PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTIONS: *cosmological, sociological*
Like many silent films of the period, this one's missing some footage. However, because the film-- illusionist Harry Houdini's third bid for cinematic prominence-- is such a broad melodrama, modern viewers would probably never notice the lacunae if not for the latter-day inter-title detailing the missing parts.
One of the collaborators on the script was Arthur B. Reeve, who gained fame in the second decade of the 20th century with the prose character of "scientific detective" Craig Kennedy. The hero of TERROR ISLAND, the winsomely named Harry Harper, follows somewhat in that tradition, in that he's a scientific tinkerer who invents his own submarine, complete with "electric periscope." A young damsel enlists Harry's aid to find a South Sea treasure. The miracle sub, which doesn't get all that much screen-time, is the only source of metaphenomena in this one-hour feature.
As in some silent adventures of the period, the damsel's nemesis is someone close to her, in this case her guardian Job. Some time after the girl persuades Harry to join her cause, Job kidnaps her and sets out, by more conventional travel, to the treasure-bearing island. Harry and a young friend follow in the sub. In addition to altercations with Job's men, Harry and his friends are also menaced by superstitious islanders, all apparently played by white actors. Harry just happens to be a master of stage magic as well as an inventor, and his tricks convince the natives not to mess with the "white gods."
As with many films of this type, I screened largely to see if it provided an example of combative cinema. But though Harry gets into a couple of brawls, they're not as well choreographed as those from his serial THE MASTER MYSTERY. And since the fights seem incidental next to the emphasis on Harry's illusions and escapes from peril, I rate this as subcombative.
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