Island of Lost Souls (1933 film)
Encyclopedia
Island of Lost Souls is an American science fiction horror film starring Charles Laughton
, Richard Arlen
, Leila Hyams
, Bela Lugosi
and Kathleen Burke
as The Panther Woman. Produced by Paramount Pictures
in 1933
from a script co-written by science fiction
legend Philip Wylie, the movie was the first film adaptation of the H. G. Wells
novel The Island of Dr. Moreau, published in 1896. The film was directed by Erle C. Kenton
.
Both book and movie are about a remote island that is run by an obsessed scientist who is secretly conducting surgical experiments on animals. The goal of these experiments is to try to transform the animals into human beings. The result of the experiments is a race of half-human, half-animal creatures that live in the island's jungles, only tentatively under Moreau's control.
) adrift, he gets picked up by a freighter that is delivering supplies to an isolated South Seas island owned by Dr. Moreau (Charles Laughton
). The only thing Parker can find out about the doctor is that he likes his privacy.
When Parker and the freighter's captain (Stanley Fields
) get into a fight because the drunken captain abused M'ling (Tetsu Komai
), a terribly ugly servant, the captain tosses Parker overboard into Montgomery (Arthur Hohl
) and Moreau's boat and hauls up the ladder. As the animals are being unloaded, Moreau tells Montgomery that he intends to take Lota (Kathleen Burke
) to Parker, which surprises Montgomery greatly. Parker eats dinner, and then retires to the lounge. Moreau then introduces him to Lota, a beautiful and kind girl, who seems simple. They talk for a little while, and Lota talks to Parker in a very kind and tender way. Suddenly, the two hear screams coming from a locked room. Lota calls it the House Of Pain, and when Parker enters, he sees a horrible monster being given surgery by Montgomery and Moreau without any anasthetic. Convinced that Moreau is brainwashing and torturing people for fun, and that 'he's next', Parker tries to leave the house where he has been staying, and for the first time runs into the animal-men. Saved from them by Moreau and his assistants, Parker observes the island's strange social structure. Moreau cracks a whip and orders an animal-man known as the Sayer of the Law (Bela Lugosi
) to repeat the rule against violence. Once that happens, the animal-men return to the jungle.
Moreau and his men return Parker to the main house. Once they are back inside, the doctor explains his experiments; that he started in London many years previously, taking plants and accelerating evolution so that they grew larger and more intelligent. He eventually starts experimenting with animals, trying to transform them into people, as he regards human beings to be 'the climax of a long process of organic evolution' Theorizing that all animals will eventually become people, he begins making them into people through 'plastic surgery, blood transfusions, gland extracts, and ray baths'. He would still be practicing these experiments if a dog hadn't escaped from his laboratory and so horrified the people of England that he was banished. He clearly has an obsession with his work, and has formed a kind of religion, with Moreau as God, the Sayer of The Law as a preacher, and the House Of Pain as Hell. He omits describing how Lota was made from a panther, and later on, talking with Montgomery, he reveals that Lota is becoming more human in her emotions.
The next day, the boat that was going to take Parker off the island has been torn to pieces. Moreau blames the Beast-Folk, although it is clear that he was the one who destroyed the boat.
Parker is left around Lota for a long time and she falls in love with him. Eventually the two kiss, but Parker is stricken with guilt. Lota hugs him, and he feels a pain where she is touching him. When he examines her hands, he realizes that she has three-inch-long claw-like nails. In a fit of rage, he storms into the office of Dr. Moreau and tells him that he considers it criminal to make panthers into women. Dr. Moreau calmly explains that Lota is his most perfect creation, and he wanted to see if she was capable of falling in love with a human, being impregnated by a human, and bear human-like children. Parker punches Moreau and orders him to make arrangements for him to leave the island as soon as possible. Moreau takes out his anger on Lota, who he finds gazing at herself in a mirror, wondering how to make herself more attractive. Moreau grabs her chin and demands what she did to let Parker know that she was an animal; she raises her hands, revealing her claws, in response. Moreau is stricken with despair, thinking that animals are animals and humans are humans, and no amount of treatment can change that – until he notices Lota crying. His hopes are raised and he screams that he'll burn out all the animal in her and leave her around Parker until he impregnates her.
