The Walking Dead (1936)

After hapless pianist and ex-con John Elman is framed for murder, he is resurrected by a scientist after his execution.

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Ewart Adamson (screen play), Peter Milne (screen play),

Stars:

Boris Karloff, Ricardo Cortez, Edmund Gwenn

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Boris Karloff	...	John Ellman
Ricardo Cortez	...	Nolan
Edmund Gwenn	...	Dr. Beaumont
Marguerite Churchill	...	Nancy
Warren Hull	...	Jimmy
Barton MacLane	...	Loder
Henry O'Neill	...	Werner
Joe King	...	Judge Shaw (as Joseph King)
Addison Richards	...	Prison Warden
Paul Harvey	...	Blackstone
Robert Strange	...	Merritt
Joe Sawyer	...	Trigger (as Joseph Sawyer)
Eddie Acuff	...	Betcha
Kenneth Harlan	...	Stephen Martin
Miki Morita	...	Sako

Storyline

A gang of racketeers frames down-on-his-luck John Elman for murder. After a trial finds him guilty, evidence is brought forth proving his innocence, but it is too late and he is executed anyway. A doctor sees an opportunity to use an experimental procedure to restore him to life but is that entirely possible? Desirable?

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Plot Keywords:

murder | trial | racketeer | execution | pianist | 

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Taglines:

See science bring an electrocuted convict back to life...with supernatural powers to rub out one by one the killers who sent him to the chair! (re-release print ad)

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Genres:

Crime | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 March 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Den døde vender tilbage

Filming Locations:

Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$217,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

66 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The accident scene was shot in Griffith Park.

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Goofs

Boris Karloff's character is named John Ellman in closeups of teletype and newspaper material, but misspelled John Elman in the credits.

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Quotes

Jimmy: Imagine... Dr. Beaumont keeping this heart pumping for over twenty years!
Nancy: Wish he could do something about making your heart pump!

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Connections

Referenced in Good Neighbors: Backs to the Wall (1975)

User Reviews

Minor Horror Masterpiece

Dispersed throughout the Universal reign of horror in the thirties came several remarkably well-made MGM and Warner Brother horror films. The Walking Dead is one such film produced by Warner Bros. that mixes their predominant genre of expertise, the gangster film, with the horror film. You might say in a way that it is a blend of reality and the supernatural. This film has stood the test of time well, and is a nice, taut story of a man wrongly accused of a crime, miraculously brought back to life, and eventually seeking vindication and justice from those that did him wrong. Karloff is a masterful lead in that he is able to frighten us and exact from us a tremendous amount of pity and understanding. In point of fact, his characterization of Ellman is one of his most powerful and sympathetic, a true tragic hero toyed with by crime bosses and a corrupt lawyer. Most of the acting beyond Karloff is rather pedestrian, with Edmund Gwenn turning in a nice portrayal of a questioning scientist and Ricardo Cortez wonderfully playing the stereotypical slimy lawyer. Curtiz does a good job of direction and lighting and shading are used to almost perfect results. A must see for the classic horror buff!