KING OF THE ZOMBIES (1941) Dick Purcell, Joan Woodbury & Mantan Moreland | Adventure, Horror | B&W

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King of the Zombies is a 1941 American zombie comedy film directed by Jean Yarbrough and starring Dick Purcell, Joan Woodbury, and Mantan Moreland. The film was produced by Monogram Pictures, and was typical of its B films produced by the Pine-Thomas team. Along with flying scenes, the use of zany characters and slapstick efforts were juxtaposed with a spy and zombie story.

Synopsis

In 1941, a Capelis XC-12 transport aircraft flying between Cuba and Puerto Rico runs low on fuel and is blown off course by a storm. The pilot, James "Mac" McCarthy, cannot pick up any radio transmissions over the Caribbean except for a faint signal. After crash-landing on a remote island, passenger Bill Summers and his valet Jefferson Jackson, take refuge in a mansion owned by Dr. Miklos Sangre and his wife Alyce .

Jackson, frightened by his surroundings, is convinced the mansion is haunted by zombies and confirms this with some of Dr. Sangre's servants. The stranded group becomes aware that mysterious events are taking place in the mansion.

The group stumbles upon a voodoo ritual in the cellar conducted by the doctor who is in reality a foreign spy trying to acquire war intelligence from a captured US Admiral whose aircraft had also crashed on the island. McCarthy falls under the doctor's spell but Summers comes to his aid. When Summers stops the ritual, the zombies turn on their master. Sangre shoots the pilot but falls to his death in a firepit. With Sangre dead, all the zombies are released from his spell.

Cast
Dick Purcell as James "Mac" McCarthy
Joan Woodbury as Barbara Winslow
Mantan Moreland as Jefferson "Jeff" Jackson
Henry Victor as Dr. Miklos Sangre
John Archer as Bill Summers
Patricia Stacey as Alyce Sangre
Guy Usher as Admiral Arthur Wainwright
Marguerite Whitten as Samantha, the Maid
Leigh Whipper as Momba, the Butler
Madame Sul-Te-Wan as Tahama, the Cook and High Priestess
James Davis (credited as Jimmy) as Lazarus, a Zombie
Laurence Criner as Dr. Couillie

Crew
Directed by: Jean Yarbrough
Written by: Edmond Kelso
Produced by: Lindsley Parsons
Cinematography: Mack Stengler
Edited by: Richard C. Currier
Music by: Edward J. Kay
Starring
Dick Purcell
Joan Woodbury
Mantan Moreland
Production
Production Companies: Sterling Productions, Inc.
Distributed by: Monogram Pictures Corporation
Release Information
Release Date: May 14, 1941
Running Time: 67 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English