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The Prisoner of Shark Island

The Prisoner of Shark Island

Drama · History · 1936

After healing the leg of the murderer John Wilkes Booth — responsible for the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln — Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, considered part of the atrocious conspiracy, is sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to the sinister Shark Island Prison.

Movie details

The Prisoner of Shark Island

“Based on the life story of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd”

1936 Drama · History 1h 33m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.9 / 10

Community rating

After healing the leg of the murderer John Wilkes Booth — responsible for the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln — Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, considered part of the atrocious conspiracy, is sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to the sinister Shark Island Prison.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Prisoner of Shark Island?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

John Ford

Written by

Nunnally Johnson

Warner Baxter

Warner Baxter

Dr. Samuel Alexander Mudd

Gloria Stuart

Gloria Stuart

Mrs. Peggy Mudd

Claude Gillingwater

Claude Gillingwater

Colonel Dyer

Arthur Byron

Arthur Byron

Mr. Erickson

O. P. Heggie

O. P. Heggie

Dr. Mac Intyre

Harry Carey

Harry Carey

Commandant

Francis Ford

Francis Ford

Corporal O'Toole

Court is in session

Put The Prisoner of Shark Island on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.