The Plague of the Zombies

The Plague of the Zombies
1966 theatrical poster
Directed by	John Gilling
Produced by	Anthony Nelson Keys
Written by	Peter Bryan
Starring	André Morell Diane Clare Brook Williams Jacqueline Pearce John Carson Alexander Davion
Music by	James Bernard
Cinematography	Arthur Grant
Editing by	Chris Barnes
Distributed by	Warner-Pathé (UK) 20th Century Fox (USA)
Release date(s)	January 9, 1966 (UK) January 12, 1966 (USA)
Running time	90 min.
Language	English

The Plague of the Zombies (1966) Hammer Horror film directed by John Gilling. It stars André Morell, John Carson, Jacqueline Pearce, Brook Williams and Michael Ripper. The film is notable for its seminal imagery, which influenced many films in the zombie genre, and its themes of colonialism, exploitation and tyranny.

Production

Production on the film began on 28 July 1965 at Bray Studios. It was shot back-to-back with The Reptile using the same sets, a Cornish village created on the backlot by Bernard Robinson.

Plot

In a Cornish village during the mid-1800s, the inhabitants of the town are dying from a mysterious plague that seems to be spreading at an accelerated rate. Even the local doctor, Peter Thompson, cannot combat the disease. Alarmed, Thompson sends for outside help from his friend Sir James Forbes. Accompanying Sir James is his daughter Sylvia. In an attempt to learn more about the disease, Sir James and Dr. Thompson disinter the corpses that were recently buried. To their surprise, the men find all the coffins empty! Conducting further investigations on the mystery lead the doctors to encounter zombies walking near an old, deserted tin mine on the estate of Squire Clive Hamilton. Sir James is informed that the squire lived in Haiti for several years and practiced voodoo rituals, as well as black magic. This information leads him to research on the subject of the black arts.

Later that evening, Squire Hamilton pays Sylvia a visit. Purposely, Hamilton manages to shatter a wine glass, and Sylvia happens to cut her finger on one of the sharp edges of the glass. Secretly, the Squire conceals a piece a piece of the blood-stained glass into his coat pocket and departs. With a vestige of Sylvia's blood, Hamilton uses his voodoo magic to lure the heroine into venturing in the dark woods. She is led to the abandoned tin mine by an army of walking zombies for a voodoo ceremony that will transform her into one of the walking dead.

While Thompson follows Sylvia to the mines, Sir James investigates the Squire's house and finds some small figures in coffins the Squire uses for his voodoo. After a struggle with one of the Squire's henchmen the room is accidentally set ablaze, Sir James barely managing to escape after threatening a servant who notices the inferno for information on the mine . He races to the mines to join Thompson, while in the mansion the figures in the coffins catch fire, causing their zombie counterparts to do the same and go crazy. Using the distraction caused by the burning crazed zombies Sir James and the doctor rescue Sylvia and flee from the burning flames as they listen to the anguished screams of Hamilton and his zombies; thus the plague is ended.

Novelization

A novelization of the film was written by John Burke as part of his 1967 book The Second Hammer Horror Film Omnibus.

Cast

• André Morell as Sir James Forbes
• Diane Clare as Sylvia Forbes
• Brook Williams as Dr. Peter Tompson
• Jacqueline Pearce as Alice Mary Tompson
• John Carson as Squire Clive Hamilton
• Alexander Davion as Denver (as Alex Davion)
• Michael Ripper as Sergeant Jack Swift
• Marcus Hammond as Tom Martinus
• Dennis Chinnery as Constable Christian
• Louis Mahoney as Coloured Servant
• Roy Royston as Vicar
• Ben Aris as John Martinus
• Tim Condren as Young blood
• Bernard Egan as Young blood
• Norman Mann as Young blood
• Francis Willey as Young blood
• Jerry Verno as Landlord

References

• Rigby, Jonathan, (2000). English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema. Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. ISBN 1-903111-01-3. 

External links

• The Plague of the Zombies at the Internet Movie Database
• The Plague of the Zombies at AllRovi
• Dictionary of Hammer Horror commentary