IMDb > White Zombie (1932)
White Zombie
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White Zombie (1932) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 3 NEW)
White Zombie (1932) -- A young man turns to a witch doctor to lure the woman he loves away from her fiance, but instead turns her into a zombie slave.
White Zombie (1932) -- A young man turns to a witch doctor to lure the woman he loves away from her fiance, but instead turns her into a zombie slave.
White Zombie (1932) -- A young man turns to a witch doctor to lure the woman he loves away from her fiance, but instead turns her into a zombie slave.

Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   2,322 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Victor Halperin
Writers:
Garnett Weston (dialogue)
Garnett Weston (story)
Contact:
View company contact information for White Zombie on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 August 1932 (USA) more
Genre:
Horror | Romance more
Tagline:
The Dead Walk Among Us! more
Plot:
A young man turns to a witch doctor to lure the woman he loves away from her fiance, but instead turns her into a zombie slave. full summary | add synopsis
NewsDesk:
(9 articles)
Badasses of Horror: Part One
 (From Fangoria. 5 November 2009, 4:34 PM, PST)

Bela Lugosi And Boris Karloff: The Expanded Story Of A Haunting Collaboration (Book Review)
 (From Fangoria. 20 October 2009, 1:50 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
It's all about the atmosphere in this one! more (92 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Bela Lugosi ... 'Murder' Legendre
Madge Bellamy ... Madeleine Short Parker
Joseph Cawthorn ... Dr. Bruner
Robert Frazer ... Charles Beaumont
John Harron ... Neil Parker
Brandon Hurst ... Silver
George Burr Macannan ... Von Gelder (as George Burr MacAnnan)
Frederick Peters ... Chauvin
Annette Stone ... Maid
John Printz ... Ledot
Dan Crimmins ... Pierre
Claude Morgan ... Zombie
John Fergusson ... Zombie
Velma Gresham ... Maid
Hans Joby ... Chauvin (as John S. Peters)
more
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Additional Details

Runtime:
69 min | USA:67 min (Roan restoration) | Canada:85 min (Ontario)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Photophone Noiseless Recording)
Certification:
Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Australia:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1991) | USA:Unrated

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Rob Zombie named his first heavy metal band, White Zombie, after this movie. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Madeline sees Legendre's face in her wine, she begins to set the glass down with both hands, mostly using her left. In the next shot, her right hand holds the cup and her left is on the table. Also, the position of her head changes between shots, from looking slightly up to looking directly ahead. more
Quotes:
Dr. Bruner: Before we get through with this thing we may uncover sins that even the devil would be ashamed of. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Ernest Scared Stupid (1991) more
Soundtrack:
Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
18 out of 19 people found the following comment useful.
It's all about the atmosphere in this one!, 29 July 2005
8/10
Author: Boba_Fett1138 from Groningen, The Netherlands

Zombie movies from the '30's and '40's are quite different from the zombie movies most people know from the '70's till present time. In the '30's and '40's, zombies and voodoo kind of rituals always walked hand in hand. As a result of this zombie movies from the '30's and '40's have a certain creepy atmosphere and scary voodoo sound effects.

"White Zombie" is the very first (still excising) zombie movie ever made. The zombies look extremely good and creepy thanks to the charismatic actors that perform them. Don't underestimate this people, acting with just your body and mostly face is also a form of tough acting. I think that it is thanks to the fine casting of the zombies that most of the scene's with them in it, work really well.

Bela Lugosi is totally fantastic as sort of witch doctor and 'king of the zombies'. He plays one scary monsieur. I even tend to say that this is his best villain role he has ever portrayed, yes even better as Count Dracula. Lugosi was always at his best in roles like these and just like in "Dracula" he is once more acting very well with also both his hands and face, especially his typical horror-like-eyes make him one legendary villain. For the Lugosi fans this is an absolute must see!

The story is very intriguing and sad and its told in a beautiful way. Especially the ending was fantastic and actually also quite tense.

Unfortunately time has not been kind on this movie. The movie had been lost for many years until the '60's after acquiring the rights to distribute the movie, the quality was already beyond restoration, so now days we can never watch this movie in its full glory. The movie has the grainy and visual look of movies from the 1920's and at times small chunks of sound and music are missing.

The cinematography is absolutely fantastic and the experimental editing provides some unique and extremely well looking sequences. It reminded me of some of Brian De Palma's early work. There is one unique and brilliant scene that I can't even describe. It features a split screen but the scene is constructed more complex than I make it sound. Really something you have to see for yourself.

OK maybe the beginning of the movie isn't that good and memorable and quite standard and typical for the horror genre in the '30's but the last half hour or so is really unique, excellent, tense and just a shear delight to watch, mainly thanks to Bela Lugosi's his character 'Murder' Legendre (what a brilliant name by the way) and the story in which once more love conquers all.

By the way this is the movie Ed Wood and Bela Lugosi were watching together in the movie "Ed Wood". Most people think that it was a Dracula movie with Lugosi but it in fact is this movie they're watching.

A really unique little forgotten horror masterpiece, that's worth seeing already alone for its movie historical value and Lugosi's fantastic, passioned villain role.

8/10

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