The Walking Dead (1936) starring Boris Karloff, Ricardo Cortez, Edmund Gwenn
Walking Dead 1936 is a Boris Karloff horror film, about a man, framed for murder and executed, brought back to life. Who now knows things …
Review
First off, The Walking Dead is not related to the recent TV series, comic books, video games, etc. Instead, it deals with a man — a musician — sentenced to death for a murder he didn’t commit. He’s a musician, previously wrongly sentenced to prison. Now that his conviction’s been overturned, he can’t find honest employment. So, in desperation, he takes a job watching the house of the judge that sentenced him to prison. What he doesn’t know is that he’s being set up as a fall guy …. And some gangsters murder the judge.
But you can’t kill me for something I didn’t do! You can’t!
— John Ellman
He’s tried for a crime he’s innocent of — for a second time. And the jury convicts him. Although a young couple — whose names he doesn’t know — could testify to his innocence. But they don’t “want to get involved”. Until he’s on death row … About to be executed. As a musician, his final request is to have beautiful music played as he’s walking the final mile. And the young couple decide to speak out — at the very last moment. But the execution’s not stopped in time! The first lethal dose of electricity’s already been administered. But, the additional voltage is stopped — although John Ellman’s technically dead.
But, the kindly Dr. Beaumont has an experimental procedure that he thinks can revive the dead Ellman. With the help of the young couple, he does exactly that. And succeeds. John Ellman’s literally returned from death. Initially, he’s in a mental fog, although they help him slowly get better. But the gangsters who set him up are worried that he can finger them. So, they plan to kill him … again.
Dr. Evan Beaumont: All I know is that for a short time the spirit of life left his body. Now, what happened during that transition? What effect did the experience of death have on his subconscious mind. Can he remember?
District Attorney Werner: Well, it’s rather a large order, doctor, and I’m afraid a bit beyond the province of law…
Dr. Evan Beaumont: …and beyond the province of science too, but it’s a challenge, and somewhere, I think, we’ll find the key to all this.
District Attorney Werner: If you do, I hope you’ll let me know.
But Ellman seems to know things since his revival, that he has no way of knowing. Especially about the men who framed him for murder …
Cast of characters
- Boris Karloff (The Mummy (1932), The Body Snatcher) … John Ellman
- Ricardo Cortez (West of Shanghai) … Nolan
- Edmund Gwenn (Them!, Between Two Worlds) … Dr. Evan Beaumont
- Marguerite Churchill (Dracula’s Daughter) … Nancy
- Warren Hull (The Green Hornet Strikes Again) … Jimmy
- Barton MacLane (The Mummy’s Ghost, The Big Street) … Loder
- Henry O’Neill (Marked Woman, Marked Woman) … District Attorney Werner
- Joe King (Alibi Ike) … Judge Roger Shaw
- Addison Richards (Edison the Man, The Mummy’s Curse) … Prison Warden
- Paul Harvey (High Sierra, The Petrified Forest) … Blackstone
- Robert Strange (Marked Woman) … Merritt
- Joe Sawyer (Gilda, Blondie’s Hero) … Trigger Smith
- Eddie Acuff (Blondie’s Big Moment) … Betcha
- Kenneth Harlan (The Corpse Vanishes, Marked Woman) … Stephen Martin
- Miki Morita … Sako
- Ruth Robinson … Mrs. Shaw
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