As soon as once more, we encounter the archetype of the mad scientist and his legion of the undead in Monogram Footage’ Revenge of the Zombies (1943). This one-hour movie is closely influenced by its wartime backdrop, infused with themes of espionage, race, and sexuality. Directed by Steve Sekely, whose visible aptitude shines via within the newly launched Blu-ray by Kino Lorber, this movie intertwines Nazi spies with potent subtexts.
The movie opens with a powerful, dialogue-free sequence wealthy in Expressionist cinematography. The primary character we meet is Lazarus (James Baskett), an African-American man clad in a cape, who slowly emerges from a mansion and heads in the direction of a swamp-themed cemetery just some paces away. The ambiance is charged with a darkish, stormy evening full of wind and lightning. Lazarus emits a haunting name, paying homage to each an owl and a wolf, because the digicam pans throughout the eerie graveyard and zooms in on a mausoleum.
Contained in the mausoleum, the cinematography takes on a hauntingly lovely high quality, casting shadows that remind one among a large spider’s net or an enormous ribcage. We see a gaunt white man rise from his coffin, shedding his shroud to disclose a skeletal chest above his pants. Unbeknownst to the filmmakers, he bears a disquieting resemblance to somebody who has simply escaped a focus camp. As he shuffles exterior, his towering determine requires him to stoop to exit. He joins a regiment of equally lifeless zombies—black and white males—emphasizing that this cemetery is void of racial segregation. Their military-style march carries political connotations that change into more and more evident because the movie progresses.
These unlucky souls have been poisoned and introduced below the management of Dr. Max Heinrich von Altermann (John Carradine), who resides within the mansion close to New Orleans. As he discusses his nefarious plans with a fellow spy (portrayed by cowboy actor Bob Steele), he reveals his ambition to create an indestructible military of zombies serving “our nation.” The precise reference to Germany or Nazism stays conspicuously absent, with the closest acknowledgment being the derogatory time period “Heinie,” a slur for German troopers from World Struggle I.
In a depraved flip of occasions, Dr. Altermann has simply poisoned his lovely spouse, Lila (Veda Ann Borg), who lies lifeless in an open coffin. Arriving on the scene are her brother Scott (Mauritz Hugo), a self-proclaimed detective, the purported hero Larry Adams (Robert Lowery), and anxious Dr. Keating (Barry McCollum). Altermann instructions Lila to rise, revealing her smirking countenance because the others perplexedly witness her departure from the room, although they take the revelation surprisingly properly.
When Altermann showcases his spouse to his spy confederate, who’s in the end revealed to be an American undercover agent, he expresses, “What larger future might my spouse have achieved than to serve me, and thru me, our nation? I shall take her there and show that zombies should obey their grasp.” Lila unexpectedly counters, shouting, “No! No!” Her voice carries an eerie echo, and her smirk betrays a defiant spirit. Puzzled, Altermann laments, “What’s this? Your mind works independently of mine?” He shortly recalibrates his strategy, deciding he should paralyze sections of the mind so the zombies can solely obey and never query.
It hardly seems like a spoiler to reveal that, because the title suggests, Lila will in the end enact the promised revenge, championing each America and womanhood within the course of. Complicating Altermann’s plans additional is his secretary, Jennifer, performed by Gale Storm—a task she took years previous to her tv fame in My Little Margie (1952-55). Like Lila, she additionally flits round in a flowing white nightgown.
On a metaphorical stage, Revenge of the Zombies means that those that blindly comply with Hitler change into akin to zombies, and highlights how fascism transforms nations into realms of the dwelling lifeless. The movie additionally implies that ladies, significantly the gorgeous ones, are tougher to manage—a attainable reflection of the elevated presence of ladies in historically male-dominated roles, similar to manufacturing facility work, throughout wartime.
