Veteran Teutonic producer & director Richard Oswald made nearly a 100 silent and sound films in his native Germany before he sought voluntary exile in Hollywood after Adolf Hitler and the Nazis rose to power in 1933. Oswald and Robert Chapin adapted the Gina Kaus and Ladislas Fodor play "The White Lady" and retitled it "Isle of Missing Men." This low-budget, 67 minute, black & white, B-movie about deception and betrayal takes place on an obscure, uncharted island near Australia that serves as a penal colony in the South Pacific. The storyline concerns a attractive but mysterious lady who pulls the wool over an unsuspecting bachelor's eyes. Although "Isle of Missing Men" takes place against the backdrop of World War II, the politics of the war are never discussed in any detail.
Governor Merrill Hammond (John Hammond of the "Bulldog Drummond" franchise) has been dying to meet Diana Bryce (Helen Gilbert of "The Secret of Dr. Kildare") who booked passage aboard the S.S. Bombay in Calcutta in route to Australia. The night before he is scheduled to be dropped off at the island of Caruba, Hammond gets the chance to talk to the sultry blond. Hammond persuades Diana to spend a week on Caruba and then catch a supply ship back to Melbourne where she intends to meet her brother. Little does the amorous Prison Governor of Caruba suspect that Diana is playing him for a sucker. Hammond allows Diana to occupy a bungalow that he had built years ago for his wife who died because the climate didn't agree with her. The night that Hammond and Diana meet, a Japanese bomber drops a load of bombs on the S.S. Bombay. Shrouded by the fog, the ship escapes without a scratch.
When Diana and he reach the island, Hammond introduces her to George Kent (Bradley Page of "Top Sergeant"), the lieutenant governor of the colony, and Bob Henderson (Kenneth Duncan of "Code of the Outlaw"), his secretary. Hammond arranges for them to dine with Diana and he, along with colony physician Dr. Henry Brown (Alan Mowbray of "Footlight Fever"), who displays considerable cynicism. The doctor has had his hands full lately not only with prisoner who died during an escape attempt but also an outbreak of typhus. Dr. Brown and George Kent don't see eye to eye on how to treat inmates afflicted with typhus. Hammond isn't particularly happy that Kent ordered the shooting of the fleeing inmate. Hammond and Kent remain at odds with each other throughout the film. Kent is particularly suspicious about Diana. After dinner, Diana sits is playing the piano when she is startled by the sight of Thomas 'Dan' Bentley, alias Curtis (Gilbert Roland of "Our Betters"), at the window. Kent brandishes a revolver and catches Curtis before he can get away.
Once everybody has left, Curtis sneaks back to the bungalow. Diana assures him he can have whatever he needs to escape. Naturally, Curtis is overjoyed to see her. He likes it that she has the prison governor "wrapped around her little finger." He tells her he has been convicted of murder. Nevertheless, he claims he is innocent and acted only in self-defense when he killed a man. Curtis has been locked up on Caruba for two years but faces eight more years. "I lost my head. When I was arrested, I was afraid of a scandal and I gave the name Curtis." Dan didn't want to involve Diana. She observes that Dan isn't the same man. "There's a tramp steamer due here day after tomorrow. Everything is arranged with the captain. He has a forged passport for me and clothes. With his help, I can get to a safe port. He better not double-cross me."
Diana urges Curtis to seek a new trial. Dan insists a new trial would take far too long. The ever suspicious Kent barges into the bungalow. He says he heard Diana talking to somebody. She points out that she was reading aloud from a book of Shakespeare's sonnets. Kent hears somebody approaching the bungalow. He threatens to shoot until he learns Hammond has come to see Diana. The prison governor has brought a detective novel for Diana to read. Kent leaves. Curtis hides in another room while Diana refuses to stroll in the moonlight with Hammond. Later, Curtis is caught by a guard in the jungle. The authorities find the jewelry and money Diana had given Curtis. Kent's snooping around puts Diana in a bad light, but Hammond suspects no ulterior motives on her part. Nevertheless, despite his desire to see her stay on Caruba, Hammond urges Diana to leave. When she decides to stay, Hammond takes her to Dr. Brown so he can vaccinate her against the many maladies that infest Caruba.
Like Hammond, Brown has tumbled head over heels for Diana. Indeed, she persuades him to fake the death of inmate 129, her husband. Earlier, Brown's obese Nurse Pauline (Kitty O'Neil of "Back Street") had him sign two death certificates for inmates who had succumbed to typhus. Diana convinces Brown, in spite of his friendship and loyalty to Hammond, to stage Dan's death. After he leaves, Diana scrutinizes her husband's records. He has three occasions, one for forgery, another for bigamy, and the third for second degree murder. The unrelenting Kent gathers more evidence that implicates Diana and Curtis. Hammond refuses to act on this new information. Meanwhile, Brown takes Kent to solitary where Curtis dies from typhus. Brown arranges to bury Curtis' body. For once Kent doesn't probe Curtis' death. Curtis meets Diana at the dock when the tramp steamer Mariposa docks. She realizes he isn't the man that she once loved.
