Blast from the Past: Lancaster Revisited
Don Taylor’s sci-fi horror, The Island of Dr. Moreau, was the second feature in American International Pictures (AIP) H. G. Wells cycle, following The Food of the Gods (1976) and preceding Empire of the Ants (1977).
Starring Burt Lancaster, as a scientist who attempts to convert animals into human beings, it was the second English-language adaptation of Wells’ 1896 novel, after Island of Lost Souls (1932).
The cast also includes Michael York, Nigel Davenport, Barbara Carrera and Richard Basehart.
Premise and Setting
In 1911, three men are floating in a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean after the wreck of the ship Lady Vain. One dies, and after 17 days at sea, the two survivors land on an island, where one is killed by animals.
The last survivor, engineer Braddock, is nursed back to health in the compound governed by the scientist Dr. Moreau, and his associatees, mercenary Montgomery; Moreau’s mute, misshapen servant, M’Ling; and Maria, a young woman.
Braddock witnesses Moreau and Montgomery manhandling a chained creature who is not human. They are the hybrid products of Moreau’s experiments upon various species of wild animal. Moreau is injecting them with a serum containing human genetic material as part of his goal to perfect life.
Braddock objects to Moreau’s oppressive treatment of the man-beasts. Moreau replies by lecturing his views of compassion as a weakness and humanity’s superiority over animals. He thinks eating flesh would revert the man-beasts further and cause them to turn on humanity. He injects the Lion-Man to humanize him further.
Outraged by Moreau’s oppression, Braddock prepares to leave the island with Maria. Braddock resists killing Moreau, who dies of his injuries. Braddock uses the corpse as a diversion so they can escape through the compound.
Eventually, the man-beasts break in and the compound is burned. In the chaos, the wild animals are turned loose and a battle ensues with the hybrids. Most of the man-beasts are killed by the animals or consumed by the fire. The serum has worn off, returning Braddock to his full human state, accomanied by Maria.
Lancaster matched Wells’ description of Moreau’s physical appearance, unlike the other actors who play the role, Charles Laughton in Island of Lost Souls (1932) and Brando in The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996).
Carrera claims there were three or four different endings imagined, including one in which her character gave birth to a kitten. That version was favored by producer John Temple-Smith, which York refused to do. Director Taylor said that he did not take it seriously and the footage was never shot.
Written by Doug Moench and illustrated by Larry Hama, the comic-book adaptation had less happy ending than the film, with Maria reverting into a cat-woman before help arrives.
The least commercially and critically successful adaptation of the 3 versions. his 1996 film would spawn a documentary, “Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau (2014),” about the film’s turbulent production.
Cast
Burt Lancaster as Dr. Paul Moreau
Michael York as Andrew Braddock
Nigel Davenport as Montgomery
Barbara Carrera as Maria
Richard Basehart as Sayer of the Law
Nick Cravat as M’Ling
The Great John L. as Boar-Man
Bob Ozman as Bull-Man
Fumio Demura as Hyena-Man
Gary Baxley as Lion-Man
John Gillespie as Tiger-Man
David Cass as Bear-Man
