Horror Classics #5: King Of The Zombies/ Revolt Of The Zombies

Double Feature

With horror movies big business in the late 30s and early 40s, the studios of Hollywood's Poverty Row made every effort to get their piece of the box office pie. In this double feature, we find the dead walking again.


The "weirdest love story in 2000 years," according to ads, Revolt Of The Zombies (1936) was put together by the Halperin brothers as a sequel to their blockbuster Bela Lugosi picture White Zombie (1932). Dean Jagger plays a zombie master set on reviving Cambodian soldiers for his own evil use. The Halperins called upon the atmospherics (and stock-footage close-ups of Lugosi's eyes) of the earlier film, whose distributors sued to prevent the use of the word "zombie" in the title. (In some ways, Hollywood hasn't changed much, has it?)


Inspired by the success of horror comedies like Ghost Breakers and Hold That Ghost, Monogram worked Mantan Moreland in King Of The Zombies (1941). It's the sordid tale of a scientist (Henry Victor) creating a corps of the undead (no pun intended) to serve in World War Two. Jean Yarbough (The Devil Bat) directed and, amazingly, Edward Kay's score found itself nominated for an Oscar.