Getting to the final hours of IMDb's Horror board's October Challenge,I decided to finish the event with a short and sweet shot of Bela Lugosi. Looking online at public domain Bela flicks,I stumbled on a Horror Comedy of his that I've never heard of before,which led to me dancing with the zombies.
The plot:
Putting on a fake image of "going straight" gangster Ace Miller decides to hype his new Broadway nightclub by getting a zombie to appear (who else would the crowds want to see!) Struggling to find a zombie in the area,Miller pushes his press agents Jerry Miles and Mike Strager to find a zombie before the opening night.Traveling to the West Indies,the guys soon get much closer to than they ever expected.
View on the film:
Chipping away on re-used sets from RKO's Tarzan movies,director Gordon Douglas & cinematographer Jack MacKenzie find get out of jail free cards to flash the flick with a bit of style, via bright white lights for the smoking hot sun of the West Indies,to bringing a surprisingly eerie atmosphere to life,in lighting the zombies in silhouette. Juggling light Comedy and Horror,the screenplay by Lawrence Kimble/ Robert Faber/ Charles Newman and Robert E. Kent strike a fine mix of wacky,playful slap-stick round boo-hiss gangsters and slightly creepy Voodoo zombies, (no meat eaters here!) which stands out by actually being respectful to the traditions of the West Indies.Staying in the background,Bela gives a chirpy,scene- stealing performance as Professor Paul Renault,as Wally Brown and Alan Carney get into their groove with quick-fire exchanges and joyfully silly physical Comedy,which causes the zombies to dance off.
The plot:
Putting on a fake image of "going straight" gangster Ace Miller decides to hype his new Broadway nightclub by getting a zombie to appear (who else would the crowds want to see!) Struggling to find a zombie in the area,Miller pushes his press agents Jerry Miles and Mike Strager to find a zombie before the opening night.Traveling to the West Indies,the guys soon get much closer to than they ever expected.
View on the film:
Chipping away on re-used sets from RKO's Tarzan movies,director Gordon Douglas & cinematographer Jack MacKenzie find get out of jail free cards to flash the flick with a bit of style, via bright white lights for the smoking hot sun of the West Indies,to bringing a surprisingly eerie atmosphere to life,in lighting the zombies in silhouette. Juggling light Comedy and Horror,the screenplay by Lawrence Kimble/ Robert Faber/ Charles Newman and Robert E. Kent strike a fine mix of wacky,playful slap-stick round boo-hiss gangsters and slightly creepy Voodoo zombies, (no meat eaters here!) which stands out by actually being respectful to the traditions of the West Indies.Staying in the background,Bela gives a chirpy,scene- stealing performance as Professor Paul Renault,as Wally Brown and Alan Carney get into their groove with quick-fire exchanges and joyfully silly physical Comedy,which causes the zombies to dance off.