Obeah!
| Obeah! | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | F. Herrick Herrick |
| Written by | Robert Carse[1] |
| Story by | F. Herrick Herrick |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Harry W. Smith |
| Edited by | Leonard Weiss |
Production company | Arcturus Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Obeah![2] is a 1935 American horror film directed by F. Herrick Herrick and starring Jean Brooks and Phillips Lord. In the United Kingdom, the film was released under the title The Mystery Ship.[1] It is believed to be a lost film, as no copies of it are known to exist.[3]
Plot
[edit]A sailor, known as "The Adventurer," searching for a lost American explorer discovers him being held hostage on a remote island in the South Sea. The man is held captive by the island's natives, who have placed him under a voodoo spell known as "obeah." The Adventurer attempts to halt a death ritual but fails, and the explorer dies. The Adventurer is forced to flee the island, taking with him a native woman and the daughter of the dead explorer.
With the help of a map taken from the explorer, the three attempt to locate a chest of gold that has been sunk off the island shore. Meanwhile, the high priest of the island people casts a curse on the three, and a love triangle ensues between those on the ship.[a]
Cast
[edit]- Jean Brooks[5]
- Phillips H. Lord as the Adventurer
- Alice Wessler[6]
- Alexander McCatty[7]
Production
[edit]The film was produced by the New York City-based production company Arcturus Pictures.[8] Based on a story by director F. Herrick Herrick,[9] the film's script was written by Robert Carse, the film's production began in June 1934[10] and lasted several weeks. The film was shot on location in Kingston, Jamaica.[11]
An additional article published in Film Daily claimed the film's shoot lasted a total of eleven months, shot on a worldwide cruise that stopped in over twenty countries.[6] Later trade reports reported the shoot had only lasted four months.[6] The ship's crew as well as various unknown performers appear in the film.[6] Scenes were filmed at Papine and Port Royal, alongside interior shots in downtown Kingston bars.[12]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ This plot summary is based entirely on a re-published article provided by the American Film Institute, extracted from The Film Daily (February 1935)[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Polack 2017, p. 49.
- ^ "Obeah! (1935)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- ^ Thomas, Hilda (7 April 2015). "Of Myth and Magic: Exploring Superstitions and Traditional Beliefs from Latin America and the Caribbean". Nearshore Americas. Archived from the original on 20 December 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- ^ "Obeah!". The Film Daily: 11. 13 February 1935.
- ^ "Obeah". American Film Institute. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- ^ a b c d Rhodes, Gary D. (2001). White Zombie: Anatomy of a Horror Film. McFarland. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-786-42762-8.
- ^ Polack 2017, p. 48.
- ^ Polack 2017, p. 46.
- ^ Hanson, Patricia King, ed. (1971). The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States. Vol. 1. University of California Press. p. 329. ISBN 978-0-520-07908-3.
- ^ Polack 2017, p. 47.
- ^ Polack 2017, pp. 48–9.
- ^ Polack, Peter. Jamaica, the Land of Film, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2017, p. 46–48.
Works cited
[edit]- Polack, Peter (2017). Jamaica, the Land of Film. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-443-87375-8.