King of the Zombies – 1941
King of the Zombies has the distinction of not only being the only movie on this list but the only one to have an Academy Award nomination (Best Music). I don’t know how popular this film is, but I think its absolute delight and would go as far as to say it’s one of the great horror/comedy hybrids. I really do love it that much.
The film is very interesting in that it was made before the US enter WWII and yet it does sort of deal with the Nazis being the villain. At no point does the film come out and directly say the villain is a Nazi or a German but there are some hints dropped here and there. And even though the word Nazi is never used, King of the Zombies may be the first ever portrayal of “Nazi zombies.”
The cast is quite good with the likes of Dick Purcell and Joan Woodbury, but without question the film’s star is Mantan Moreland. Moreland is probably best known to horror fans for his brief role in Jack Hill’s Spider Baby but he was a vaudeville and Broadway performer who had a very successful career providing comic relief. Moreland had a way of taking humor that was offensive and turning it into something all his own.
I don’t know how popular a King of the Zombies release would be, but it’s something I’ve always hoped for and will continue to hope for.
Synopsis:
On a spooky island, three stranded travelers find an evil doctor working with foreign spies and in control of zombies.
