White Zombie: Birth of the Living Dead in 1932

On July 30th in film and cinema history, one significant event took place in 1932 with the premiere of the movie "White Zombie" at the Rialto Theatre in New York City. This film is considered to be the first feature-length zombie movie ever made and has since become a cult classic.

Directed by Victor Halperin and starring Bela Lugosi, "White Zombie" tells the story of a young couple, Madeleine and Neil, who travel to Haiti to get married. However, their plans are disrupted when a wealthy plantation owner, Charles Beaumont, becomes infatuated with Madeleine and enlists the help of a Haitian voodoo master named Murder Legendre (played by Lugosi) to turn her into a zombie.

Bela Lugosi, who had previously gained fame for his iconic role as Dracula in the 1931 film, delivered a mesmerizing performance as the sinister Murder Legendre. His portrayal of the voodoo master was both chilling and captivating, cementing his status as a horror movie icon.

The film's production was a low-budget affair, with a budget of only $50,000. Despite this, "White Zombie" managed to create an eerie and atmospheric setting that effectively conveyed the sense of dread and horror that permeated the story. The use of shadows, fog, and haunting music added to the overall macabre ambiance.

Although "White Zombie" received mixed reviews upon its initial release, it has since been recognized as a pioneering work in the zombie horror subgenre. The film's depiction of zombies as mindless, enslaved beings under the control of a voodoo master set the stage for future zombie movies and has influenced countless filmmakers in the decades that followed.

One of the most notable aspects of "White Zombie" is its exploration of the theme of colonialism and the exploitation of the Haitian people. The film portrays the wealthy white plantation owner as a symbol of colonial oppression, while the Haitian characters, including Murder Legendre, are depicted as mysterious and exotic, playing into the stereotypes of the time.

Despite its flaws and the limitations of its era, "White Zombie" remains an important piece of cinema history. It paved the way for the zombie genre and showcased the talents of Bela Lugosi in yet another memorable role. The film's legacy can be seen in the countless zombie movies, television shows, and other forms of media that have emerged in the decades since its release.

In conclusion, the premiere of "White Zombie" on July 30th, 1932, marked a significant moment in film and cinema history. As the first feature-length zombie movie, it laid the groundwork for a genre that would captivate audiences for generations to come, and its influence can still be felt in the horror films of today.


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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to this moment in film history, and let's get
rolling and find out what happened in film on July thirtieth.
In film and cinema history, one significant event took place
in nineteen thirty two with the premiere of the movie
White Zombie at the Rialto Theater in New York City.
This film is considered to be the first feature length

(00:22):
zombie movie ever made and has since become a cult classic.
Directed by Victor Halperin and starring Bela Lugosi, m White
Zombie tells the story of a young couple Madeleine Emil
who travel to Haiti to get married. However, their plans
are disrupted when a wealthy plantation owner, Charles Beaumont, becomes

(00:43):
infatuated with Madeline and enlists the help of a Haitian
voodoo master named Murder Legendre played by Legosi, to turn
her into a zombie. Bela Lugosi, who had previously gained
fame for his iconic role as Dracula in the nineteen
thirty one film, delivered a mesmerizing performance as the sinister
Murder Legendrey. His portrayal of the voodoo master was both

(01:06):
chilling and captivating. Cementing his status as a horror movie icon.
The film's production was a low budget affair, with the
budget of only fifty thousand dollars. Despite this, White Zombie
managed to create an eerie and atmospheric setting that effectively
conveyed the sense of dread and horror that permeated the story.

(01:26):
The use of shadows, fog, and haunting music added to
the overall macawb bombiance. Although White Zombie received mixed reviews
upon its initial release, it has since been recognized as
a pioneering work in the zombie horror subgenre. The film's
depiction of zombies as mindless, enslaved beings under the control

(01:47):
of a voodoo master set the stage for future zombie
movies and has influenced countless filmmakers in the decades that followed.
One of the most notable aspects of White Zombie is
its exploration of the theme of colonialism and the exploitation
of the Haitian people. The film portrays the wealthy white
plantation owner as a symbol of colonial oppression, while the

(02:10):
Haitian characters, including murder Legendrey, are depicted as mysterious and exotic,
playing into the stereotypes of the time. Despite its flaws
and the limitations of its era, White Zombie remains an
important piece of cinema history. It paved the way for
the zombie genre and showcased the talents of Bela Lugosi

(02:30):
and yet another memorable role. The film's legacy can be
seen in the countless zombie movies, television shows, and other
forms of media that have emerged in the decades since
its release. In conclusion, the premiere of White Zombie on
July thirtieth, nineteen thirty two marked a significant moment in
film and cinema history. As the first feature length zombie movie,

(02:52):
it laid the groundwork for a genre that would captivate
audiences for generations to come, and its influence can still
be felt in the horror films of to day. And
that is cut for this day in film history. This
has been a Quiet Please production. For more check out
Quiet Please Dot A. I thank you for listening.