Lota and Beast-men and Scares- Oh My! “Island of Lost Souls”-Tonight!

It's the original version of an early horror classic that has had numerous remakes- as a castaway becomes a prisoner in a bizarre island compound featuring monstrous mutations and a maniacal mad man- It's the 1932 presentation of the H G Wells' science fiction saga- "Island of Lost Souls"!

Originally a Paramount film that was  part of a major acquisition by Universal as part of a deal to form a package of films to run on TV, this movie starts with a freighter spotting  a shipwreck survivor and taking him on board. The castaway Parker is confused by the load of various animals being transported to one Dr. Moreau's South Sea island- not to mention some of the odd looking crew members of the vessel. He crosses the captain when  he steps in to protect one of these crewmen that the captain is mistreating- but the Captain gets his revenge by tossing him over the rail onto the boat that has come to get the animals and transport them to Moreau's island .

Moreau gives Parker a tour of his place- a combination of  a zoo, medical facility, and science lab, surrounded by strange plants and even stranger inhabitants. A less disturbing inhabitant is the sultry young woman named Lota, who seems  shy and of little experience with worldly things- or, even, with other people!

Meanwhile, Parker's fiancee, Ruth, trying to determine his fate after his ship went down, finally discovers where Parker may be, and recruits a skipper and his ship to go find him!

Back on the island, Parker has become more suspicious of what goes on there- especially after  hearing horrid screams, and learning from Lota that they emanate from the awful "House of Pain"- which Parker gets a quick look at and decides he must escape! However, outside of the compound, in the surrounding jungle,  he stumbles upon a vast mob of animal-like men- who are only deterred from attacking him and Lota by the arrival of Moreau, whom they fear!

Moreau then reveals to Parker what he has been up to- and that these odd beast-men are his creation! He also schemes to keep Parker on the island to help with the "development" of Lota- who is another of his experiments!

The arrival of Ruth and her captain only increases the danger factor for all of them- will Moreau  be able to keep them prisoners, and keep control of his beastly subjects?

This fantastic movie, made before the Motion Picture Code which would have demanded changes in it,  has the amazing performance of Charles Laughton as Moreau, as well as the exotic Kathleen Burke (whose backstory is only semi-exotic) and a close to unrecognizable Bela Lugosi as a hirsute beast-man known as "the Sayer of the Law". It is also famous for that litany of "what is the Law?"  and the line later adapted into a musical phrase by the New Wave rock group Devo - "Are we not men?"  We'll have lots to tell you about the cast, the men under the make-up, and more- including a wide variety of Sven balderdash based on beasts, including some vintage bits!

"Island of Lost Souls" will be on MeTV tonight at 10 pm eastern/pacific, 9 central, or check your local listings (and/or at www.metv.com ) for channel and time in your area. Chicago viewers will get a second date with the "Leech Woman" at 11 am on our sister station, the U, WCIU!

Come island-hopping with us tonight- just don't get too chummy with the locals unless you're bringing with a flea collar!