellar’s entrance then closes and sea water begins seeping in through the floor.
Gail and Jeff, meanwhile, activate a trigger in the desk, which causes it to levitate and reveal a hidden drawer. Gail opens the drawer with Leo’s key and finds her mother’s jewels and a note, in which her mother advises her to forget about the past and move on with her life. After admitting to Jeff that she ran away because she feared that others suspected her of trying to steal Leo’s fortune, Gail prepares to leave the island with Jeff. While readying to go, Jeff stumbles onto the passageway and discovers not only Leo’s body but the drowned Alec, Sylvia, John and Lake as well. Without telling Gail the horrors he was witnessed, Jeff escorts Gail to the waiting launch.
Cast:
- George Zucco – Leo Grainer
- Lionel Atwill – Alec Ritchfield
- Jerome Cowan – Kavanaugh
- Sharon Douglas – Gail
- Veda Ann Borg – Sylvia
- John Whitney – Jeff
- Jacqueline deWit – Emiline Bronson
- Ian Keith – Dr. Lake
- George Lloyd – Allerton, Butler
„Fog Island“ (dt.: Die Insel im Nebel) ist ein Schwarz-Weiß-Mystery-Suspense-Film von 1945 unter der Regie von Terry O. Morse. Das Drehbuch von Pierre Gendron basiert auf dem Theaterstück "Angel Island" von Bernie Angus aus dem Jahr 1937.
Leo Grainger, ein ehemaliger Investmentmakler, der kürzlich aus dem Gefängnis entlassen wurde, lebt mit seiner Stieftochter Gail zurückgezogen auf Fog Island. Gail ist auf die Insel geflohen, die einst ein Zufluchtsort für Piraten war, weil Leos Entlassung das Interesse der Zeitungen an der Geschichte seines angeblichen Investmentbetrugs und des gewaltsamen Todes von Gails Mutter Karma während seiner Haftzeit geweckt hat.
Leos frühere "Partner" glauben, dass er irgendwo auf Fog Island ein Vermögen versteckt hat, und so lädt Leo sie alle für das Wochenende ein, in der Zuversicht, dass die gierige Gruppe nicht ahnen wird, dass er eine Todesfalle stellt.
Als alle eintreffen, sind Alec Ritchfield, John Kavanaugh, Sylvia Jordan und Emiline Bronson, Kingsleys Sohn Jeff und Dr. Lake, Leos finsterer Ex-Buchhalter, der mit ihm im Gefängnis saß, anwesend. Die Atmosphäre des gegenseitigen Misstrauens und der dichte Nebel, der die Insel bedeckt, versprechen ein spannendes und gefährliches Wochenende für alle.
