Island Of Lost Schmoes

In the darkness, there's creatures a-prowl 
First a bark, then a screech and a howl
Once happy in herds
Now they grapple with words
And hark! They use speech to cry "Foul!"

 Two of the beast-men who inhabit Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

The Clawful Truth

She's pretty, with lots of allure,
But this kitty's too hot for "demure"
You'll think she's a catch
'Til you'll shrink from her scratch
'Cause there's bits of her not all that pure.



Edward Parker (Richard Arlen) is attracted to Lota, the Panther Woman ( Kathleen Burke) in Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932). Title by true blue Donald B..Benson.

The Price Is Ripe

Cast as crackpots deranged, we'd applaud
As he hacked, and he strangled, and sawed
A career chewing props
With Shakespearean chops
Here's an actor whose range includes "broad".

The great and goofy Vincent Price was born on this day in 1911. We have written nearly 250 limericks on the man and his movies, all of which can be found here. Image: Vincent Price takes an acid trip in The Tingler (William Castle; 1959). Title by Price-conscious Donald B. Benson.

Bally Hoot

For this shocker the curious queue
And in lockstep they're lured in to view
See a man date a cat!
Hear the animals chat!
Watch this doc run a prurient zoo!

Promotion for Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

Marquee de Sade

The public will flock to this show
In scrubs they'll see Doctor Moreau
He's been making a man
Out of hake and toucan
Lion's cub, dormouse, octopus, crow.

David Cairns

Ballyhoo for Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

Hothouse of Pain

The jungle is sloppy and teeming
With his bungled post-op "men", all steaming
This scourge is Moreau,
A surgeon of woe...
At its lungs' very top something's screaming.

Doctor Moreau (Charles Laughton) gives Edward Parker (Richard Arlen) a tour of Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

Feline Groovy

She's a pawn on an island Gomorrah,
Where the fauna's defiled 'neath the flora
Your thermometer rises
But I promise surprises
If you're drawn to this wildcat señora.

Lota, the Panther Woman (Kathleen Burke) sinks her claws into Edward Parker (Richard Arlen) in Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932). Title by one Scotsman under a groove, David Cairns.

Delirious Island

With shadows and horrors it's dripping
Quite sad, though it's morbidly gripping
Moreau is its ruler
And nobody's crueler
This baddie digs torture and whipping.

Doctor Moreau (Charles Laughton) surveys his Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

Manimal Farm

Doc Moreau rules his island domain
With his knowhow in science arcane
But forsakes his creations
So they take out frustrations
On the doughy supplier of pain.

The operating tables are turned on the sadistic Doctor Moreau (Charles Laughton) in Island of the Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

Are We Not Mended?

Though horrible creatures are seen,
No torture appears on the screen
To imagination
Is left their creation
As gore is verboten by Breen.

Donald B. Benson

Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932): Doctor Moreau (Charles Laughton) inspects one of his "experiments" as Edward Parker (Richard Arlen) looks on. Well, the surgical horrors might happen off-screen, as was customary at the time. But the pain they cause is most certainly evident on the soundtrack. All the screams are Pre-Code!

Lost Soul Brothers

Of our betters ask, "Are we not men?"
If not yet, will you please tell us when?
Trading paw for a hand,
For "The Law" we all stand
More than pets, can I get an "amen"?

'Sayer of the Law' Bela Lugosi leads the beast-men in Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

The Fat and Furry-ous

This queer looking, batty-brained imp
Makes near-men from rat, hog and chimp
His plan will succeed
When with man the things breed
So, leering, his cat-girl he'll pimp.

Doctor Moreau (Charles Laughton) lords it over Lota, the Panther Woman (Kathleen Burke) in Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

Laughton to the Core

He's bookish, well-padded and squat,
And looks like a mad, evil tot
This troll roly-poly
Is wholly unholy
Baby Snooks with some bad jungle rot.

Charles Laughton is Doctor Moreau in Island of the Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932). Baby Snooks is a character played by Fanny Brice on stage, radio--and even once on screen and television, in spite of the fact that the comedian was decades older than the character. Title and assist by incorrigible Donald Benson.

International House of Pain-Cakes

Whip-cracking, he struts around coolly
Lip-smacking, a glutton, and ghoul-y
This Darwinian swine
Keeps his minions in line
But, grip lacking, he's cut up--quite cruelly.

David Cairns

Doctor Moreau (Charles Laughton) fends off the Sayer of the Law (Bela Lugosi) and pals in the Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

Gilligan's Island of Lost Souls

 

This nut turns poor beasts into guys
These mutts look like freaks, but they're wise
He's wicked and vain,
Inflicting great pain
'Til he's cut, piece by piece, down to size.

Doctor Moreau (Charles Laughton) lords it over the Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

Are We Not Menaces?

These beast-men bear lice, but have heart
At least they seemed nice at the start
He who made them is sick
A real sadist and prick
Judas Priest! How they slice him apart!



Doctor Moreau (Charles Laughton) gets his due in Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

This Island Mirth

His island is not on a chart
His guy-beasts are only half-smart
If the doctor's new "men"
Were locked in a pen
They might not have chopped him apart.



Charles Laughton as Doctor Moreau, and Hans Steinke as Ouran, in the grisly Pre-Code horror classic, Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

The Island of Doctor Maroon

 

A murderous, hot-headed looney,
He's perfectly rotten and gooney
This rat with a whip
Is a fat, twisted drip
And certainly not a George Clooney.

Charles Laughton is Doctor Moreau, and Kathleen Burke is Lota the Panther Woman in Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).Title by Doctor of Limericks David Cairns.

Black Panther Purty

With fur like the night, and long tails
They purr, and then bite eager males
This steaming hot kitty
Is seemingly pretty
But the girl hides unsightly long nails.

Edward Parker (Richard Arlen) falls for feline charms of Lota, the Panther Woman (Kathleen Burke), in Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

Little Lota

This native's a bit of a wow
As a mate she's the kitten's meow
To this half-naked feline
Men are making a beeline
On dates she bares skin and...and how!

Kathleen Burke plays Lota the Panther Woman in Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

Mane Man

Bela ought to consider a shave
As he's Laughton's most hideous slave
He says "That is the law!"
As he raises his paw
Never taught how a kid should behave.

David Cairns with Surly Hack



Bela Lugosi plays the "Sayer of the Law" in the twisted Pre-Code horror classic, Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932).

The Island of Doctor Morose

From primitive beast I've made blokes
Shifting limbs, shearing fleece, life I coax
From these pets I dissect
I just get no respect
They're all dim-witted, greasy jamokes.

David Cairns

The first film adaptation of  H. G. Wells' novel The Island of Doctor Moreau, Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton; 1932) stars Charles Laughton as Moreau, an obsessed scientist who conducts profane experiments in evolution, establishing himself as the self-styled demigod to a race of mutated, half-human beast-men.