The Prisoner of Shark Island
Based on the life story of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd
1936 | 93m | English
Popularity: 0.9 (history)
| Director: | John Ford |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Nunnally Johnson |
| Staring: |
| After healing the leg of the murderer John Wilkes Booth, responsible for the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, perpetrated on April 14, 1865, during a performance at Ford's Theatre in Washington; Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, considered part of the atrocious conspiracy, is sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to the sinister Shark Island Prison. | |
| Release Date: | Feb 28, 1936 |
|---|---|
| Director: | John Ford |
| Writer: | Nunnally Johnson |
| Genres: | Drama, History |
| Keywords | yellow fever, historical figure, based on true story, conspiracy, physician, island prison, 19th century, abraham lincoln, country doctor, prison break attempt |
| Production Companies | 20th Century Fox |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 05, 2026 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Warner Baxter | Dr. Samuel Alexander Mudd |
| Gloria Stuart | Mrs. Peggy Mudd |
| Claude Gillingwater | Colonel Dyer |
| Arthur Byron | Mr. Erickson |
| O. P. Heggie | Dr. Mac Intyre |
| Harry Carey | Commandant |
| Francis Ford | Corporal O'Toole |
| John McGuire | Lieutenant Lovett |
| Francis McDonald | John Wilkes Booth |
| Douglas Wood | General Ewing |
| John Carradine | Sergeant Rankin |
| Joyce Kay | Martha Mudd |
| Fred Kohler Jr. | Sergeant Cooper |
| Ernest Whitman | Buck |
| Paul Fix | David Herold |
| Frank Shannon | Mr. Holt |
| Frank McGlynn Sr. | Abraham Lincoln |
| Leila McIntyre | Mrs. Abraham Lincoln |
| Etta McDaniel | Aunt Rosabelle |
| J.M. Kerrigan | Judge Maiben |
| Arthur Loft | Carpet Bagger |
| Paul McVey | General Hunter |
| Maurice Murphy | Orderly |
| Matthew Beard | Boy at Dr. Mudd's Door (uncredited) |
| Frank Baker | Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited) |
| Stanley Blystone | Boy Seeking Dr. Mudd (uncredited) |
| Stanley Bordagaray | Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited) |
| Whitney Bourne | Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited) |
| Lester Dorr | George A. Atzerodt (uncredited) |
| Robert Dudley | Druggist at Trial (uncredited) |
| Jan Duggan | Actress at Ford's Theatre (uncredited) |
| Earl Eby | Usher (uncredited) |
| Dick Elliott | Actor at Ford's Theatre (uncredited) |
| Bess Flowers | Woman Sitting Behind Lincoln in Theatre Box (uncredited) |
| Bud Geary | Sergeant (uncredited) |
| Melvin J. Gibby | Lewis Payne (uncredited) |
| Charles Haefeli | Prisoner (uncredited) |
| Robert Homans | Sergeant (uncredited) |
| John Lester Johnson | Black Soldier at Prison (uncredited) |
| Beulah Hall Jones | Blanche (uncredited) |
| Paul Kruger | Soldier (uncredited) |
| Duke R. Lee | Sergeant (uncredited) |
| Wilfred Lucas | Testifying Colonel (uncredited) |
| Murdock MacQuarrie | Edman Spangler (uncredited) |
| James A. Marcus | Blacksmith (uncredited) |
| Eric Mayne | Court-Martial Participant (uncredited) |
| Paul McAllister | Doctor (uncredited) |
| Merrill McCormick | Commandant's Aide (uncredited) |
| J.P. McGowan | Ship's Captain (uncredited) |
| Arthur Millett | Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited) |
| Wedgwood Nowell | Court-Martial Member (uncredited) |
| Robert Parrish | Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited) |
| Vester Pegg | Soldier (uncredited) |
| Jack Pennick | Corporal (uncredited) |
| George H. Reed | Black Man Giving Booth Directions (uncredited) |
| Paul Stanton | Agitating Orator (uncredited) |
| Tom Steele | Trooper (uncredited) |
| Harry Strang | Ship's Mate (uncredited) |
| Cyril Thornton | Michael O'Laughlin (uncredited) |
| Ray Turner | Black Soldier at Prison (uncredited) |
| Blue Washington | Black Soldier at Prison (uncredited) |
| Charles West | Washington (DC) Citizen (uncredited) |
| Cecil Weston | Mary Surratt (uncredited) |
| Lloyd Whitlock | Maj. Rathbone (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| John Ford | Director |
| Jack Murray | Editor |
| Edward O'Fearna | Assistant Director |
| Thomas Little | Set Decoration |
| Gwen Wakeling | Costume Designer |
| Roger Heman Sr. | Sound |
| William S. Darling | Art Direction |
| Bert Glennon | Director of Photography |
| Louis Silvers | Music Director |
| W.D. Flick | Sound |
| Nunnally Johnson | Screenplay |
| Joseph M. Schenck | Presenter |
| R. H. Bassett | Original Music Composer |
| Hugo Friedhofer | Original Music Composer |
| Tom Steele | Stunts |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Nunnally Johnson | Associate Producer |
| Darryl F. Zanuck | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 4 |
| 2024 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 4 |
| 2024 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 4 |
| 2024 | 7 | 11 | 19 | 4 |
| 2024 | 8 | 12 | 25 | 7 |
| 2024 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 4 |
| 2024 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 4 |
| 2024 | 11 | 8 | 21 | 3 |
| 2024 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 4 |
| 2025 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Trending Position
felixxx999
8.0
Don't know how I missed this one but it's a great thriller. From the title you'd never guess it's an historical drama about Dr. Samuel Mudd who infamously helped set Lincoln's killer's broken leg. The history goes from suspect to flat out wrong -- and it's almost pro-slavery -- but if you can look ... past that it's a hell of a tall tale. Warner Baxter is put through the ringer and he does very well in this a very physical role -- much more entertaining that his smiling lover roles he usually did. Also a standout is the lean, terrifying John Carridine. Not to be forgotten is some thrilling scenes in the prison. And, yes, there are sharks!
Jan 09, 2022