Boris Karloff had already reached middle age by the time James Whale\u2019s Frankenstein made him an international horror icon in 1931. His filmography contained dozens of entries at that point, so it\u2019s not surprising that he continued to make non-horror films even after becoming a global star. Three such films, all B-movie programmers, have been reissued by the Warner Archive Collection on one DVD: West of Shanghai (1937), The Invisible Menace (1938), and Devil\u2019s Island (1939). Hardcore Karloff collectors will almost certainly appreciate this release, while more casual fans might want to stick to his better-known work.<\/p>\n
Certainly none of these films wears out its welcome (average running time: about one hour each). The strongest is Devil\u2019s Island, in which Karloff is the farthest thing from a sinister villain. He plays renowned brain surgeon Dr. Charles Gaudet who happened to have treated a man guilty of treason. This doesn\u2019t sit well with the French government and Dr. Gaudet receives a ten-year sentence in a brutal, spirit-crushing penal colony.<\/p>\n
The crux of the drama centers on the daughter of prison commandant Lucien (James Stephenson). She has sustained a serious brain injury that requires surgery. Lucien turns to Dr. Gaudet, who wants his freedom restored in exchange for helping. Naturally, things don\u2019t go quite that easily. With strong work from Karloff, it\u2019s too bad this one wasn\u2019t developed a little more fully. Even with a plodding second half, Island is easily the most watchable of the three.<\/p>\n
Karloff Shanghai (198×250).jpgThe John Farrow-directed West of Shanghai might\u2019ve fared better had someone other than Karloff been cast as General Wu Yen Fang (someone of Chinese descent, perhaps). I know this was made in a much different era, but it doesn\u2019t really excuse the despicable practice of casting Caucasian actors in roles intended for different ethnicities. What is an otherwise acceptable also-ran, set in northern China featuring a group of white magnates vying for control over oil fields, is irreparably marred by the site of Karloff \u201cplaying Asian\u201d in a ridiculous make-up appliance.<\/p>\n
Basically, Karloff is almost a supporting player here. His renegade warlord Fang is an egotistical tyrant who says \u201cdang\u201d all the time. Karloff sounds more or less like himself, distinguishing Fang with only a slightly halting speech pattern. I know some find a certain amount of camp value in these politically-incorrect \u201cyellowface\u201d portrayals, but for me it ruins the movie (especially considering there are numerous actual Asians playing minor roles, too bad they didn\u2019t cast all the parts authentically). Karloff had no shortage of work\u2014what a shame he felt comfortable accepting parts like this. As with each of the films in this triple feature, there\u2019s way too much plot for a 61-minute film.<\/p>\n
Invisible Menace (169×250).jpgDespite its spooky title, The Invisible Menace is a fairly straightforward murder mystery (also directed by John Farrow). If Devil\u2019s Island feels hampered by its scant running time, Menace\u2014the shortest of the three at just 55 minutes\u2014comes off more like a poorly realized episode of some long-forgotten television series. After Private Pratt (Eddie Craven) and his new bride, Sally (Marie Wilson), scuttle off for some privacy on an Army base, they discover the murdered body of Ted Reilly (Harland Tucker). The primary suspect in this whodunit is Mr. Jevries (Karloff), the superintendent of construction. Too many elements are introduced for the weak narrative to support, none of which are really worth detailing. Don\u2019t make this one a priority.<\/p>\n
This collection is really for Boris Karloff collectors only. Warner Archive hasn\u2019t done anything to restore these old films. They\u2019re all easily watchable, just be sure to expect a rash of scratches, dirt, hairs in the gate, shimmer, flicker, gate weave, and just about any other imperfection you can think of. If you\u2019ve ever seen those old SLP-recorded VHS copies of movies from this era, the DVD does at least look better than those. A simple menu presents a list of the three features as well as a theatrical trailer for West of Shanghai, in which the star of the show is billed as Boris \u201cBaby-Scarer\u201d Karloff.<\/p>\n
For those already familiar with all of his other available work, Boris Karloff Triple Feature is worth grabbing. Personally, I\u2019d rather rewatch any of Karloff\u2019s horror classics for the umpteenth time before returning to these.