| Mysterious Island | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Chapter 6theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Spencer Gordon Bennet |
| Written by | Screenplay: Lewis Clay Royal K. Cole George H. Plympton |
| Based on | The Mysterious Island 1874 novel byJules Verne |
| Produced by | Sam Katzman |
| Starring | Richard Crane Marshall Reed Karen Randle Ralph Hodges |
| Cinematography | William Whitley |
| Edited by | Earl Turner |
| Color process | Black and white |
Production company | Sam Katzman Productions |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 252 minutes (15 episodes) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Mysterious Island is a 1951 American 15-chaptermovie serial fromColumbia Pictures, the studio's 46th, that starsRichard Crane,Marshall Reed, Karen Randle, and Ralph Hodges. It is an adaptation ofJules Verne's 1874 novel,The Mysterious Island (L'Île mystérieuse). As in the original story, which was Verne's follow-up toTwenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, this serial is set in 1865. However, Columbia's screenwriters added alienMercurians as an additional set of villains. The serial has been labeled aspace opera version of Verne's novel.[1][2]
During the siege ofRichmond, Virginia, in theAmerican Civil War,POW Capt.Cyrus Harding escapes from his Confederate captors in a rather unusual way – by hijackingan observation balloon. In his escape, Harding is accompanied by sailor Pencroft, his nephew Bert, writer Gideon, loyal soldier Neb, and a dog. A hurricane blows the balloon off course, and the group eventually crash-lands on a cliff-bound, volcanic, uncharted (and fictitious) island, located in the South Pacific, with very unusual inhabitants. They name it "Lincoln Island" in honour of American PresidentAbraham Lincoln.
The castaways soon encounter a group of people that include the local natives (who worship the island's volcano), Rulu (a woman from Mercury trying to extract an unnamed superexplosive element in order to conquer the Earth),Ayrton (a wild man exiled on the island) and Captain Shard (a ruthless pirate). A mystery man, who possesses great scientific powers, also makes his presence known to the group of people; he isCaptain Nemo, who survived the whirlpool in20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and unlike the character in the Disney film, was not fatally wounded by military troops from warships. On the way, our quintet of heroes must battle the elements and peoples while trying to figure out a way off the island and back to civilization.
Source:[3]
Costumes belonging to the Western Costume Company were recycled from earlier serials for use inMysterious Island. The Mercurian soldiers wear shirts from Universal'sFlash Gordon and masks from Columbia'sThe Spider's Web.[1]
AuthorsJim Harmon andDonald F. Glut were largely positive when writing about the serial: "Although fantastic beyond credibility,Mysterious Island actually contained more elements from the original source than most such adaptations of the sound era".[1]