Parker's fiancee, Ruth (Leila Hyams
), then arrives on the island. Parker realizes that he has to escape the island with his fiancee but is unsure how to do this. His opportunity appears when Moreau is caught by the animal-men in an act of violence, and they decide to revolt. They pursue Moreau to his House of Pain where they eviscerate him with his surgical instruments. Although this is not explicitly shown, Moreau's ghastly screams leave no doubt as to what is happening. Eventually the entire island goes up in flames. With help from Montgomery, Parker and Ruth then make their escape.
, in 1933, 1951, and 1957. The reason for the initial ban was due to scenes of vivisection
; it is likely that the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937, which forbade the portrayal of cruelty to animals in feature films released in Britain, was a significant factor in the BBFC's subsequent rejections. The film was eventually passed with an 'X' certificate on 9 July 1958. Original author H. G. Wells
was outspoken in his dislike of the film, feeling the overt horror elements overshadowed the story's deeper philosophies.
The censors also objected to Dr. Moreau saying "Do you know what it means to feel like God?"
was released in 1977 and stars Burt Lancaster
as the doctor. The second
was released in 1996 and stars Marlon Brando
as Moreau. In the very similar Twilight People (1973), actress Pam Grier
plays the role of the panther woman.
Playwright Charles Ludlam
used this movie, as well as Wells' novel and the fairy tale by Charles Perrault
, when writing his play Bluebeard (1970).
According to IMDb.COM, the film was first released in the U.S. in December, 1932.
According to IMDb.COM (under the "trivia" section for this movie), the film inspired the Blondie song "Island Of Lost Souls", released 31 December 1981 as a promotional single.
Members of the new wave
band Devo
were fans of the film. The "What is the law?" sequence formed part of the lyrics to Devo's song "Jocko Homo
," with Lugosi's query "Are we not men?" providing the title to their 1978 debut album Question: Are We Not Men? Answer: We Are Devo!
Oingo Boingo
is another new wave band who paid tribute to the film with their song "No Spill Blood," which featured the refrain "What is the Law? No spill blood!" and appeared on their 1983 Good for Your Soul
album. The Meteors
, a psychobilly band from the UK told the story of the film in their song "Island of Lost Souls" off their 1986 album Teenagers From Outer Space, the chorus being a prolonged chant of "We don't eat meat; Are We Not Men? We stand on two feet; Are We Not Men?" etc. Heavy metal band Van Halen
paid homage to the film in the original version of their song "House of Pain", the early lyrics for which directly referenced the storyline of the movie. During onstage introductions of the song circa 1976-77, Van Halen
vocalist David Lee Roth
routinely gave a brief synopsis of the film. The song was shelved for the better part of a decade, but eventually resurfaced with different non-movie related lyrics and released on the band's 1984 album.
The US Horror-rock / punk / metal band MANIMALS based much of their stage persona on the 1933 film. Their 1985 Blood is the Harvest vinyl E.P. closes with the song "Island of Lost Souls" – a direct homage to the film / book. The track includes a "What is the Law?" section that fans would chant during live shows. Band members were billed as "half-man, half-animal" hybrids, and emerged from cages during shows in the 1980's, wearing full-makeup, furry outfits and refusing to break character or be photographed sans transformation. The highly-collectable, vinyl 12" was released on their own "House Of Pain" label, further evidence of the heavy influence of the film. As opposed to bands which have taken a tongue-in-cheek approach to horror themes, Manimals are widely respected in horror circles and among monster-movie aficianados for their serious, respectful approach to these films. Bela Lugosi scholar / film historian, Gary Don Rhodes has called them "the best-ever in the horror-rock genre" and referenced them in his 1997 book "Lugosi" (McFarland Press).
