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 | Pilot | Doctor | Island | Admiral

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 Corporation

Trivia:

The role of Dr. Victor Sangre was designed for Bela Lugosi. When he became unavailable, furious negotiations ensued to obtain Peter Lorre for the part, but a deal could not be reached. Veteran character actor Henry Victor was signed just prior to the date of filming.

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)

Move Over Boys I'm One Of The Gang Now

****SPOILERS**** Campy movie from Monogram Pictures about zombies on the loose on some uncharted Caribbean island. With the head honcho Dr. Sangre, Henry Victor, of the Isle trying to use the power of Black Magic through the chanting of Island High Priestess Tahama, Madam Sul-Te-Wan. In order for him to get the brain of the captured US Admiral Wainwright, Guy User, transferred by the miracle of "Transmigration" to his niece's Barbara Winslow, Joan Woodbury, skull. This is Dr. Sangre plan to get valuable military information, from Wainwright, about the fortifications of the Panama Canal Zone.

The movie "King of the Zombies" was made as a comedy but for some strange reason was nominated for an Academy Award as best musical score for a dramatic picture? HOW ABOUT THAT! Dr. Sangre obviously in league with his fatherland Nazi Germany even though the country is never mentioned in the film? Maybe the makers of "King of the Zombies" were afraid that if Hitler ever saw the movie and how it portrayed his Aryan Supermen he would get so mad he'd order his Luftwaffa to bomb Hollywood.

Dr. Sangre who learned from the natives, mostly from High priestess Tahama, of the island how to "Zombify" people and use them in service to the Third Reich seemed unable to "Zombify" one of his subjects Jefferson "Jeff" Jackson, Mantan Moreland. Jefferson in fact turned out to be the hero of the movie and saved the day for the good guys by getting the ball, as well as his eyes, rolling. In him getting his two naive and unsuspecting friends who crashed on the island with him Mac & Bill, Dick Puncell & John Archer, to see what was really going on with Dr. Sangre and his evil experiments.

Getting the zombies to revolt against Dr. Sangre, probably because of the bland and salt-free food that he served them, the doctor trying to get the info from the admiral via his niece's brain, dressed up looking like Dracula with a weird wooden Halloween mask, ends up being chased by the zombies into a pit where he gets a giant hot foot. In a last and desperate attempt Dr. Sangre tries to shoot the rebellious dead walkers not knowing, or forgetting for a moment, that you can't kill someone who's already dead!