Plot
In this haunting low-budgeter, Bela Lugosi stars as Murder Legendre, a shadowy character who exercises supernatural powers over the natives in his Haitian domain. Coveting Madge Bellamy as his bride, wealthy Robert Frazier enters into an unholy agreement with Lugosi, whereby Madge will die, then be resurrected as a zombie. ~ Iotis Erlewine, RoviReview
It is altogether typical of Bela Lugosi's lousy business judgement that he accepted one of his finest film roles for a mere $500 dollars. In the haunting low-budgeter White Zombie, Lugosi stars as Murder Legendre, a shadowy character who exercises supernatural powers over the natives in his Haitian domain. Coveting beautiful Madge Bellamy as his bride, wealthy Robert Frazier is refused her hand in marriage. He enters into an unholy agreement with Lugosi, whereby Madge will fall ill and die, then be resurrected as a zombie-and, implicitly, Frazier's love-slave. This is accomplished, but Lugosi, relishing the hold he has over Frazier, refuses to release Madge's soul. She is ultimately rescued from Living Death by her faithful beau Robert Harron and missionary Joseph Cawthorn (heretofore merely the comedy relief). Few talkie horror films have ever so expertly captured the "feel" of the silent cinema as White Zombie; the film's ethereal, ghostlike ambience enables the audiences to accept even the most ludicrous of plot twists. The producers, Victor and Edward Halperin, use the film's tiny budget to their advantage, evocatively suggesting the horrors that they haven't the financial wherewithal to show on screen. Lugosi is superb throughout, making the most of such seemingly innocuous lines as "Well, well, we understand one another better, now." Long ignored or shunted aside as insignificant, White Zombie can hold its own with any of the like-vintage Universal horror classics. ~ Hal Erickson, RoviCast
- Bela Lugosi - Murder LeGrande
- Madge Bellamy - Madeline Short
- Joseph Cawthorn - Dr. Bruner
- Robert W. Frazer - Charles Beaumont
- John Harron - Neil Parker
Credit
Victor Halperin - Director, Harold McLernon - Editor, Xavier Cugat - Composer (Music Score), Abe Meyer - Composer (Music Score), Hugo Riesenfeld - Composer (Music Score), Jack Pierce - Makeup, Arthur Martineli - Cinematographer, Edward Halperin - Producer, Ralph Berger - Set Designer, Howard A. Anderson - Special Effects, Garnett Weston - Screenwriter, William Seabrook - Book Author| White Youth (1920 Film), White Woman (1933 Film) | |
| White and Unmarried (1921 Film), White in Bad Light (1974 Film) |
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