Opening title:- “This is not just a story – it is based on the brutal truth”. In Japanese-occupied Malaya, the World War II prisoner-of-war camp on the aptly named Blood Island is governed by the brutally sadistic regime of Colonel Yamamitsu, who has sworn that, if Japan loses the war, then he will slaughter every single prisoner in both the men’s and the neighbouring women’s camps. When Colonel Lambert, the senior officer among the prisoners, learns through their secret communications system that the war is over and the Allies are victorious, it becomes imperative for the truth to be kept from Yamamitsu long enough for the liberating troops to arrive…..
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Production Details
A Hammer production released by Columbia Pictures
Copyright MCMLVII by Hammer Film Productions Ltd. – Ail rights reserved
MPAA Approved Certificate No. 18790
All characters and incidents portrayed and the names used are fictitious
RCA Sound Recording
Black & White 81 Mins
Megascope
Filming Began: 14th July 1957
UK Release: 20th April 1958
Studio:
Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire
Locations:
Callow Hill Sandpit, Virginia Water, Surrey – Mining sequences
Stills from film
Click an image for enlarged slideshow
Cast & Crew
Red = Uncredited
Crew | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Hidden | Death | Age | Hammer Credited | Hammer Uncredited | Total Hammer |
Art Director | John Stoll | 44 | 13 Dec 1913 | 25 Jun 1990 | 76 | 5 | 5 | ||
Assistant Director | Robert Lynn | 39 | 9 Jun 1918 | 15 Jan 1982 | 63 | 7 | 7 | ||
Assistant Editor | Roy Norman | 37 | 30 Jan 1921 | 16 Aug 1987 | 66 | 3 | 3 | ||
Associate Producer | Anthony Nelson-Keys | 46 | 13 Nov 1911 | 19 Mar 1985 | 73 | 41 | 41 | ||
Boom Operator | Jim Perry | 8 | 8 | ||||||
Camera Operator | Len Harris | 41 | 19 May 1916 | 21 Feb 1995 | 78 | 52 | 1 | 53 | |
Cashier | Ken Gordon | 1 | 7 | 8 | |||||
Chief Electrician | Jack Curtis | 3 | 23 | 26 | |||||
Clapper Loader | Ted Cutlack | 41 | 1 Jan 1917 | 1 Jan 1992 | 75 | 1 | 1 | ||
Conductor | John Hollingsworth | 42 | 20 Mar 1916 | 29 Dec 1963 | 47 | 36 | 2 | 38 | |
Construction Manager | Michael Lyons | 10 | 10 | ||||||
Continuity | Doreen Dearnaley | 29 | 20 Nov 1928 | 3 Feb 1992 | 63 | 13 | 13 | ||
Costume Assistant | Rosemary Burrows | 36 | 5 | 41 | |||||
Director | Val Guest | 46 | 11 Dec 1911 | 10 May 2006 | 94 | 29 | 29 | ||
Director of Photography | Jack Asher BSc | 42 | 29 Mar 1916 | 1 Apr 1991 | 75 | 14 | 14 | ||
Draughtsman | Don Mingaye | 29 | 1 Jan 1929 | 8 Nov 2017 | 88 | 26 | 14 | 40 | |
Editor | Bill Lenny | 30 | 1 Jan 1928 | 1 Jan 2002 | 74 | 10 | 2 | 12 | |
Executive Producer | Michael Carreras | 30 | 21 Dec 1927 | 19 Apr 1994 | 66 | 82 | 5 | 87 | |
Floor Props Chargehand | Peter Allchorne | 33 | 01 Jan 1925 | 01.01.1925 | 99 | 9 | 9 | ||
Focus Puller | Harry Oakes | 37 | 16 Jan 1921 | 11 Dec 2012 | 91 | 53 | 53 | ||
Grip | Albert Cowlard | 35 | 01 Jan 1923 | 01.01.1923 | 101 | 10 | 10 | ||
Hairdresser | Henry Montsash | 52 | 17 Sep 1905 | 29 Sep 1974 | 69 | 16 | 16 | ||
Make-up | Tom Smith | 37 | 15 Aug 1920 | 3 Apr 2009 | 88 | 5 | 5 | ||
Master Painter | Lawrence Wren | 11 | 11 | ||||||
Master Plasterer | Arthur Banks | 18 | 29 | 47 | |||||
Music Composer | Gerard Schurmann | 34 | 19 Jan 1924 | 24 Mar 2020 | 96 | 2 | 2 | ||
