GManfred A creepy old house on an island shrouded in fog, a handful of suspects (victims?) and George Zucco and Lionel Atwill together on the same screen - what else could we B fans ask for? Well, for starters, we could ask for a better script, a few less holes in the plot and a better love interest twosome than Sharon Douglas and John Whitney, who nearly sinks the picture all by himself with a very poor acting job.I have to think this story worked better on the stage as the director here couldn't bring it off on screen. But if you go with it and make generous allowances for the proceedings it will work for you.Plus - did you ever think you could ever see Zucco and Atwill in the same picture? They are here - for the first and maybe only time! Now that's worth the price of admission! All you have to do is overlook the small details.

Terrell-4 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, whose last name we never learn. These are party favors from Leo Grainger, a failed financier whose associates framed him with a fraud rap. He was sent to jail for five years. And someone murdered his rich wife. This night they are all gathered on Fog Island in Grainger's hulking mansion, amidst fog so thick you can lean against it. Grainger invited them with hints that from the money he was convicted of stealing, a fortune still remains buried somewhere in the mansion. However, Jeff Kingsley turns out to be the innocent son of one of the conspirators, a man who has died recently. And Gail is Leo Grainger's stepdaughter, a young woman who seems pouty and resentful, yet who appears to have respect for her stepfather. During this long night, Leo Grainger's party favors will lead to retribution and horrible death. For fans of low-budget Forties' movies, especially those which feature mystery, death and strange animals, human and otherwise, roaming the moors, two names stand high in the pantheon of actors who deliver the goods: George Zucco and Lionel Atwill. They were born within a year of each other in England, Zucco in 1886 and Atwill in 1885. Both had distinguished stage careers. Zucco left Britain for Hollywood in 1935. Atwill arrived in America in 1915. Atwill was so confident and assured as an actor that it was easy to overlook how hammy he could be. Zucco's mad glare made it easy to overlook how good an actor he was, and how avuncular and reassuring he could be as a good guy. Both settled into strong character parts in the Thirties, often in A-level movies, and both, for different reasons, ended up in more and more low-budget mystery and horror programmers in the Forties...Zucco because as he got older he began to accept any roles offered to him; Atwill because he was involved in a scandal and could only find work in low-budget cheapies. Fog Island is fun because it is one of the few films the two actors appear in together. Zucco is Leo Grainger, a man who will have his retribution. Atwill is Alec Richfield, one of the instigators of Leo's downfall and a prime suspect in the death of Leo's wife. The third major player, of course, is the glowering mansion set on this isolated island. We quickly learn, as Leo goes about setting his traps, that some of his guests are going to encounter the dank lower chambers carved in the living rock, rooms with hidden doors, pits covered with disguised lids and one water-tight room, deep in the bowels of the island, where horri...well, you need to see the movie. The film features some barely adequate acting, gloomy and surprisingly rich-looking interiors, a lot of obviously one-take scenes, as well as a suspicious looking butler. And among the cast is that tall, blond specialist in dames you shouldn't trust, Veda Ann Borg. Those fans of low-budget programmers like me miss her.

