Island of Doomed Men (DVD), Sony, Mystery & Suspense

In another of his entertaining, disturbingly creepy roles, Peter Lorre (Casablanca, Mad Love) plays Stephen Danel, the owner of Dead Man's Island, an off-the-radar colony which uses paroled convicts as slaves. Among Danel's slaves are his beautiful wife, Lorraine (Rochelle Hudson, Les MisTrables), a caged prisoner herself, and Siggy, his servant (George E. Stone, Guys and Dolls), trapped within a house and yard surrounded by an electric fence. Undercover agent Mark Sheldon (Robert Wilcox, the Unknown) gets sent to the island - as a paroled prisoner - and becomes trapped himself. Fascinated by the glamorous Lorraine, Sheldon now has multiple reasons to escape the island, but Danel's sadistic guards maintain a tight circle around the house and grounds. This suspense-horror film is a B-picture at it's best: efficient story-telling, familiar, beloved character actors, and strange plot points. They don't make 'em like this anymore.