Movie Review: Revolt of the Zombies

Revolt of the Zombies 

Starring:  Dorothy Stone, Dean Jagger, Roy D'Arcy, Robert Noland, George Cleveland, E. Alyn Warren, Carl Stockdale, Teru Shimada
Director: Victor Halperin
Edward Halperin Productions, Victor Halperin Productions, Academy Pictures Distributing Corporation, USA, 1936.

Also this movie is part of Horror Movie 50 movie pack box published by Mill Creek Entertainment.

The opening music is not particularly scary, in fact it is quite perky. The film is set in the First World War. Regiment of French Cambodians are located near Angkor on the Franco-Austrian Frontier. There are reports about human robots or zombies. An Oriental monk (William Crowell) is experimenting on zombie soldiers. He tells that Angkor was built by zombies. The generals get scared of such an terrible power. The priest is imprisoned for life so that he can not use his skills. General Mazovia (Roy D'Arcy) murders the priest and takes the partial instructions for zombie creation. 

Zombie master monk

Zombie warfare

Villainous General Mazovia

After the war an expedition goes to Angkor and tries to find and destroy the formula. The group consists of General Mazovia, Dr. Trevissant (E. Alyn Warren), Armand Louque (Dean Jagger), Clifford Grayson Robert Noland), General Duval (George Cleveland) and his daughter Claire (Dorothy Stone). Armand falls in love with Claire and they get engaged. However also Clifford is in love with Claire and the engagement is broken. Armand still wants Claire back.

General's daughter Claire Duval

Claire and Armand at Angkor

Clifford Grayson

Claire and Cliff get engaged. Armand gets a nervous breakdown. He translates the texts of Angkor engravings and finds instructions for zombie ceremony. The instructions are not complete so he needs more information.

Cliff and Claire fall in love

Armand gets a nervous break-down

Instructions for making zombies

There is a secret temple under the Angkor where monks conduct rituals. Armand goes there without permission to find more instructions. Mazovia spies on him. Dr. Trevissant fires Armand for neglecting his duty. Armand wants to succeed and to drive straight to his objective, ruthlessly if needed. He tries the zombie formula on his servant Buna (Teru Shimada). Buna becomes a zombie. "Buna, We are learning to be ruthless" says Armand.

Armand testing zombie formula

Buna is zombified

General Duval sends Clifford away for an unexpected mission although Clifford's and Claire's wedding would be soon (possibly Duval is zombified at this stage or then it is only wooden acting). Mazovia finds out about Armand's new skills. Mazovia wants to take over the world using zombies. Armand commands Buna to kill Mazovia. Armand makes a huge zombie army and turns Dr. Trevissant and other people into zombies. 

Zombified Buna strangles Mazovia

Armand gives an ultimatum: either Claire marries Armand and Clifford goes back to England unharmed or ad things will happen. Claire agrees to marry Armand but Armand brokes his promise and turns Clifford into a zombie too. Armand's philosophical mentor MacDonald (Carl Stockdale) however does not approve what Armand has done. To gain Claire's true love Armand agrees to free all the zombies. The released victims are not happy and revolt (hence the movie's title) and Armand gets his just deserts.

MacDonald does not approve

The movie is of pre-Romero era, so the zombies are classic voodoo type zombies. This means that the zombies are drugged and hypnotized slaves and not cannibals. In the beginning there is some cool zombie trench warfare. Bela Lugosi's eyes were used in scenes where zombie powers were used. The movie is more of an romantic triangle drama than a horror film. The movie starts quite promising but turns into boring melodrama. Only at the end it gets a bit better. The Halperins made earlier a better movie White Zombie, that had almost similar plot setting.

Bela Lugosi's eyes

Rating: Bad