Charles Laughton
Charles Laughton was an English-American stage and film actor, screenwriter, producer and director.-Early life and career:...
, Richard Arlen
Richard Arlen
-Biography:Born Sylvanus Richard Van Mattimore in St. Paul, Minnesota, he attended the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. His first job after the war was with St. Paul's Athletic Club...
, Leila Hyams
Leila Hyams
Leila Hyams was an American film actress. Her relatively short film career began in silent films, and ended in the mid 1930s.-Early life:...
, Bela Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
and Kathleen Burke
Kathleen Burke
Kathleen Burke was an American movie actress of the 1930s.Burke worked as a dental assistant in Chicago, before winning a talent contest sponsored by Paramount Pictures. Her film debut was as Lota, the "Panther Woman" in Island of Lost Souls , the first screen version of H.G. Wells's novel The...
as The Panther Woman. Produced by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
in 1933
1933 in film
-Events:* March 2 - King Kong premieres in New York City.* June 6 - The first drive-in theater opens, in Camden, New Jersey.* British Film Institute founded....
from a script co-written by science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
legend Philip Wylie, the movie was the first film adaptation of the H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
novel The Island of Dr. Moreau, published in 1896. The film was directed by Erle C. Kenton
Erle C. Kenton
Erle C. Kenton , was an American film director. He directed 131 films between 1916 and 1957.He was born in Norboro, Montana and died in Glendale, California from Parkinson's disease.-Selected filmography:...
.
Both book and movie are about a remote island that is run by an obsessed scientist who is secretly conducting surgical experiments on animals. The goal of these experiments is to try to transform the animals into human beings. The result of the experiments is a race of half-human, half-animal creatures that live in the island's jungles, only tentatively under Moreau's control.
Plot summary
When a shipwreck sets ocean traveler Edward Parker (Richard ArlenRichard Arlen
-Biography:Born Sylvanus Richard Van Mattimore in St. Paul, Minnesota, he attended the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. His first job after the war was with St. Paul's Athletic Club...
) adrift, he gets picked up by a freighter that is delivering supplies to an isolated South Seas island owned by Dr. Moreau (Charles Laughton
Charles Laughton
Charles Laughton was an English-American stage and film actor, screenwriter, producer and director.-Early life and career:...
). The only thing Parker can find out about the doctor is that he likes his privacy.
When Parker and the freighter's captain (Stanley Fields
Stanley Fields (actor)
Stanley Fields was an American actor, born 20 May 1883 in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA and died 23 April 1941 in Los Angeles, California, USA, aged 57.-Career:Born Walter L. Agnew, he spent seven years as boy Soprano in the Trinity Church choir...
) get into a fight because the drunken captain abused M'ling (Tetsu Komai
Tetsu Komai
Tetsu Komai was a minor Hollywood actor born in Kumamoto, Japan who died in Gardena, California of congestive heart failure. Tetsu had small parts in over 50 films from the 1920s until the mid 1960s. In his early films, Tetsu was often described with derogatory terms such as Chinaman, although he...
), a terribly ugly servant, the captain tosses Parker overboard into Montgomery (Arthur Hohl
Arthur Hohl
Arthur Hohl was a stage and motion-picture character actor. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and began appearing in films in the early 1920s...
) and Moreau's boat and hauls up the ladder. As the animals are being unloaded, Moreau tells Montgomery that he intends to take Lota (Kathleen Burke
Kathleen Burke
Kathleen Burke was an American movie actress of the 1930s.Burke worked as a dental assistant in Chicago, before winning a talent contest sponsored by Paramount Pictures. Her film debut was as Lota, the "Panther Woman" in Island of Lost Souls , the first screen version of H.G. Wells's novel The...