Paul Andrews Fog Island starts on the remote, ominously named Fog Island itself where Leo Grainger (George Zucco) & his stepdaughter Gail (Sharon Douglas) live together with Allerton (George Lloyd) the butler. But they are not alone for long as Dr. Lake (Ian Keith) an old acquittance of Leo's turns up & Leo has also sent out invitations to Alec Ritchfield (Lionel Atwill), Emiline Bronson (Jacqueline de Wit), John Kavanaugh (Jerome Cowan), Sylvia Jordan (Veda Ann Borg) & a final invitation to someone who recently died so his son Jeff Kingsley (John Whitney) takes his Father's place. All of Leo's intended guests are the people he believes are responsible for him doing five years in prison for a bad business deal & more importantly Leo believes one of them murdered his wife over said dodgy deal. As Leo figured out his invitations are accepted as the prospect of finding Leo's supposed hidden fortune gets the better of the greedy bunch of thieves. The scene is set then, an isolated island, a selection of dubious character's, lies, intrigue, hidden money, revenge & ultimately murder...Produced & directed by Terry O. Morse I thought Fog Island was a fairly enjoyable mystery/thriller, it's not really a horror but it does have horror themes & overtones. The script by Pierre Gendron is based upon a play called 'Angel Island' by Bernadine Angus which I unfortunately have not had the pleasure of watching so I obviously cannot compare the two. The film starts off pretty good with a quick set up & a lot of very forced sounding exposition out of the way in a short amount of time & all the potential victims/killers are assembled on the island they are given a mysterious clue but then it takes a step backwards & slows down & from that point onwards it felt like every other shot was of someone walking in the dark & acting suspiciously. Things pick up again for the nice twist climax which I have to say I did see coming as a scene earlier in the film gives it away but it was still a good way to round things off & left me satisfied overall. At only just past the 70 odd minute mark it's short & it doesn't outstay it's welcome although it did feel padded at times with all the walking around in the dark doing nothing in particular.Director Morse does what he can, the island itself doesn't play that much of a part except that it makes for a nice isolated location & the title Fog Island just sounds cool, it mostly takes place in a house. The atmosphere is good in which the creaky old house itself plays a big part. Don't expect a high body count or any violence.Technically Fog Island is fine considering it was made over sixty years ago, the black and white cinematography works in the films favour with all the pitch black corridors & corners. The acting is OK at best, rather wooden & stiff at worst.Fog Island is a decent little thriller from the 40's that is simple but entertaining. Definitely worth a watch in my opinion.

sol1218 ****SPOILERS**** The only thing that seems to make any sense about the movie "Fog Island" is that the bitter and vengeful Leo Grainer, George Zucco, wanted to know for sure if any or all of the people that he invited to stay over at his home Alic Ritchfield, Lionel Atwill, Kavanaugh, Jerome Cowan, Syivla, Veda Ann Borg, and Emiline Bronson, Jaqueline Dewit, on Fog Island murdered his dear wife Karma. Finding out later in the film, at the cost of Leo's life, that Karma was murdered by his invited guests he could then die happily knowing that their greed would lead them right into the trap that he set for them.When Leo was framed by the above mentioned individuals for embezzling his company and sent to prison they not only looted whatever was still left in the company's coffers but in their mindless greed went to Fog Island. After not finding out from Leo's wife Karma where he stashed a large portion of his liquid assets, that they felt that he hid from them, they murdered her.His business bankrupt his wife dead and his future bleak Leo after getting out of prison had only one reason for living. That was to punish those who destroyed his life and murdered his wife Karma. At first you wondered why these people would take Leo up on his invitation to come and stay overnight at his home on the Island as guests? They knew how much Leo hated them and how unstable and crazy he was. As you watched them in the movie you soon saw just how much their greed blinded them and distorted their reason from seeing this. Leo playing on their greed made them think that he had a large amount of liquid assets hidden somewhere on Fog Island. In the end Leo's guests didn't find any assets but got far more liquids that they could have ever hoped for.The good acting in the movie "Fog Island" by George Zucco and Lionel Atwill couldn't save the films very inane and uneven story. I could not understand why it was never really explained in the movie why Leo would hire an escaped convict Allerton, George Lloyd, to be his butler? We always see Allerton snooping around the house and looking into every nook and cranny obviously looking for the money that he thinks that Leo has hidden there. Allerton is later confronted by Doc Lake, Ian Keith, Leo's former accountant and cell-mate. Doc gets into a fight with Allerton where he knocks him over a railing into the water and to his death. Leo who was in the background watching all of this seemed about as interested in what was happening as he would have been if he were watching the swallows flying north to Capistrano. There was also Jeff, John Whitney, who was not on Leo's guest list but who invited himself on the Island anyway. Jeff wanted to take Leo's pretty step-daughter Gail, Sharon Douglas, off the Island and away with him. The relationship between Jeff and Gail was so contrived and phony that you couldn't believe it for a second even if you wanted to.How did Jeff know that he and Gail would find a letter from Gail's mother, Karma, hid in a secret and hidden desk compartment insisting that she leave the Island immediately? Did Jeff have a crystal ball that enabled him to see into the future?