King of the Zombies (1941)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Jean Yarbrough

Writer:

Edmond Kelso (story)

Release Date:

14 May 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

HUMAN SACRIFICES! SAVAGE TORTURE! VOODOO RITES!

Plot:

During World War 2, a small plane off the south coast of America is low on fuel and blown off course by a storm...

Plot Keywords:

Mansion | Doctor | Admiral | Island | Pilot

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Dick Purcell	...	James 'Mac' McCarthy
Joan Woodbury	...	Barbara Winslow
Mantan Moreland	...	Jefferson 'Jeff' Jackson
Henry Victor	...	Dr. Miklos Sangre
John Archer	...	Bill Summers
Patricia Stacey	...	Alyce Sangre
Guy Usher	...	Admiral Arthur Wainwright
Marguerite Whitten	...	Samantha, the Maid
Leigh Whipper	...	Momba, the Butler
Madame Sul-Te-Wan	...	Tahama, the Cook and High Priestess
James Davis	...	Lazarus, a Zombie (as Jimmy Davis)
Laurence Criner	...	Dr. Couillie (as Lawrence Criner)

Runtime:

67 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (2005) | USA:Approved (PCA #7290)

Company:

Monogram Pictures

Trivia:

In the presskit for this film, Monogram blatantly advised exhibitors to sell "it along the same lines as [Paramount's] The Ghost Breakers (1940)." The Bob Hope horror/comedy was a runaway hit at the time.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When the servants and Jeff are gathered around the dining room table before midnight, the boom mic shadow can be seen on the table moving from speaking character to speaking character.

Quotes:

Jefferson 'Jeff' Jackson: [hearing voodoo drums] It ain't Gene Krupa!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Bamboozled (2000)

Mantan Moreland was great!

Mantan Moreland really shines in this movie. He was a great character actor, and he had a LOT of screen time in King Of The Zombies. He wasn't a supporting character in King Of The Zombies; his part was equal among the main players and his name shared equal billing in the opening credits.

Forget what others say about racial stereotyping and enjoy his performance. The man worked with what he was given and took it to as much of a polished performance as possible. Blame Hollywood, not the actor, if you don't like his performance. His takes and reactions were superb. Smiley Burnette and Lou Costello did the same thing in "scary" situations, but Mantan Moreland had a flair for the comedy take that set him apart. He really was great on screen.

King Of The Zombies itself is not the best for a mystery/adventure movie from the time period, but it has the right feel for the time period if you like old movies. All the right elements are there for a fun movie. Why it doesn't really work better is a mystery. Don't expect too much and you will have a good time watching this one.