Style historian Tom Weaver delves deeper into the movie’s context in his witty and insightful commentary. He reveals that Monogram was influenced by the Workplace of Struggle Info and the Bureau of Movement Footage, each of which scrutinized scripts throughout this era. These companies raised issues concerning the initially stereotypical and racist portrayals within the script, prompting a extra numerous forged of zombies. They cautioned towards trivializing the Nazi risk, offending non-white audiences, or involving the FBI with out prior consent, resulting in quite a few changes within the script penned by Edmund Kelso and Van Norcross.
The alterations reveal that Monogram, together with producer Lindsley Parsons, did not initially intend to craft a extra progressive narrative than of their earlier work, King of the Zombies (1941), which shares an identical plot and options among the identical forged members. The struggle local weather imposed larger scrutiny on their artistic selections.
Recurring actors Mantan Moreland and Madame Sul-Te-Wan convey vibrant vitality to the movie. Moreland, identified for his comedic portrayals, performs an keen character who’s fast to acknowledge the peculiar happenings round him. One memorable scene options him energetically jitterbugging in a classy outfit, showcasing a spirited efficiency that makes one want Revenge of the Zombies had been a musical highlighting his abilities.
Weaver additionally references a 1967 interview with actress Nichelle Nichols, who emphasised that characters like Moreland and Stepin Fetchit shouldn’t be mocked. Their abilities might have rivaled the likes of Milton Berle or Bob Hope had their societal context been completely different. In Moreland’s impartial all-Black “race films,” similar to Two Gun Man from Harlem (1938), he exudes heat and pleasure that break stereotypes.
The camaraderie of Black Hollywood’s veterans in Revenge of the Zombies elevates the movie’s vitality. Madame Sul-Te-Wan, whose roles usually felt too constrained contemplating her profound presence, groups with Moreland’s character towards the malevolent Altermann. She highlights that espresso serves as an antidote to his poison, empowering her actions towards him.
James Baskett, identified for portraying Uncle Remus in Disney’s Tune of the South (1946) and being the primary African-American to win an Oscar, imbues his function as Lazarus with dry wit. His character’s comedic line, “Lovely automotive. I drove a automotive like this for the grasp after I was alive,” serves as a humorous spotlight. The movie underscores that, even in demise, one can nonetheless admire the finer issues in life.
Sybil Lewis, who performs Moreland’s romantic curiosity, brings her personal aptitude, identified for a number of Forties impartial movies. She delivers the movie’s closing line, asserting her independence by stating, “If I will get a swell job, honey, I don’t must get married.” This dialogue encapsulates the movie’s illustration of empowered ladies who defy the plans set out by males, hinting at broader socio-political themes of the period.
The dynamic interactions amongst these 4 actors invigorate the movie, making a extra partaking expertise in comparison with scenes dominated by their Caucasian counterparts, together with Carradine’s considerably dispassionate portrayal of the villain.
Underneath Sekely’s and photographer Mack Stengler’s skillful path, the movie additionally advantages from many visually placing sequences. Sekely, who had a background in Hungarian cinema, left a mark with swish digicam actions that spotlight his strengths. Following Revenge of the Zombies, Sekely directed one other Monogram anti-Nazi movie, Girls in Bondage, and plenty of tv collection episodes within the Fifties, in the end turning into identified for his atmospheric work in movies like The Day of the Triffids (1962).
It could have made logical sense to pair Revenge of the Zombies with King of the Zombies in a double function; the latter is about for a January 2025 Blu-ray launch from VCI. As for Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray of Revenge of the Zombies, it presents a pointy and clear viewing expertise, enhanced by Weaver’s partaking commentary, which locations the movie inside the broader panorama of each zombie and Nazi cinema.
The fascination with Nazi zombies has persevered in in style tradition, with quite a few movies exploring this trope. Notable entries vary from Herman J. Leder’s The Frozen Lifeless (1966) to Ken Wiederhorn’s Shock Waves (1977), Tommy Wirkola’s Lifeless Snow (2009), and Julius Avery’s Overlord (2018). Certainly, the socio-political motifs embedded inside these movies refuse to stay idle or forgotten.
