King of the Zombies *** (1941, Dick Purcell, Joan Woodbury, Mantan Moreland, Henry Victor, John Archer) – Classic Movie Review 13,863

Monogram Pictures’ 1941 zombie comedy horror B-film King of the Zombies stars Dick Purcell, Joan Woodbury, Mantan Moreland, and Henry Victor as Dr Miklos Sangre who controls zombies through voodoo.

Director Jean Yarbrough’s 1941 Monogram Pictures’ American zombie comedy horror B-film King of the Zombies stars Dick Purcell, Joan Woodbury, Mantan Moreland, Henry Victor, and John Archer.

A transport aircraft piloted by James ‘Mac’ McCarthy (Dick Purcell) crash-lands on a remote island during a storm. Passenger Bill Summers (John Archer) and his servant Jeff Jackson (Mantan Moreland) take refuge in a mansion owned by Dr Miklos Sangre (Henry Victor) and his wife Alyce (Patricia Stacey), and discover that the owner controls zombies through voodoo.

The film is amusing, really quite entertaining, though there is way too much slack ‘comedy’ trying to ape Bob Hope’s The Ghost Breakers (1940). It would be much better off as a serious zombie horror movie, especially as the slapstick comedy has dated badly. It is written by Edmond Kelso, who manages to combine silly comedy, a wartime spy story and of course zombies.

Mantan Moreland is quite embarrassingly dreadful as the comedy relief character Jeff Jackson, but little-known English–American character actor Henry Victor’s villainous performance as Dr Miklos Sangre is showy and ideal. Madame Sul-Te-Wan is a fascinating presence as Tahama, the Cook and High Priestess.

It is followed by Revenge of the Zombies [The Corpse Vanished] (1943), telling a similar story, also with Mantan Moreland again unfortunately.

Bela Lugosi was meant to play Dr Sangre but he became unavailable, and Henry Victor was signed on at the last minute after negotiations with Peter Lorre collapsed. Lugosi or Lorre would have received top billing, but Victor had to be content with coming fourth.

Release date: May 14, 1941.

Running time: 67 minutes.

Dick Purcell landed the title role in the 1944 Republic serial film Captain America despite being unfit and overweight. Shortly after filming, aged 38, he collapsed and died in the locker room of a Hollywood country club on 10 April 1944, after playing a round of golf. 

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,863

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