I Walked with a Zombie (1943)

Director:

Jacques Tourneur

Writers:

Inez Wallace (story)
Curt Siodmak (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

30 April 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

See this strange, strange story of a woman whose lure set brother against brother; whose love caused hate - and whose beauty bowed to the will of an evil spell in whose power we must refuse to believe - EVEN IF IT'S TRUE!

Plot:

A young Canadian nurse (Betsy) comes to the West Indies to care for Jessica, the wife of a plantation manager (Paul Holland)...

Plot Keywords:

Voodoo | Nurse | Canadian | Love | West Indies

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

James Ellison	...	Wesley Rand
Frances Dee	...	Betsy Connell
Tom Conway	...	Paul Holland
Edith Barrett	...	Mrs. Rand
James Bell	...	Dr. Maxwell
Christine Gordon	...	Jessica Holland
Theresa Harris	...	Alma - Maid (as Teresa Harris)
Sir Lancelot	...	Calypso Singer
Darby Jones	...	Carrefour
Jeni Le Gon	...	Dancer (as Jeni LeGon)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Abrams	...	Clement (uncredited)
Doris Ake	...	Black female friend of Melise (uncredited)
Rita Christiani	...	Friend of Melise (uncredited)
Vivian Dandridge	...	Melisse (uncredited)
Alan Edmiston	...	Job Interviewer (uncredited)
Kathleen Hartfield	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Norman Mayes	...	Bayard (uncredited)
Jieno Moxzer	...	Sabreur (uncredited)
Clinton Rosemond	...	Coachman (uncredited)
Arthur Walker	...	Ti-Joseph (uncredited)
Martin Wilkins	...	Houngan (uncredited)
Melvin Williams	...	Baby (uncredited)

Directed by
Jacques Tourneur

Writing credits
Charlotte Brontë		(novel "Jane Eyre") uncredited
Inez Wallace		(story)
Curt Siodmak		(screenplay) and
Ardel Wray		(screenplay)

Produced by
Val Lewton	....	producer

Original Music by
Roy Webb

Cinematography by
J. Roy Hunt		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Mark Robson

Art Direction by
Albert S. D'Agostino
Walter E. Keller

Set Decoration by
A. Roland Fields		(as Al Fields)
Darrell Silvera

Makeup Department
Maurice Seiderman	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Dorfman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John C. Grubb	....	sound recordist
Terry Kellum	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
James G. Stewart	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director

Other crew
Lou L. Ostrow	....	supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1952) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Nostalgia Merchant, The (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Turner Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Turner Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

69 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:PG (TV rating) | Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1998) | USA:Approved (PCA #8949)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

The legal disclaimer at the end of the credits, which roll at the start of the film, makes light of the film's subject. The disclaimer states: "The characters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictional. Any similarity to actual persons, living, dead, or possessed, is purely coincidental."

Quotes:

Paul Holland: I want you back in Canada.

Movie Connections:

Remade as Ritual (2001/I)

Soundtrack:

Etude in E Op.10 No.3

Moody, Creepy Masterpiece

"I Walked With A Zombie" is a brilliant bit of film making. Based somewhat on the classic story of "Jane Eyre," "Zombie" takes us to the South Seas, where Nurse Betsy Connell arrives on a remote sugar plantation owned by the mysterious and reclusive Paul Holland. Betsy has been hired to care for Paul's wife Jessica, a catatonic beauty who wanders around in her nightgown a lot, looking (as the Sex Pistols once put it) Pretty Vacant. The locals whisper about zombies, believing that Jessica has been cursed and is now one of the living, walking dead. A calypso singer follows Nurse Betsy around a lot, providing her with clues in his catchy songs. Nurse Betsy, far from being a close-minded Westerner, becomes intrigued by the tales of zombies and is determined to learn the truth about Jessica's condition in hopes of curing the woman. She even bravely ventures into the cane fields in the dead of night, following the worlds creepiest looking native (a golf-ball eyed zombie-like man) to a voodoo ceremony with Jessica at her side.

Fans of Fulci zombies may be disappointed by the lack of gut-munching gore here. These zombies are not cadavers returned from the grave, half-rotted horrors shambling about looking for flesh to feast upon. These are traditional, mind-erased zombies, unfeeling, unthinking and unresponsive to anything. The atmosphere is wonderful, filled with great music, strong women and natives who look like the real thing. The love triangle quickly becomes a love square and the haunting conclusion is both shocking and grimly satisfying. Fans of the brilliant Tourneur won't be disappointed - his mark is all over this beautiful film, from beginning to end. It is one of his very best.