Producer | Anthony Hinds | 35 | 18 Sep 1922 | 30 Sep 2013 | 91 | 84 | 1 | 85 | |
Production Accountant | W.H.V. Able | 63 | 1 Jan 1895 | 1 Jan 1975 | 80 | 4 | 4 | ||
Production Manager | Arnold Brettell | 44 | 18 Dec 1913 | 5 Nov 2006 | 92 | 1 | 1 | ||
Production Secretary | Cynthia Maugham | 50 | 31 Oct 1907 | 10 Dec 1965 | 58 | 1 | 1 | ||
Property Buyer | Eric Hillier | 38 | 1 Jan 1920 | 1 Jan 1975 | 55 | 16 | 16 | ||
Property Master | Tom Money | 41 | 1 Jan 1917 | 1 Jan 1974 | 57 | 2 | 20 | 22 | |
Publicist | Douglas Railton | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Re-recording | Ken Cameron | 42 | 1 Dec 1915 | 8 Aug 2000 | 84 | 8 | 2 | 10 | |
Screenplay | John Manchip White | 33 | 23 Jun 1924 | 31 Jul 2013 | 89 | 2 | 2 | ||
Screenplay | Val Guest | 46 | 11 Dec 1911 | 10 May 2006 | 94 | 29 | 29 | ||
Script Supervisor | Renee Glynne | 31 | 3 Aug 1926 | 6 Apr 2022 | 95 | 38 | 3 | 41 | |
Second Assistant Director | Tom Walls | 45 | 31 May 1912 | 28 Nov 1992 | 80 | 1 | 9 | 10 | |
Set Rigger | Ronald Lenoir | 34 | 1924 | 1998 | 74 | 4 | 4 | ||
Sound Camera Operator | Michael Sale | 8 | 8 | ||||||
Sound Maintenance | Charles Bouvet | 51 | 27 Oct 1906 | 1 Jan 1978 | 71 | 6 | 6 | ||
Sound Recordist | Jock May | 53 | 1 Jan 1905 | 8 Jan 1991 | 86 | 30 | 1 | 31 | |
Still Photographer | Tom Edwards | 1999 | 26 | 26 | |||||
Studio Manager | A.F. Kelly | 4 | 4 | ||||||
Stunt Performer | Joe D'Orazio | 35 | 27 Jul 1922 | 9 Mar 2022 | 99 | 2 | 2 | ||
Supervising Editor | James Needs | 38 | 17 Oct 1919 | 4 Feb 2003 | 83 | 110 | 1 | 111 | |
Third Assistant Director | Hugh Harlow | 18 | 17 Jun 1939 | 17.06.1939 | 84 | 3 | 28 | 31 | |
Transport Driver | W. Epps | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Transport Driver | Wilfred Faux | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Wardrobe | Molly Arbuthnot | 49 | 19 Dec 1908 | 31 Oct 2001 | 92 | 48 | 4 | 52 | |
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Hidden | Death | Age | Hammer Credited | Hammer Uncredited | Total Hammer |
2nd Prisoner | Howard Williams | 25 | 10 May 1932 | 10.05.1932 | 91 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
Betts | Barry Lowe | 33 | 1 Jan 1925 | 12 Dec 2011 | 86 | 6 | 2 | 8 | |
Captain Sakamura | Marne Maitland | 43 | 18 Dec 1914 | 1 Mar 1992 | 77 | 8 | 8 | ||
Colonel Lambert | Andre Morell | 48 | 20 Aug 1909 | 28 Nov 1978 | 69 | 9 | 9 | ||
Colonel Yamamitsu | Ronald Radd | 29 | 22 Jan 1929 | 23 Apr 1976 | 47 | 2 | 2 | ||
Cyril Beattie | Walter Fitzgerald | 61 | 18 May 1896 | 20 Dec 1976 | 80 | 1 | 1 | ||
Davis | Michael Brill | 30 | 1 Jan 1928 | 13 Apr 2011 | 83 | 2 | 2 | ||
Dr Keiller | Richard Wordsworth | 43 | 19 Jan 1915 | 21 Nov 1993 | 78 | 4 | 4 | ||
Driver | Michael Ripper | 45 | 27 Jan 1913 | 28 Jun 2000 | 87 | 34 | 2 | 36 | |
Dutch | Carl Mohner | 36 | 11 Aug 1921 | 14 Jan 2005 | 83 | 1 | 1 | ||
Father Anjou | Michael Goodliffe | 43 | 1 Oct 1914 | 20 Mar 1976 | 61 | 5 | 5 | ||
Female Prisoner | Pat Lewis | 1 | 1 | ||||||
First Prisoner | Jack McNaughton | 52 | 22 Dec 1905 | 22 Feb 1990 | 84 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Foster | Geoffrey Bayldon | 34 | 7 Jan 1924 | 10 May 2017 | 93 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
Hallam | Max Butterfield | 26 | 10 Jun 1931 | 1 Jan 1991 | 59 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Helen Beattie | Mary Merrall | 68 | 5 Jan 1890 | 31 Aug 1973 | 83 | 1 | 1 | ||
