I had a hankering for more Sally the Zombie Cheerleader's School of Horror, in particular material headlined by Bela Lugosi, since the flesh-feasting hostess' Vampire Over London tribute (see 5/13/26 post) proved such a bloody delight. And so, what should I find? Well, none other than Sally's enlightening seminar on one of the all-time greats, White Zombie.
For the record, the episode is an older one, where Sally's ghastly origin is shared and pre-SkeleKat guest stars, Zombette, Mr. Hairy Hand and cooking guru, Morbid Stew, give their fiendish hellos and adieus. The content, however, is fresh across the morbid chalkboard, and it's amazing how well White Zombie holds up. Then again, White Zombie isn't called a classic for nothing.
The 1932, indie release was directed by Victor Halperin, who coproduced with his brother Edward, and written by Garnet Weston. To assure its success, it was filmed on leftover, Universal sets, which (beyond Lugosi's evident, magnetic draw) is likely why it captures the creepy feel of such moody influencers as Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy.
In addition to its haunting ambiance, White Zombie introduces many tropes that still characterize living-dead pictures, though in its case, there's a macabre, Svengali-motivated marriage at its voodoo-plagued heart: A young lady is forced to die so that she may become a zombie bride.
The cast does a wonderful job bringing the content to unnerving life, with Lugosi nothing short of mesmerizing as Murder Legendre, the undead's conniving master. He's joined by Madge Bellamy (the film's leading, zombie lady), along with Robert Foster, John Harron, George Burr Macannon, Brandon Hurst, Frederick Peters ... and Joseph Cawthorn. On the whole, the ensemble creates an urbane spookiness that further presses the implied, Universal charm.
Sally embroiders the feature with silly skits and meritorious insights (e.g. the movie's vicious vulture isn't quite what it seems) and in so doing, keeps her studious Fleshies attentive and pleased.
If one desires a lesson in old-school, Haitian lore, Sally the Zombie Cheerleader's School of Horror: White Zombie is formulated to hit the Lugosi-eyed spot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVV0W3wjjXU
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