) to Parker, which surprises Montgomery greatly. Parker eats dinner, and then retires to the lounge. Moreau then introduces him to Lota, a beautiful and kind girl, who seems simple. They talk for a little while, and Lota talks to Parker in a very kind and tender way. Suddenly, the two hear screams coming from a locked room. Lota calls it the House Of Pain, and when Parker enters, he sees a horrible monster being given surgery by Montgomery and Moreau without any anasthetic. Convinced that Moreau is brainwashing and torturing people for fun, and that 'he's next', Parker tries to leave the house where he has been staying, and for the first time runs into the animal-men. Saved from them by Moreau and his assistants, Parker observes the island's strange social structure. Moreau cracks a whip and orders an animal-man known as the Sayer of the Law (Bela Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
) to repeat the rule against violence. Once that happens, the animal-men return to the jungle.
Moreau and his men return Parker to the main house. Once they are back inside, the doctor explains his experiments; that he started in London many years previously, taking plants and accelerating evolution so that they grew larger and more intelligent. He eventually starts experimenting with animals, trying to transform them into people, as he regards human beings to be 'the climax of a long process of organic evolution' Theorizing that all animals will eventually become people, he begins making them into people through 'plastic surgery, blood transfusions, gland extracts, and ray baths'. He would still be practicing these experiments if a dog hadn't escaped from his laboratory and so horrified the people of England that he was banished. He clearly has an obsession with his work, and has formed a kind of religion, with Moreau as God, the Sayer of The Law as a preacher, and the House Of Pain as Hell. He omits describing how Lota was made from a panther, and later on, talking with Montgomery, he reveals that Lota is becoming more human in her emotions.
The next day, the boat that was going to take Parker off the island has been torn to pieces. Moreau blames the Beast-Folk, although it is clear that he was the one who destroyed the boat.
Parker is left around Lota for a long time and she falls in love with him. Eventually the two kiss, but Parker is stricken with guilt. Lota hugs him, and he feels a pain where she is touching him. When he examines her hands, he realizes that she has three-inch-long claw-like nails. In a fit of rage, he storms into the office of Dr. Moreau and tells him that he considers it criminal to make panthers into women. Dr. Moreau calmly explains that Lota is his most perfect creation, and he wanted to see if she was capable of falling in love with a human, being impregnated by a human, and bear human-like children. Parker punches Moreau and orders him to make arrangements for him to leave the island as soon as possible. Moreau takes out his anger on Lota, who he finds gazing at herself in a mirror, wondering how to make herself more attractive. Moreau grabs her chin and demands what she did to let Parker know that she was an animal; she raises her hands, revealing her claws, in response. Moreau is stricken with despair, thinking that animals are animals and humans are humans, and no amount of treatment can change that – until he notices Lota crying. His hopes are raised and he screams that he'll burn out all the animal in her and leave her around Parker until he impregnates her.
Parker's fiancee, Ruth (Leila Hyams
Leila Hyams
Leila Hyams was an American film actress. Her relatively short film career began in silent films, and ended in the mid 1930s.-Early life:...
), then arrives on the island. Parker realizes that he has to escape the island with his fiancee but is unsure how to do this. His opportunity appears when Moreau is caught by the animal-men in an act of violence, and they decide to revolt. They pursue Moreau to his House of Pain where they eviscerate him with his surgical instruments. Although this is not explicitly shown, Moreau's ghastly screams leave no doubt as to what is happening. Eventually the entire island goes up in flames. With help from Montgomery, Parker and Ruth then make their escape.
