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L'île du diable

Original title: Alcatraz Island
  • 1937
  • Approved
  • 1h 3m
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
315
YOUR RATING
L'île du diable (1937)
GangsterPrison DramaActionCrimeDramaRomance

A man who has been railroaded into prison is framed for the murder of a fellow inmate and must prove his innocence.A man who has been railroaded into prison is framed for the murder of a fellow inmate and must prove his innocence.A man who has been railroaded into prison is framed for the murder of a fellow inmate and must prove his innocence.

  • Director
    • William C. McGann
  • Writer
    • Crane Wilbur
  • Stars
    • John Litel
    • Ann Sheridan
    • Mary Maguire
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.7/10
    315
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • William C. McGann
    • Writer
      • Crane Wilbur
    • Stars
      • John Litel
      • Ann Sheridan
      • Mary Maguire
    • 12User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos3

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    Top cast64

    Edit
    John Litel
    John Litel
    • Gat Brady
    Ann Sheridan
    Ann Sheridan
    • Flo Allen
    Mary Maguire
    Mary Maguire
    • Ann Brady
    Gordon Oliver
    Gordon Oliver
    • George Drake
    Dick Purcell
    Dick Purcell
    • 'Harp' Santell
    Ben Welden
    Ben Welden
    • 'Red' Carroll
    Addison Richards
    Addison Richards
    • Fred MacLane
    George E. Stone
    George E. Stone
    • 'Tough Tony' Burke
    Vladimir Sokoloff
    Vladimir Sokoloff
    • The Flying Dutchman
    Peggy Bates
    Peggy Bates
    • Miss Tolliver
    Doris Lloyd
    Doris Lloyd
    • Miss Marquand
    Charles Trowbridge
    Charles Trowbridge
    • Warden Jackson
    Janet Shaw
    Janet Shaw
    • Sally Carruthers
    • (as Ellen Clancy)
    Veda Ann Borg
    Veda Ann Borg
    • The Red Head
    Matty Fain
    Matty Fain
    • Butch
    Anderson Lawler
    Anderson Lawler
    • 'Whitey' Edwards
    • (as Anderson Lawlor)
    Sam Bennett
    • Convict
    • (uncredited)
    Phil Bloom
    Phil Bloom
    • Convict
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • William C. McGann
    • Writer
      • Crane Wilbur
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews12

    5.7315
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    Featured reviews

    5boblipton

    On the Rock(s)

    Below-par Warner's B movie. True, this is a mostly decent production, with Litel, railroaded into Alcatraz by a judge who doesn't care about plea bargains. He gives one of his solid performances. However, most of the lines spoken by other actors are declaimed rather than spoken and the juvenile leads are truly awful.
    5planktonrules

    Modestly entertaining...and nothing more.

    While Warner Brothers of the 1930s was known for its big stars and prestigious films, they also made B-movies...as did all the major studios. Sure, there were the tiny studios that made nothing but cheap Bs, but so did all the studios....and "Alcatraz Island" is a B from Warner. When I say 'B', I am talking about a shorter feature film meant to round out a double-feature. These Bs were quickly made and often not particularly good compared to the A pictures-- though there were plenty of Bs that were amazingly good. "Alcatraz Island" isn't amazingly good...but it is enjoyable.

    The film is about a 'nice' gangster, Gat Brady (John Litel). While he's larcenous, he's swell otherwise and wouldn't hurt a fly. However, when he's caught for tax evasion, his charmed life goes south VERY fast. He's sentenced to a lengthy term in Leavenworth (despite the nice DA's recommendation for leniency). However, after this occurs, the evil gangster Red Carroll tries to kidnap Brady's young daughter but is soon caught. Oddly, they sent him to Leavenworth as well and allowed him access to Brady. Not surprisingly, they soon get in a fight and Brady is sent to the tough new prison, Alcatraz. So soon Carroll deliberately gets himself sent to this tough prison so he can continue to make Brady's life a living hell. And, when Carroll is stabbed in prison, his death bed confession is that Brady did it...even though he didn't. So how will the nice DA help Brady in this predicament?

