King of the Zombies (1941)
Genre: Horror / Comedy
Duration: 67 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Jean Yarbrough
Stars: Dick Purcell, Joan Woodbury and Mantan Moreland
IMDb score:
5,3 (2.803)
Releasedate: 14 May 1941
King of the Zombies plot
"HUMAN SACRIFICES! SAVAGE TORTURE! VOODOO RITES!"
During World War II, a small reconnaissance plane is blown off course by a major storm. The crew must make an emergency landing on an island where a mad professor is conducting strange experiments. After their first night on the island, they are already convinced that the professor is doing something strange with ghosts and the living dead.
Actors and actresses
James 'Mac' McCarthy
Barbara Winslow
Jefferson 'Jeff' Jackson
Dr. Miklos Sangre
Bill Summers
Alyce Sangre
Admiral Wainwright
Samantha
Momba
Tahama
Reviews & comments
Zinema (crew films)
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- 10289 messages
- 7390 votes
Painful role divisions.
Mantan Moreland is one of those famous comic African-American actors from bygone times. Despite the painful role divisions (literally and figuratively) between black and white, he is one of the raisins in the otherwise tasteless porridge. It hardly becomes scary, because despite the serious character, the film feels rather unintentionally farcical and sometimes amateurish. The jokes often miss their mark these days, but the charm remains. So, it is rather stale. Yet the ravages of time have not destroyed everything in this more than seventy-year-old film.
Reasonable.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Collins
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- 7506 messages
- 4471 votes
The film is set during World War II, and two white men and their Black servant, Jeff, survive a crash-landing plane. On the Caribbean island where they land, they encounter the mysterious Dr. Victor Sangre, who engages in strange practices.
King of the Zombies is labeled a horror comedy. That's a bit of an exaggeration. The comic relief isn't in the story, nor is it in the characters. Except for one character, that is. The fearful Jeff plays the role of the funny, rambling coward. The funny fool who keeps having terrifying experiences but isn't believed. "If there's one thing I wouldn't want to be twice, zombies is both of them." I did manage to chuckle at times.
So, the comedy factor is certainly present. The horror factor is a different story. The titular zombies are indeed present, but they don't create any terror or menace. All they do is walk around with stiff movements and a fixed gaze. They pose no danger whatsoever. It's all a bit unsettling. Even the attempts to inject some suspense are futile. The only one who evokes a slightly sinister feeling is Dr. Sangre. With the emphasis on "a little."
King of the Zombies isn't boring to watch. The film doesn't achieve much more than that. It's enjoyable as a historical curiosity. Otherwise, it's not interesting.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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