Movie Review: King of the Zombies (1941)

King of the Zombies (1941) directed by Jean Yarbrough

Three American men (the pilot, his passenger, and the passenger's valet) crash their plane on a Caribbean island, only to discover their enigmatic host, Dr. Sangre (Henry Victor) has more than one secret. The Americans heard a radio communication with some strange language that originated from the island. The doctor denies the existence of the radio, as well as the existence of zombies on the island. The valet (Mantan Moreland) saw zombies when he was sent to the kitchen (in the basement) with the other servants. In addition to the questionable help in the kitchen, Sangre's wife also seems less than animate. His niece (Joan Woodbury) wants to help the Americans, her main motive being escape from the island. Sangre is from "the old country" and is still in touch.

The movie is clearly intended to be a comedy, not a horror. One of Sangre's servants uses voodoo magic to make the zombies, though Sangre isn't looking for spare help. The valet, who is African-American, has most of the action and most of the gags. Moreland's performance is a bit over-the-top and stereotypical, leaving a viewer with mixed feelings. The other guys are also stereotypical with little to make them interesting or memorable. I expected some sort of romantic subplot with the niece but I guess the 67-minute running time left no room for character development or side plots. Victor seems to be aping Bela Lugosi's creepy European aristocrat vibe, which works for the most part even if it isn't very original. The movie has nothing particularly remarkable about it other than the strong emphasis on comedy. It certainly passes the six laugh test.

Mildly recommended.

I watched it on Hoopla.