The Walking Dead

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58%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 331

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Movie Info

A reformed criminal is framed and sent to the electric chair, but a scientist uses his corpse as part of his experiments and manages to resurrect him, although only as a vengeance seeking zombie. This was a rare excursion into the horror genre for director Curtis, better known for movies such as Casablanca.

Rating:

G
Genre:

Classics, Drama, Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Directed By:

Michael Curtiz
Written By:

Ewart Adamson, Peter Milne, Robert Adams, Lillie Hayward, Robert D. Andrews
In Theaters:

Mar 13, 1936 wide
Runtime:

66 minutes
Studio:

Warner Bros.

Cast

Boris Karloff
as John Ellman

Ricardo Cortez
as Nolan

Marguerite Churchill
as Nancy

Barton MacLane
as Loder

Warren Hull
as Jimmy

Robert Strange
as Merritt

Joe King
as Judge Shaw

Edmund Gwenn
as Dr. Evan Beaumont

Henry O'Neill
as Warner

Paul Harvey
as Blackstone

Joe Sawyer
as Trigger Smith

Eddie Acuff
as Betcha

Ruth Robinson
as Mrs. Shaw

Addison Richards
as Prison Warden

Kenneth Harlan
as Stephen Martin

Miki Morita
as Sako

Adrian Rosley
as Florist

Milton Kibbee
as Reporter (uncredited)

William "Wild Bill" Elliott
as 1st (American) Radio Announcer (uncredited)

Wade Boteler
as Cellist's Guard (uncredited)

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Critic Reviews for The Walking Dead

All Critics (3) | Top Critics (1)

Horror pictures are a staple commodity, and this one was taken from one of the better shelves.

Oct 18, 2016 | Full Review…

Frank S. Nugent
New York Times
Top Critic
Creaky but entertaining supernatural thriller about bringing back the dead.

Jul 29, 2012 | Rating: B- | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
In film after film, Karloff functioned as a wanderer in the shadow land between life and death. If the movies he inhabited sometimes were considered juvenile, the subject matter that motivated them couldn't have been more adult, more profound.

Feb 17, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

View All Critic Reviews (3)

Audience Reviews for The Walking Dead

Nov 03, 2009

Another excellent outing from Boris Karloff. He plays John Elman, a man framed for murder of a judge and then executed before evidence that could free him is discovered. Dr. Beaumont (Edmund Gwenn) has the means to bring Elman back to life through some Dr. Frankenstein-like experiments, and does so. Beaumont begins questioning Elman about what he saw and experienced "on the other side". Elman remembers little of his situation but sets out to avenge his execution against the men responsible. Karloff's character is very much like the Monster he made famous -- even his makeup job is similar, although much less severe. I had the same empathy for him in this film as in Frankenstein. But he could still make the hairs stand up on your neck -- Elman asking each man who framed him in his strange otherworldly lisp "Why did you have me executed?" was creepy as hell, as was Elman wandering through a cemetery saying "I belong here." RIcardo Cortez had his moments as the lawyer/racketeer responsbile for the Elman's framing. And Barton MacLane was..well... Barton MacLane. A first-class piece of filmmaking, courtesy of Michael Curtiz, who went on to direct Casablanca. As good as it is, I dropped a 1/2 star because of the cheezy last line about "our Lord God is a jealous god." Please. Was that really necessary?

Cindy I Super Reviewer
Oct 31, 2009

Take a gangster film and mix in a little horror, and you get The Walking Dead. Very atmospheric; shot beautifully. They definitely don't make movies like this anymore, nor could they without the excellent skills of Boris Karloff. He plays Elman with such heart, it just lures you in. A shortish film done at just the right pace.

nefnie l Super Reviewer