Cast (in credits order)
- Charles LaughtonCharles LaughtonCharles Laughton was an English-American stage and film actor, screenwriter, producer and director.-Early life and career:...
as Dr Moreau - Richard ArlenRichard Arlen-Biography:Born Sylvanus Richard Van Mattimore in St. Paul, Minnesota, he attended the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. His first job after the war was with St. Paul's Athletic Club...
as Edward Parker - Leila HyamsLeila HyamsLeila Hyams was an American film actress. Her relatively short film career began in silent films, and ended in the mid 1930s.-Early life:...
as Ruth Thomas - Bela LugosiBéla LugosiBéla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
(billed as Bela "Dracula" Lugosi in the trailer) as Sayer Of The Law - Kathleen BurkeKathleen BurkeKathleen Burke was an American movie actress of the 1930s.Burke worked as a dental assistant in Chicago, before winning a talent contest sponsored by Paramount Pictures. Her film debut was as Lota, the "Panther Woman" in Island of Lost Souls , the first screen version of H.G. Wells's novel The...
as Lota, the Panther Woman - Arthur HohlArthur HohlArthur Hohl was a stage and motion-picture character actor. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and began appearing in films in the early 1920s...
as Mr Montgomery - Stanley FieldsStanley Fields (actor)Stanley Fields was an American actor, born 20 May 1883 in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA and died 23 April 1941 in Los Angeles, California, USA, aged 57.-Career:Born Walter L. Agnew, he spent seven years as boy Soprano in the Trinity Church choir...
as Captain Davies - Paul HurstPaul HurstPaul Michael Hurst is a former English footballer who played in Football League Two in England, for Rotherham, where he played for over 10 years. He is currently joint manager of Conference National side Grimsby Town with Rob Scott.-Playing career:Hurst figured regularly on the left side of the...
as Captain Donahue - Hans Steinke as Ouran
- Tetsu KomaiTetsu KomaiTetsu Komai was a minor Hollywood actor born in Kumamoto, Japan who died in Gardena, California of congestive heart failure. Tetsu had small parts in over 50 films from the 1920s until the mid 1960s. In his early films, Tetsu was often described with derogatory terms such as Chinaman, although he...
as M'ling - George IrvingGeorge IrvingGeorge Irving may refer to:*George Irving , American film actor and director*George Irving , British television actor*George S. Irving , American theatre actor-See also:*George Irvine...
as The Consul
UK censorship ban
The film was examined and refused a certificate three times by the British Board of Film CensorsBritish Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
, in 1933, 1951, and 1957. The reason for the initial ban was due to scenes of vivisection
Vivisection
Vivisection is defined as surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure...
; it is likely that the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937, which forbade the portrayal of cruelty to animals in feature films released in Britain, was a significant factor in the BBFC's subsequent rejections. The film was eventually passed with an 'X' certificate on 9 July 1958. Original author H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
was outspoken in his dislike of the film, feeling the overt horror elements overshadowed the story's deeper philosophies.
The censors also objected to Dr. Moreau saying "Do you know what it means to feel like God?"
Legacy
Two films have since been made based on the same H. G. Wells novel. The firstThe Island of Dr. Moreau (1977 film)
The Island of Dr. Moreau is the second movie version of the H. G. Wells science fiction novel about a scientist who attempts to convert animals into people, starring Burt Lancaster, Michael York, Barbara Carrera, and Richard Basehart...
was released in 1977 and stars Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
as the doctor. The second
The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996 film)
The Island of Dr. Moreau is a 1996 science fiction horror film, the third major movie version of the H. G. Wells novel The Island of Doctor Moreau about a scientist who attempts to convert animals into people...
was released in 1996 and stars Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
as Moreau. In the very similar Twilight People (1973), actress Pam Grier
Pam Grier
Pamela Suzette "Pam" Grier is an American actress. She became famous in the early 1970s, after starring in a string of moderately successful women in prison and blaxploitation films such as 1974's Foxy Brown. Her career was revitalized in 1997 after her appearance in Quentin Tarantino's film...
plays the role of the panther woman.