The last five minutes of this romantic Monogram Pictures' release contain several reversals not only in the narrative but also in the attitude of various characters. Oswald directs this tolerable little potboiler with efficiency so that the action never bogs down.
Governor Merrill Hammond (John Hammond of the "Bulldog Drummond" franchise) has been dying to meet Diana Bryce (Helen Gilbert of "The Secret of Dr. Kildare") who booked passage aboard the S.S. Bombay in Calcutta in route to Australia. The night before he is scheduled to be dropped off at the island of Caruba, Hammond gets the chance to talk to the sultry blond. Hammond persuades Diana to spend a week on Caruba and then catch a supply ship back to Melbourne where she intends to meet her brother. Little does the amorous Prison Governor of Caruba suspect that Diana is playing him for a sucker. Hammond allows Diana to occupy a bungalow that he had built years ago for his wife who died because the climate didn't agree with her. The night that Hammond and Diana meet, a Japanese bomber drops a load of bombs on the S.S. Bombay. Shrouded by the fog, the ship escapes without a scratch.
When Diana and he reach the island, Hammond introduces her to George Kent (Bradley Page of "Top Sergeant"), the lieutenant governor of the colony, and Bob Henderson (Kenneth Duncan of "Code of the Outlaw"), his secretary. Hammond arranges for them to dine with Diana and he, along with colony physician Dr. Henry Brown (Alan Mowbray of "Footlight Fever"), who displays considerable cynicism. The doctor has had his hands full lately not only with prisoner who died during an escape attempt but also an outbreak of typhus. Dr. Brown and George Kent don't see eye to eye on how to treat inmates afflicted with typhus. Hammond isn't particularly happy that Kent ordered the shooting of the fleeing inmate. Hammond and Kent remain at odds with each other throughout the film. Kent is particularly suspicious about Diana. After dinner, Diana sits is playing the piano when she is startled by the sight of Thomas 'Dan' Bentley, alias Curtis (Gilbert Roland of "Our Betters"), at the window. Kent brandishes a revolver and catches Curtis before he can get away.
Once everybody has left, Curtis sneaks back to the bungalow. Diana assures him he can have whatever he needs to escape. Naturally, Curtis is overjoyed to see her. He likes it that she has the prison governor "wrapped around her little finger." He tells her he has been convicted of murder. Nevertheless, he claims he is innocent and acted only in self-defense when he killed a man. Curtis has been locked up on Caruba for two years but faces eight more years. "I lost my head. When I was arrested, I was afraid of a scandal and I gave the name Curtis." Dan didn't want to involve Diana. She observes that Dan isn't the same man. "There's a tramp steamer due here day after tomorrow. Everything is arranged with the captain. He has a forged passport for me and clothes. With his help, I can get to a safe port. He better not double-cross me."
Diana urges Curtis to seek a new trial. Dan insists a new trial would take far too long. The ever suspicious Kent barges into the bungalow. He says he heard Diana talking to somebody. She points out that she was reading aloud from a book of Shakespeare's sonnets. Kent hears somebody approaching the bungalow. He threatens to shoot until he learns Hammond has come to see Diana. The prison governor has brought a detective novel for Diana to read. Kent leaves. Curtis hides in another room while Diana refuses to stroll in the moonlight with Hammond. Later, Curtis is caught by a guard in the jungle. The authorities find the jewelry and money Diana had given Curtis. Kent's snooping around puts Diana in a bad light, but Hammond suspects no ulterior motives on her part. Nevertheless, despite his desire to see her stay on Caruba, Hammond urges Diana to leave. When she decides to stay, Hammond takes her to Dr. Brown so he can vaccinate her against the many maladies that infest Caruba.
Like Hammond, Brown has tumbled head over heels for Diana. Indeed, she persuades him to fake the death of inmate 129, her husband. Earlier, Brown's obese Nurse Pauline (Kitty O'Neil of "Back Street") had him sign two death certificates for inmates who had succumbed to typhus. Diana convinces Brown, in spite of his friendship and loyalty to Hammond, to stage Dan's death. After he leaves, Diana scrutinizes her husband's records. He has three occasions, one for forgery, another for bigamy, and the third for second degree murder. The unrelenting Kent gathers more evidence that implicates Diana and Curtis. Hammond refuses to act on this new information. Meanwhile, Brown takes Kent to solitary where Curtis dies from typhus. Brown arranges to bury Curtis' body. For once Kent doesn't probe Curtis' death. Curtis meets Diana at the dock when the tramp steamer Mariposa docks. She realizes he isn't the man that she once loved.
The last five minutes of this romantic Monogram Pictures' release contain several reversals not only in the narrative but also in the attitude of various characters. Oswald directs this tolerable little potboiler with efficiency so that the action never bogs down.