    The story is mildly interesting but several story elements make little sense--especially in that final courtroom scene. Additionally, the final dialog is amazingly preachy. Yet, despite these problems, the acting and production values are exceptional for a B. Overall, entertaining as long as you don't think about the plot too much!
    Michael_Elliott

    Lesser Warner Pic

    Alcatraz Island (1937)

    ** (out of 4)

    This Warner "B" picture isn't well known today and it's not really any good but I guess you can give it credit for being the first film to take place on Alcatraz (which was built three years earlier). The story has a racketeer (John Litel) being railroaded into prison where he eventually catches up with the man who tried to kidnap his daughter. After being him he's sent to Alcatraz where they eventually meet again and this time the kidnapper is killed but the racketeer must try and prove his innocence even though everyone knows he hated the guy. Like the gangster drama, the prison film was usually a very good one for Warner but that's not the case here as the film, even at 64-minutes, is just too dull to be that entertaining. McGann's direction really drags things down as there's never any energy in the film and things remain pretty slow from start to finish. The screenplay by Crane Wilbur also doesn't do much as we get a pretty familiar story of a criminal wanting to do good for his new relationship with his daughter yet he keeps getting into trouble all of which is due to either someone else or someone trying to frame him. The movie follows the typical guidelines of a prison drama but the screenplay just doesn't have any edge, soul or even any real surprises. The final five minutes takes place in a courtroom and how everything ends is among the worst endings I've ever seen and something that I'm sure Ed Wood would laugh at. I wasn't too impressed with Litel in his role but at least Ann Sheridan makes a good impression in her supporting bit. Mary Maguire, Gordon Oliver and George E. Stone round out the cast.
    6SnoopyStyle

    crime B-movie

    Mobster moneyman Gat Brady is found not guilty of racketeering after a juror has been bribed. His daughter Annabel Sloane gets kicked out of school after her father's identity comes to light. He hires Miss Tolliver to be her teacher. Gat gets hit with tax evasion and the judge hits him even harder. There is an attempt at kidnapping Ann and Red Carroll is convicted of the crime. He is sent to Leavenworth which happens to be where Brady is imprisoned.

    This is very much a ripped-from-the-headlines episode based on the Al Capone conviction. Of course, they have changed it a lot. There is a problem in this movie. It's trying to make Brady the rooting interest when he isn't that in the beginning. He does nothing great for redemption but the prison section is still compelling. I guess Ann is meant to humanize him but it's not enough. All in all, it's a functional crime B-movie with good criminal intensity.
    3hemisphere65-1

    Preposterous conclusion!

    Lousy story and dialogue to go along with moderate to poor performances, most notably Maguire, make this B movie more like a D or F!

    The attempted kidnapping scene is written and directed so poorly that it seems like a 12 year old boy did it!

    The courtroom finale is beyond belief phony, but it all gets wrapped up nicely so that the running time is short enough for any double feature.

    Ann Sheridan stands out as a movie star here, even if those around her don't!

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This was the first film set in the prison on Alcatraz Island, which had opened in 1934.
    • Goofs
      Gat's racketeering trial concludes with a summation by the prosecution-- implying that the defense had already summed up their case to the jury. That's backwards. The defense goes last because they are legally entitled to rebut what the prosecution says. A defense attorney can choose not to make a summation, but in the context of this film where there have been public accusations of jury tampering, not making a persuasive-sounding speech at the close of trial could be as evidence of tampering and lead to a retrial.
    • Quotes

      Tough Tony Burke: Wait till you get in your bunk tonight. The fog settles in over the bay and the siren in the lighthouse begins to moan. It's just the same in here as being in your grave - only you miss the fun of being dead.

    • Connections
      Referenced in American Experience: The Battle Over Citizen Kane (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      Swing for Sale
      (uncredited)

      Music by Saul Chaplin

      [Played as dance music at Gat's party]

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 5, 1938 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Latin
    • Also known as
      • La isla de los condenados
    • Filming locations
      • San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California, USA(Alcatraz Prison re-creation)
    • Production companies
      • Cosmopolitan Productions
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 3 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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    L'île du diable (1937)
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