White Zombie

Year: 1932

IMDb Rating: 6.2/10

Genres: Horror

Directors: Victor Halperin

Cast: Joseph Cawthorn, Madge Bellamy, [2], Bela Lugosi

Young couple Madeleine and Neil are coaxed by acquaintance Monsieur Beaumont to get married on his Haitian plantation. Beaumont's motives are purely selfish as he makes every attempt to convince the beautiful young girl to run away with him. For help Beaumont turns to the devious Legendre, a man who runs his mill by mind controlling people he has turned into zombies. After Beaumont uses Legendre's zombie potion on Madeleine, he is dissatisfied with her emotionless being and wants her to be changed back. Legendre has no intention of doing this and he drugs Beaumont as well to add to his zombie collection. Meanwhile, grieving 'widower' Neil is convinced by a local priest that Madeleine may still be alive and he seeks her out.

White Zombie is a 1932 pre-Code horror movie produced independently by Edward Halperin and directed by Victor Halperin. The screenplay by Garnett Weston, based on The Magic Island, a non-fiction travel book by William Seabrook, is about a young woman's transformation into a zombie by a voodoo master. Bela Lugosi features as the zombie master Legendre, with Madge Bellamy appearing as one of his victims. Other cast members include Joseph Cawthorn, Robert W. Frazer, John Harron, Brandon Hurst, and George Burr MacAnnan. Large portions of White Zombie were filmed on the Universal Studios lot, borrowing many props and scenery from other horror movies of the era. The movie premiered in New York to negative reception, with reviewers criticizing the movie's implausible story and weak acting. While the movie made a substantial financial profit as an independent feature, it proved less popular than other horror movies of the time. White Zombie is considered the first feature length zombie movie; a loose sequel, Revolt of the Zombies, opened in 1936. Developing a cult following over the decades, modern reception to White Zombie has been more positive; with praise of the movie's atmosphere and comparisons to the 1940s horror movies of Val Lewton.

Title: White Zombie Summary: A young man turns to a witch doctor to lure the woman he loves away from her fiancé, but instead turns her into a zombie slave. Directed by: Victor Halperin Actors: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Joseph Cawthorn Production Company: Victor & Edward Halperin Productions Release Date: 4 August 1932 (USA) Aspect Ratio: 1.37 : 1 Young couple Madeleine and Neil are coaxed by acquaintance Monsieur Beaumont to get married on his Haitian plantation. Beaumont's motives are purely selfish as he makes every attempt to convince the beautiful young girl to run away with him. For help Beaumont turns to the devious Legendre, a man who runs his mill by mind controlling people he has turned into zombies. After Beaumont uses Legendre's zombie potion on Madeleine, he is dissatisfied with her emotionless being and wants her to be changed back. Legendre has no intention of doing this and he drugs Beaumont as well to add to his zombie collection. Meanwhile, grieving 'widower' Neil is convinced by a local priest that Madeleine may still be alive and he seeks her out.