WHITE ZOMBIE (1932) Bella Lugosi, Madge Bellamy & Joseph Cawthorne | Horror | COLORIZED

White Zombie is a 1932 American pre-Code horror film independently produced by Edward Halperin and directed by Victor Halperin. The screenplay by Garnett Weston, based on The Magic Island by William Seabrook, is about a young woman's transformation into a zombie at the hands of an evil voodoo master. Bela Lugosi stars as the zombie master "Murder" Legendre, with Madge Bellamy appearing as his victim. Other cast members include Joseph Cawthorn, Robert W. Frazer, John Harron, Brandon Hurst, and George Burr MacAnnan.

Large portions of White Zombie were shot on the Universal Studios lot, borrowing many props and scenery from other horror films of the era. The film opened in New York to negative reception, with reviewers criticizing the film's over-the-top story and weak acting. While the film made a substantial financial profit as an independent feature, it proved less popular than other horror films of the time.

White Zombie is considered the first feature length zombie film; a loose sequel, Revolt of the Zombies, opened in 1936. Modern reception to White Zombie has been more positive. Some critics have praised the film's atmosphere and compared it to the 1940s horror films of Val Lewton, while others still have unfavorable opinions on the quality of the acting.

SYNOPSIS
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.

On arrival in Haiti, Madeleine Short reunites with her fiancé Neil Parker, with imminent plans to be married. On the way to their lodging, the couple's coach passes Murder Legendre, an evil voodoo master, who observes them with interest. Neil and Madeleine arrive at the home of a wealthy plantation owner, Charles Beaumont. Charles' love of Madeleine prompts him to meet Murder secretly in Murder's sugar cane mill, operated entirely by zombies. Charles wants to convince Madeleine to marry him and solicits Murder's supernatural assistance. Murder states that the only way to help Charles is to transform Madeleine into a zombie with a potion. Beaumont agrees, takes the potion, and surreptitiously gives it to Madeleine. Shortly after Madeleine and Neil's wedding ceremony, the potion takes effect on Madeleine, who soon dies and is buried. Murder and Charles enter Madeleine's tomb at night and bring her back to life as a zombie. In a drunken state, a depressed Neil sees ghostly apparitions of Madeleine and goes to her tomb. On finding it empty, Neil seeks out the assistance of the local missionary, Dr. Bruner, who recounts how Murder turned many of his rivals into zombies, who now act as Murder's closest guardians. The two men journey to Murder's cliffside castle to rescue Madeleine.

At the castle, Charles has begun to regret Madeleine's transformation and begs Murder to return her to life, but Murder refuses. Charles discovers he has been tainted by Murder's voodoo and is also transforming into a zombie. As Neil enters the fortress, Murder senses his presence and silently orders Madeleine to kill Neil. She approaches Neil with a knife, but Bruner grabs her hand from behind a curtain, making her drop the knife and walk away. Neil follows Madeleine to an escarpment, where Murder commands his zombie guardians to kill Neil. Bruner approaches Murder and knocks him out, breaking Murder's mental control over his zombies. Undirected, the zombies topple off the cliff. Murder awakens and eludes Neil and Bruner, but Charles pushes Murder off the cliff. Charles loses his balance and also falls to his death. Murder's death releases Madeleine from her zombie trance, and she awakens to embrace Neil.

CAST & CREW
Bela Lugosi as "Murder" Legendre
Madge Bellamy as Madeleine Short
Joseph Cawthorn as Dr. Bruner: a missionary preacher
Robert W. Frazer as Charles Beaumont
John Harron as Neil Parker
Brandon Hurst as Silver,
George Burr Macannan as Von Gelder
Clarence Muse as a coach driver
Frederick Peters as Chauvin
Annette Stone as a maid
John Printz as Ledot
Dan Crimmins as Pierre
Claude Morgan as Garcia
John Fergusson as Marquee
Velma Gresham as the tall maid

Directed by Victor Halperin
Written by Garnett Weston
Based on The Magic Island by William Seabrook
Produced by Edward Halperin
Cinematography Arthur Martinelli
Edited by Harold McLernon
Music by Guy Bevier Williams, Hugo Riesenfeld, Xavier Cugat, Nathaniel Dett, Gaston Borch, Leo Kempenski, Hen Herkan, H. Maurice Jacquet
Production company Halperin Productions
Distributed by United Artists
Release date July 28, 1932
Running time 67 minutes; or 68 or 70 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $50,000 (approx.)

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