Inez Wallace wrote the original story, which has a hint of 'Jane Eyre'; it was screenwritten by Curt Siodmak and Ardel Wray, who worked on a couple of the other Val Lewton RKO films. It's a beautifully curious film, from Tom Conway's opening dialogue with Frances Dee about the glowing sea of 'putrescence'. It's very moody, considering it's studio set - the sugar cane fields beautifully done. Music - Sir Trinidad is apologetic about his risqué song, but then uses it as a weapon.
There's a terrific melancholy also under the surface about slavery - that statue that was the ship figurehead is I think the last shot of the film. Plus the rites of the household staff.
Alcoholism, voodoo, drums, a horse which will take its drunk passenger home, the beautiful irony of the 'witch doctor', a zombie, that haunting finale in the sea, stripes and shadows.....
A heady and unbeatable concoction.
It's J Roy Hunt's finest hour. A cameraman on B pictures, he's also known for the noir Crossfire (Roberts Young, Mitchum and Ryan), In Name Only (Cary Grant and Carole Lombard), the original She, and the first Astaire-Rogers pic Flying Down to Rio; many others since 1916.
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