Interpreter | Wolfe Morris | 33 | 5 Jan 1925 | 21 Jul 1996 | 71 | 5 | 5 | ||
Jap Officer | Lee Montague | 30 | 16 Oct 1927 | 16.10.1927 | 96 | 2 | 2 | ||
Japanese Driver | Vincent Wong | 30 | 4 Feb 1928 | 13 Mar 2015 | 87 | 4 | 4 | ||
Japanese Executioner | Milton Reid | 40 | 29 Apr 1917 | 1 Jan 1987 | 69 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
Japanese Patrol | Kenji Takaki | 64 | 10 Mar 1894 | 1 May 1984 | 90 | 1 | 1 | ||
Japanese Sentry | Anthony Chin | 28 | 1 Jan 1930 | 22 Oct 2000 | 70 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Japanese Soldier | Arnold Lee | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Japanese Soldier | David Goh | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Japanese Soldier | Jack “Kid" Berg | 48 | 28 Jun 1909 | 22 Apr 1991 | 81 | 1 | 1 | ||
Japanese Soldier in Tower | Paddy Hayes | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Kate Keiller | Barbara Shelley | 26 | 13 Feb 1932 | 3 Jan 2021 | 88 | 9 | 9 | ||
Lieutenant Bellamy | Phil Brown | 41 | 30 Apr 1916 | 9 Feb 2006 | 89 | 2 | 2 | ||
Major Dawes | Edward Underdown | 49 | 3 Dec 1908 | 15 Dec 1989 | 81 | 1 | 1 | ||
Mala | Lillian Sottane | 24 | 1 Jan 1934 | 12 Jun 2015 | 81 | 2 | 2 | ||
Male Prisoner | Alf Casha | 59 | 26 Feb 1899 | 1 Mar 1979 | 80 | 4 | 4 | ||
Male Prisoner | Charles Rayford | 1999 | 2 | 2 | |||||
Male Prisoner | Cyril Kent | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Male Prisoner | Jack Armstrong | 1 | 6 | 7 | |||||
Male Prisoner | Jack Dearlove | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Male Prisoner | John Tatham | 46 | 29 Jul 1911 | 1 Dec 1996 | 85 | 1 | 8 | 9 | |
Male Prisoner | Robin Burns | 1 | 1 | ||||||
NCO Prisoner | Anthony Lang | 2 Mar 1992 | 3 | 3 | |||||
Nurse | Jan Holden | 26 | 9 May 1931 | 11 Oct 2005 | 74 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Relief Soldier | Ted Carroll | 1998 | 2 | 2 | |||||
Sergeant | Edwin Richfield | 36 | 11 Sep 1921 | 2 Aug 1990 | 68 | 10 | 10 | ||
Shields | Michael Gwynn | 41 | 30 Nov 1916 | 29 Jan 1976 | 59 | 4 | 4 | ||
Sick Prisoner | Jacqueline Curtis | 20 | 30 May 1937 | 30.05.1937 | 86 | 1 | 1 | ||
Small Boy | Michael Felton | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Thornton | Peter Forbes-Robertson | 31 | 16 Jan 1927 | 7 Dec 1995 | 68 | 1 | 1 | ||
Woman Prisoner | Anne Ridler | 28 | 8 Feb 1930 | 2 Feb 2011 | 80 | 1 | 1 | ||
Woman Prisoner | Barbara Lu Ying | 24 | 4 Nov 1933 | 6 Apr 1997 | 63 | 2 | 2 | ||
Woman Prisoner | Betty Cooper | 47 | 1 May 1910 | 3 Feb 1979 | 68 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Woman Prisoner | Grace Denbeigh-Russell | 67 | 6 Jun 1890 | 28 Jan 1969 | 78 | 2 | 2 | ||
Woman's Camp Prisoner | Aileen Lewis | 44 | 9 Apr 1914 | 12 Feb 2014 | 99 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
Publicised as Hammer’s 50th film, this graphic depiction of the brutal ill-treatment of POWs by their Japanese captors sparked considerable controversy on its release, coming so soon after the events portrayed.
These days the film is rarely given an airing, probably for similar reasons. Hammer eventually (in 1965) produced a sequel, The Secret of Blood Island, which is now equally rarely seen.
Richard Wordsworth is the great-great-grandson of the poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850).