save his companions from a lion and both fall into a pit trap. Braddock and Maria manage to float away in the lifeboat that Braddock arrived in, but are followed by the Hyena-Man (Fumio Demura) who is one of the last man-beasts. After a battle with each other, Braddock kills the Hyena-Man with a broken oar. Sometime later, they see a passing ship, and the serum has worn off, returning Braddock to his full human state as Maria looks on with changed, feline eyes. Cast Burt Lancaster as Dr. Paul Moreau Michael York as Andrew Braddock Nigel Davenport as Montgomery Barbara Carrera as Maria Richard Basehart as Sayer of the Law Nick Cravat as M'Ling The Great John L. as Boar-Man Bob Ozman as Bull-Man Fumio Demura as Hyena-Man Gary Baxley as Lion-Man John Gillespie as Tiger-Man David Cass as Bear-Man Production The film was second in American International Pictures' H. G. Wells film cycle, following The Food of the Gods (1976) and preceding Empire of the Ants (1977). Filming took place in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Lancaster has been described as perfectly matching Wells' description of Moreau's physical appearance, unlike the other two actors to play the role on screen, Charles Laughton in Island of Lost Souls (1932) and Marlon Brando in The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), both of whom were portly and had receding hair. Carrera claims there were three or four different endings imagined, including one in which her character gave birth to a kitten. That version was favored by producer John Temple-Smith, which York flatly refused to do. Director Taylor said that he did not take it seriously and the footage was never shot. A comic-book adaptation was released by Marvel Comics the same year. Written by Doug Moench and illustrated by Larry Hama, the comic-book adaptation had a slightly less happy ending than the film, with Maria reverting into a cat-woman just before help arrives. Release The Island of Dr. Moreau premiered on 13 July 1977 in the United States. Lorber Films released the film under its Kino Lorber Studio Classics imprint available for the first time on Blu-ray in the U.S. Critical reception On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The Island of Dr. Moreau holds an approval rating of 54%, based on 24 reviews, and an average rating of 5.1/10. Its consensus reads: "The Island of Dr. Moreau takes a reasonably entertaining pass