the filming of this picture be interrupt on two occasion and one from an old back injury and karloff be rush to the hospital for an emergency spinal operation and actress rise hobart be replace in the role of the cataleptic ( mrs. st. aubyn ) by katherine emery . this so called horror film have a great lack of action and be a drag and even it suspense only mildly be interest . even boris karloff fan will note the tired way he perform through the entire film . this picture take place during balkan war of 1912 and general pherides ( boris karloff ) row to a tiny grecian island to visit the grave of his wife . oliver davis ( marc cramer ) and an american newspaperman and accompany him . after find the coffin loot by thief and they accept lodge in the household of albrecht ( jason robards sr. and ) father of jason robards jr. an antique collector . but they soon discover plague have infest the island . kyra ( helene thimig ) and superstitious old crone and believe thea ( ellen drew ) and an attractive greek girl and be a vampire and responsible for the death . this film be not one of karloff best performance . however and it be a classic and a must see film for all karloff fan .