King of the Zombies (1941)

Director:

Jean Yarbrough

Writer:

Edmond Kelso (story)

Release Date:

14 May 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

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 | Pilot | Island

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)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Josephine Whitten	...	Native Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Yarbrough

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Edmond Kelso		story and screenplay

Produced by
Lindsley Parsons	....	producer

Original Music by
Edward J. Kay		(as Edward Kay)

Cinematography by
Mack Stengler

Film Editing by
Richard C. Currier		(as Richard Currier)

Art Direction by
Charles Clague

Set Decoration by
Dave Milton		(settings)

Production Management
Mack V. Wright	....	production manager (as Mack Wright)

Sound Department
William R. Fox	....	sound director (as William Fox)
Glenn Rominger	....	sound director (as Glen Rominger)

Music Department
Edward J. Kay	....	musical director (as Edward Kay)

Production Companies

• Monogram Pictures

Distributors

• Monogram Pictures (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• Regal Films (1941) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Motion Pictures for Television (MPTV) (1949) (USA) (TV)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Navarre Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Roan Group, The (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Brentwood Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Cine Vu (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• LS Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (video)
• Reel Media International (2005) (worldwide) (TV)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Roan Group, The (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (????) (USA) (VHS)
• United Artists Television (????) (USA) (TV) (syndication)

Also Known As:

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:

Crew or equipment visible: As the plane crash lands on the island, the wire holding it in the air can be seen.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in Bamboozled (2000)

Mantan Moreland is a hoot

This little gem of a movie is actually better than it should be considering it is a Monogram picture with a low budget and unfortunate racial stereotypes which were typical for the early 1940's.

Mantan Moreland is the star of this picture. He was a great comedic actor who was stereotyped into playing the dimwitted servant in most of his movies, but he really shines in this picture. I laughed out loud when he tells his boss that he had been "zombiefied". Every scene he is in he steals. This picture was billed as a horror movie, but it is actually a comedy. There is nothing remotely scary about the plot, which involves a German doctor who has taken over an island and is turning the natives into zombies while trying to get classified secrets from a captured American admiral through the use of hypnosis. I really enjoyed this movie despite the cheap sets, silly plot and racial stereotypes. If you want a good laugh on a Saturday afternoon, then pop some popcorn and sit back and enjoy Mantan Moreland. He more than makes up for this movie's deficiencies.