The Prisoner of Shark Island
Based on the life story of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd
1936 • 93 min • Drama · History
Synopsis
After healing the leg of the murderer John Wilkes Booth — responsible for the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln — Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, considered part of the atrocious conspiracy, is sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to the sinister Shark Island Prison.
Our family guide
Best from age 12- 100 Reviewers · 1 · 51%
- 69 Audience · 62 · 49%
After treating the injured leg of Abraham Lincoln's assassin, Dr. Samuel Mudd is wrongly implicated in the conspiracy and sentenced to a brutal island prison. He endures harsh conditions, including isolation and a yellow fever outbreak, while his wife fights for his freedom. Based on a true story of injustice.
- Violence & peril
- 3/10
- Language
- 1/10
- Drinking, drugs & smoking
- 2/10
- Romance & sensuality
- 0/10
- Scary moments
- 4/10
Heads up
- Historical portrayal of yellow fever outbreak
- Injustice and harsh prison conditions
- Emotional distress due to separation and unfairness
What it models well
- Perseverance through adversity
- Fighting for justice
- Loyalty and devotion
Talk about it after
- The justice system and wrongful convictions
- Historical context of the American Civil War era
- The ethics of medical aid in difficult circumstances
Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Prisoner of Shark Island. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.
Where to watch
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Top billed cast
Director: John Ford • Crew: Nunnally Johnson
Trailers & clips
Trailer
Reviewer notes
RecommendedTrusted family reviewersDon'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.…
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Details
- TMDB audience
- 6.9/10 (62)
- Age rating
- NR
- Status
- Released
- IMDb
- tt0028141
