Behind-the-scenes conflicts and chaotic scheduling are just a few reasons credited to one of Marlon Brando’s more infamous films’ bad reputation. While it’s not uncommon for such problems to occur on a movie set, Brando’s film took a turn for the worse at a rapid speed, and is known for having one of the more chaotic productions in movie history.
The sci-fi horror film The Island of Dr. Moreau, based on H. G. Wells’ novel of the same name, stars Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer. The plot revolves around the titular mad scientist and his efforts to perfect a species of human-animal hybrids.
Though the set design and special effects seen in the sci-fi and horror genres have the potential to cause problems during production, these factors were some of the least concerning setbacks. Unfortunately, the difficult behind-the-scenes matters seeped into the final product, and, unsurprisingly, The Island of Dr. Moreau performed poorly, both critically and commercially.
The on-set drama was reawakened in 2014 with the documentary Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau. Directed by David Gregory, Lost Soul chronicled the doomed production and the aftermath of the film’s release, shedding light on the unimaginable misfortunes that plagued the entirety of the film’s making.
The Island Of Doctor Moreau’s Production Was Infamously Turbulent
It Was Apparent That Production Would Be Difficult From The Start
Richard Stanley, best known for the horror films Hardware and Dust Devil, was the original director hired for The Island of Dr. Moreau. For Stanley, who’d long been familiar with Wells’ novel since he was a kid, directing the film was a dream, but it was clear from the start of negotiations that the road ahead for Stanley would be difficult.
Big names like Bruce Willis and James Woods were initially attached to the film before being replaced for various reasons by Val Kilmer and Rob Morrow. On paper, the root of The Island of Dr. Moreau‘s difficult production doesn’t appear to be anything out of the ordinary.
Whether it’s conflicts between cast members or having to swap out big-name actors at the last minute, the obstacles setting Stanley back weren’t anything a director hadn’t had to remedy before. However, it’s the degree to which these problems presented themselves and continued to worsen over time that made The Island of Dr. Moreau‘s production one for the books.
Though Kilmer appeared to be a solid replacement, he was quite difficult. Kilmer requested that he spend less time on set than what was required for his role, forcing Stanley to recast him as a character with less screen time. For Morrow, the terrible weather conditions and the disorderly nature on set were enough for him to beg to be let go from the film.
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Val Kilmer’s Biggest Controversy: What Went Wrong With Island Of Dr. Moreau
Val Kilmer took heat for the 1996 Island of Dr. Moreau’s disastrous shoot, which included feuds with Marlon Brando and director John Frankenheimer.
One of the first major hurdles came when Stanley was fired on the third day of filming after being unable to get the already emerging problems under control. Stanley was replaced by John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate, Grand Prix), who, known for being stern, introduced another layer of tension to the set.
After being fired, Richard Stanley secretly returned to the set in disguise, wearing the film’s dog-men costumes.
Marlon Brando’s Behind-The-Scenes Issues On The Island Of Doctor Moreau Explained
Personal Troubles And Conflicts With Co-Stars Made Brando Difficult To Work With
As difficult a star as Kilmer could be, he wasn’t the only one. Brando’s actions didn’t help ease tensions, and, as was the case for Stanley, it was apparent early on in production that Brando’s time filming The Island of Dr. Moreau would not be easy. Before filming began, Brando’s daughter had committed suicide, leading the actor to isolate himself.
During this time, Brando failed to properly communicate with Stanley, which halted filming and set the crew further back. By the time Frankenheimer had taken over, Brando was known to remain in his air-conditioned trailer for hours, partially refusing to come out as a result of his feud with Kilmer.
Other actors were left to face the Australian heat as they waited for Brando, and naturally, these actors were not happy with him.
Other actors were left to face the Australian heat as they waited for Brando, and naturally, these actors were not happy with him, further adding tension to the on-set relations. Frankenheimer’s time on the film also saw numerous rewrites to The Island of Dr. Moreau‘s script, with some alterations being devised and completed only days before they were filmed.
Such last-minute changes understandably led Brando to be frustrated. Therefore, Brando refused to learn the material provided in the new script and, instead, he had his assistant speak to him through a radio receiver, providing him with his lines. Brando had avoided memorizing lines for other films before, but this time, his method of acting wound up being disastrous.
The Island Of Doctor Moreau Is One Of Marlon Brando’s Weirdest & Worst Performances
Brando’s Lack Of Effort Is Exceedingly Apparent
Brando is recognized as one of the actors responsible for changing Hollywood. Many of Brando’s best movies, like The Godfather and A Streetcar Named Desire, are considered some of the greatest movies of all time, with much of the praise going to Brando for his exceptional and committed performances.
However, Brando’s performance in The Island of Dr. Moreau is a different story. Despite being one of the bigger stars and playing the titular character, Brando doesn’t have much screen time. Still, in the instances in which Brando does appear on-screen, it’s sorely obvious just how little interest he has in the material.
Brando’s clashing with co-stars and crew, in combination with his refusal to familiarize himself with the rewritten material of the film, produced a performance that is clunky and off-putting. Brando’s lines throughout the film seem poorly improvised, and not as if he’d taken the time to study his lines to deliver the standout performance that was expected of him.
The dedication and sincerity seen in earlier, acclaimed performances from his career are nowhere to be found in The Island of Dr. Moreau. Instead, it’s evident Brando is only repeating the lines being fed to him by his assistant.
The Island of Dr. Moreau came towards the end of his career, meaning no matter how awkward and poor his performance was in the movie, it wasn’t a film that derailed Brando’s career in any way. In retrospect, there could be some fun and laughter to be had with Brando’s bizarre performance, but more than anything, it’s an unfortunate by-product of an infamously hostile production.
Release Date
August 23, 1996
Runtime
96 Minutes
Director
John Frankenheimer, Richard Stanley
Writers
H.G. Wells, Richard Stanley, Ron Hutchinson
