Condemned is a 1929 American pre-Code melodrama, directed by Wesley Ruggles, and starring Ronald Colman, Ann Harding, Dudley Digges, Louis Wolheim, William Elmer, and Wilhelm von Brincken. The movie was adapted by Sidney Howard from the novel by Blair Niles.
Set against the oppressive backdrop of DevilâÂÂs Island in French Guiana, the film follows Michel, a newly arrived prisoner facing a lengthy sentence in the notoriously brutal penal colony. Michel, however, is no typical inmate; his relaxed demeanor and easy charm quickly ingratiate him with fellow prisoners, including the affable Jacques, and eventually earn him a privileged position as houseboy to the campâÂÂs warden, Vidal. Vidal is a deeply possessive man, particularly when it comes to his much younger wife, whom he treats less as a partner and more as a symbol of status. Isolated and emotionally stranded, Madame Vidal finds herself drawn to MichelâÂÂs charisma, sparking a doomed romance that inevitably attracts the wardenâÂÂs suspicion. Once their affair is uncovered, Michel is thrown into solitary confinement, escapes, and ultimately becomes the target of a desperate manhunt through the islandâÂÂs humid, treacherous jungle terrain.
This film was also released in a silent version running 9,000 feet. In 1930, Colman was nominated for an Academy Award in the Acting category for his work in this film and in Bulldog Drummond (1929). Condemned was the first of eight films written by Sidney Howard for producer Samuel Goldwyn, the last of which was Raffles (1939).
Note: this list is incomplete
The film is known by a variety of other names, including: Condenado in Portugal and Spain, Condemned to Devil's Island in the U.S. reissue, Condenado a Isla del Diablo in Argentina, Flucht von der Teufelsinsel in Austria, and L'isola del diavolo in Italy.