I Walked with a Zombie (1943)

Director:

Jacques Tourneur

Writers:

Inez Wallace (story)
Curt Siodmak (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

30 April 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

See this strange, strange story of a woman whose lure set brother against brother; whose love caused hate - and whose beauty bowed to the will of an evil spell in whose power we must refuse to believe - EVEN IF IT'S TRUE!

Plot:

A young Canadian nurse (Betsy) comes to the West Indies to care for Jessica, the wife of a plantation manager (Paul Holland)...

Plot Keywords:

Living Dead | Plantation | Singer | Sword | Shock Treatment

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

James Ellison	...	Wesley Rand
Frances Dee	...	Betsy Connell
Tom Conway	...	Paul Holland
Edith Barrett	...	Mrs. Rand
James Bell	...	Dr. Maxwell
Christine Gordon	...	Jessica Holland
Theresa Harris	...	Alma - Maid (as Teresa Harris)
Sir Lancelot	...	Calypso Singer
Darby Jones	...	Carrefour
Jeni Le Gon	...	Dancer (as Jeni LeGon)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Abrams	...	Clement (uncredited)
Rita Christiani	...	Friend of Melise (uncredited)
Vivian Dandridge	...	Melisse (uncredited)
Alan Edmiston	...	Job Interviewer (uncredited)
Kathleen Hartfield	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Norman Mayes	...	Bayard (uncredited)
Jieno Moxzer	...	Sabreur (uncredited)
Clinton Rosemond	...	Coachman (uncredited)
Arthur Walker	...	Ti-Joseph (uncredited)
Martin Wilkins	...	Houngan (uncredited)
Melvin Williams	...	Baby (uncredited)

Directed by
Jacques Tourneur

Writing credits
Charlotte Brontë		(novel "Jane Eyre") uncredited
Inez Wallace		(story)
Curt Siodmak		(screenplay) and
Ardel Wray		(screenplay)

Produced by
Val Lewton	....	producer

Original Music by
Roy Webb

Cinematography by
J. Roy Hunt		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Mark Robson

Art Direction by
Albert S. D'Agostino
Walter E. Keller

Set Decoration by
A. Roland Fields		(as Al Fields)
Darrell Silvera

Makeup Department
Maurice Seiderman	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Dorfman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John C. Grubb	....	sound recordist
Terry Kellum	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
James G. Stewart	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director

Other crew
Lou L. Ostrow	....	supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1952) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Nostalgia Merchant, The (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Turner Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Turner Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

69 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:PG (TV rating) | Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1998) | USA:Approved (PCA #8949)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Val Lewton did not like the article "I Walked With A Zombie" by Inez Wallace that had been optioned so he adapted the story to fit the novel "Jane Eyre" because he felt the article's plot was too clichéd.

Quotes:

Paul Holland: It's easy enough to read the thoughts of a newcomer. Everything seems beautiful because you don't understand. Those flying fish, they're not leaping for joy, they're jumping in terror. Bigger fish want to eat them. That luminous water, it takes its gleam from millions of tiny dead bodies. The glitter of putrescence. There is no beauty here, only death and decay.
Betsy Connell: You can't really believe that.
Paul Holland: Everything good dies here. Even the stars.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows (2007)

Soundtrack:

Fort Holland Calypso Song

Poetic, entrancing, and one of Lewtons two best.

The basic plot: A Canadian nurse arrives at the isle of St. Sebastian to take care of a plantation owners mentally entranced and disturbed wife, but once she get's there, she learns more than she should about the family secrets, voodoo , and zombie fever......

The praise: A truly poetic, hypnotizing, and creepy film experience. The poetry of the island traditions, the family mysteries and everything else about the movie is truly evocative and sensitive. There are smatterings of spooky moments throughout, all frightening suggestively, using sound , imagery and implied chills. All classically and romantically constructed and written, a flagon of longing, taste, and character in every little detail. Well-shot, especially the impressive voodoo ceremony. Very atmospheric, with black& white used to enhance the mood, as in all Lewton movies. Watch for calypso singer Sir Lancelot, who Lewton also used in " Curse of the Cat People", an equally poetic movie, which I also have reviewed. A masterpiece of the horror film, it has many scenes which take together the essential elements of suspense and atmosphere , sound and imagery , such as Dee traveling to the voodoo ceremony. A must-see. Very hard-to-find. The only way I could find it was to order a copy of an unauthorized copy of it from Canada.Truly great.