SOURCES:
The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells
 

DESCRIPTION: “...They were naked, save for swathings of scarlet cloth about the middles, and their skins were of a dull pinkish drab colour, such as I had seen in no savages before. They had fat heavy chinless faces, retreating foreheads, and a scant brisly hair upon their heads. never before had I seen such bestial-looking creatures.” (The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells)

HISTORY: Wells takes the idea of animal-human hybrids out of the world of fantasy and into Science. Like Egyptian gods, the manimals look like Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolfman with human shaped bodies and animal heads and hands. This is, of course, a limitation of special effects make-up.

Wells' novel has inspired three film adaptations, The Island of Lost Souls (1932) starring Charles Laughton as Moreau. It is funny watching him in the role. He acts like a bad actor pretending to be evil. Bela Lugosi plays the Sayer of the Law and is better. The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977) starring Burt Lancaster as Moreau, Nigel Davenport as Montgomery and Michael York as the narrator featured many clever make-up "manimals". The 1996 remake with Marlon Brando as Moreau has some fine make-up as well as Val Kilmer (Montgomery) and David Thewlis (narrator). Like the 1977 film, the emphasis seems to be on new special effects, in this case CGI. The TV show Sliders in its bad second season did a rip-off the story as well.

There is something appealing about animals as men. Look at the popularity of Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse. In the world of monsters, animal-human images are constantly being re-created.

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