Playwright Charles Ludlam
Charles Ludlam
Charles Braun Ludlam was an American actor, director, and playwright.-Early life:Ludlam was born in Floral Park, New York, the son of Marjorie and Joseph William Ludlam. He was raised in Greenlawn, New York, on Long Island, and attended Harborfields High School. The fact that he was gay was not a...
used this movie, as well as Wells' novel and the fairy tale by Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault was a French author who laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from pre-existing folk tales. The best known include Le Petit Chaperon rouge , Cendrillon , Le Chat Botté and La Barbe bleue...
, when writing his play Bluebeard (1970).
According to IMDb.COM, the film was first released in the U.S. in December, 1932.
According to IMDb.COM (under the "trivia" section for this movie), the film inspired the Blondie song "Island Of Lost Souls", released 31 December 1981 as a promotional single.
Members of the new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
were fans of the film. The "What is the law?" sequence formed part of the lyrics to Devo's song "Jocko Homo
Jocko Homo
"Jocko Homo" is the B-side to Devo's first single, "Mongoloid," released as a single in 1977 on Devo's own label, Booji Boy Records and later released in the UK on Stiff Records. The song was re-recorded as the feature song for Devo's first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! on Warner Bros....
," with Lugosi's query "Are we not men?" providing the title to their 1978 debut album Question: Are We Not Men? Answer: We Are Devo!
Question: Are We Not Men? Answer: We Are Devo!
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! is the debut album by the American new wave music band Devo. Produced by Brian Eno, it was recorded primarily in Cologne, Germany and released in the U.S. by Warner Bros. Records company in 1978....
Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo was an American new wave band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art group...
is another new wave band who paid tribute to the film with their song "No Spill Blood," which featured the refrain "What is the Law? No spill blood!" and appeared on their 1983 Good for Your Soul
Good For Your Soul
-Personnel:Oingo Boingo* Danny Elfman - lead vocals, rhythm guitar* Steve Bartek - lead guitar* Kerry Hatch - bass guitar, bass synthesizer* Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez - drums* Richard Gibbs - keyboards* Sam "Sluggo" Phipps - lead tenor, clarinet...
album. The Meteors
The Meteors
The Meteors are an English psychobilly band formed in 1980. Originally from London, England, they are often credited with giving the psychobilly subgenre—which fuses punk rock with rockabilly—its distinctive sound and style...
, a psychobilly band from the UK told the story of the film in their song "Island of Lost Souls" off their 1986 album Teenagers From Outer Space, the chorus being a prolonged chant of "We don't eat meat; Are We Not Men? We stand on two feet; Are We Not Men?" etc. Heavy metal band Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
paid homage to the film in the original version of their song "House of Pain", the early lyrics for which directly referenced the storyline of the movie. During onstage introductions of the song circa 1976-77, Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
vocalist David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
routinely gave a brief synopsis of the film. The song was shelved for the better part of a decade, but eventually resurfaced with different non-movie related lyrics and released on the band's 1984 album.
The US Horror-rock / punk / metal band MANIMALS based much of their stage persona on the 1933 film. Their 1985 Blood is the Harvest vinyl E.P. closes with the song "Island of Lost Souls" – a direct homage to the film / book. The track includes a "What is the Law?" section that fans would chant during live shows. Band members were billed as "half-man, half-animal" hybrids, and emerged from cages during shows in the 1980's, wearing full-makeup, furry outfits and refusing to break character or be photographed sans transformation. The highly-collectable, vinyl 12" was released on their own "House Of Pain" label, further evidence of the heavy influence of the film. As opposed to bands which have taken a tongue-in-cheek approach to horror themes, Manimals are widely respected in horror circles and among monster-movie aficianados for their serious, respectful approach to these films. Bela Lugosi scholar / film historian, Gary Don Rhodes has called them "the best-ever in the horror-rock genre" and referenced them in his 1997 book "Lugosi" (McFarland Press).
Sources
- Island of Lost Souls VHS tape, Universal Home Video Monsters Classic Collection
- IMDb profile: Island of Lost Souls
- Classics of the Horror Film: From the Days of the Silent Film to the Exorcist, by Willam K. Everson