Isle of the Dead (1945 Mark Robson)

1912. Spooky Greek General Boris Karloff and journalist Mark Cramer are isolated on Cemetery Island with fellow travellers as plague rages, starts picking them off. Superstitious old lady however is convinced that young Ellen Drew is some kind of malevolent being, a Frivoliker I want to call it, but in fact it's a vorvolaka, an evil undead in Greek myth, and Karloff starts to believe her. Meanwhile Katherine Emery is terrified of being buried alive - film thus pre-dates Corman. Her interment and subsequent wraith-like emergence are the best things in it, albeit borrowing rather from I Walked with a Zombie.

Another unusual story and treatment from the Val Lewton stable - the three headed dog is guarding Hades, is it not - with shadowy, stripy style and weirdness, and Karloff on good, sinister form. Is he trying to prevent the American from seducing the Greek girl? These films are fascinating and much under-appreciated, almost dream-like.

Rest of cast: Helene Thimig, Alan Napier, Jason Robards (Sr.), Ernst Deutsch (The Third Man) and Skelton Knaggs (uncredited).

Photographed by Jack MacKenzie, music by Leigh Harline. Written by Ardel Wray (IWWAZ, The Leopard Man).

I'm sure I remember this film was banned in the UK for some years, but can't corroborate it. I think it must have been the 1933 Island of Lost Souls.

No. 2 in Martin Scorsese's Scariest Films!