Talk:White Zombie (film)/GA1

GA Review

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Reviewer: LittleMissWikipoo (talk) 20:13, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

This is one of my favorite movies! First, I think you need a Themes section. What is this movie about (besides the obvious)? Is there a psychological, archetypal resonance about this film? Please develop a themes section? I'm going to start with a copyedit sort of thing and will take the article section by section. Looks good!

If I can find any information about it. I don't know how much can be added. Remember, this is for a simple GA not FA! :) Andrzejbanas (talk) 21:25, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

I hope you do. All films are about something. In this one a missionary defeats Murder. Is this about Christianity triumphing over Death or something? Madeleine falls into trance. Psychologically, is she avoiding marriage? She comes around after her lover "proves" himself a man by going to great and dangerous lengths to rescue her. See what I mean? Do you have the author's name for the play "Zombie"? Include it. More later! LittleMissWikipoo (talk) 06:00, 1 December 2009 (UTC)

I've revised the article (see below). You can use or reject. Here are some suggestions to improve the article.

• Try to avoid constantly using the words "film" (or "the film's"), White Zombie, and "includes/included/including" over and over again. Overuse of these words becomes dulling.
• Start with a background or context section about American perceptions of Haiti and zombiism. The Rhodes book has something on this.
• Keep the "plot" section brief and focus on the main thread. The film is about Madeleine; write from her point of view. Details like driving a coach down the road are unnecessary.
• Develop the cast/characters section by giving a "plot summary" sort of thingie for each character. Move the real world stuff to this section about the performers' salaries.
• I've severely condensed the "production" section and deleted the pic which IMO says nothing.
• The "critical responses" section can also be pruned. Keep some bad reviews and some good reviews and all the overseas reviews.
• Use the critical review about the fairy tale aspect of the film as a "themes" section.
• Check my citation style. You don't need to include publication date when you have one source by a particular author. Rhodes is an example. You can forgo the "p." and "pp." business and just list the page number like this: Rhodes 28. Save yourself some keystrokes. They're taking a toll on your keyboard.
• Categories should be alphabetized and references alphabetized by author rather than title.
• This is a good article but can use some content upgrade, revision, and prose tightening. My revision needs some work but I thought I'd get it up here for your consideration before we go further. LittleMissWikipoo (talk) 18:55, 1 December 2009 (UTC)

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White Zombie
Directed by	Victor Halperin
Written by	Story and Dialogue: Garnett Weston
Produced by	Edward Halperin
Starring	Madge Bellamy Joseph Cawthorn Robert Frazer John Harron Béla Lugosi
Cinematography	Arthur Martinelli
Edited by	Harold McLernon
Music by	Guy Bevier Williams Xavier Cugat
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	July 28, 1932 (1932-07-28)
Running time	67 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

White Zombie is a Template:Fy American independent horror film directed and produced by brothers Victor Halperin and Edward Halperin respectively. The screenplay by Garnett Weston tells the story of a young woman's transformation into a zombie and her eventual release. The film stars Madge Bellamy as the young woman, John Harron as her lover, Robert Frazer as a wealthy Haitian, Béla Lugosi as a zombie master, and Joseph Cawthorn as a missionary. Large portions of the film were shot on the Universal Studios lot with scenery and furnishings rented from other horror films of the era.

White Zombie opened in New York to critical complaints about the film's over-the-top story and weak performances. Although the film did poorly at the box office, it made a substantial profit as an independent feature. Modern critics praise the film's atmosphere and make positive comparisons with Val Lewton's horror films of the 1940s but still give the acting a thumbs-down. White Zombie is considered the first zombie film and was followed in 1936 by a Halperin-directed sequel, Revolt of the Zombies.

Plot

Haitian plantation owner Charles Beaumont suffers an obsessive love for Madeleine Short, the fiancée of his agent Neil Parker. He enters a plot with zombie master Murder Legendre to gain her love. Immediately following Madeleine's marriage to Neil, Legendre places her in a death-like state and spirits her away to his castle with Beaumont's connivance. Lusting for the young woman himself, Legendre rids himself of his rival Beaumont by weakening him with poison. Parker and his missionary friend Dr. Bruner are led to Legendre's castle in their quest to recover Madeleine and there free her from Legendre's power. The zombie master, his zombie slaves, and Beaumont fall to their deaths from the castle parapet.

Cast

• Bela Lugosi as Murder Legendre, a zombie master
• Madge Bellamy as Madeleine Short, the fiancée and later the wife of Neil Parker
• John Harron as Neil Parker, Madeleine's fiance and later her husband
• Joseph Cawthorn as Dr. Bruner, a missionary
• Robert Frazer as Charles Beaumont, a Haitian plantation owner
• Brandon Hurst as Silver, a butler in Beaumont's home
• Annette Stone as a maid in Beaumont's home
• George Burr Macannan as Von Gelder, a zombie
• Frederick Peters as Chauvin, a zombie
• John Printz as Ledot, a zombie
• Dan Crimmins as Pierre, a zombie

Production

White Zombie went into development early in 1932 with the Halperin brothers leasing office space from Universal Studios in January and producer Phil Goldstone securing financial backing for the film. The Broadway play Zombie provided the film's inspiration and was radically overhauled for the film. Filming transpired over eleven days in March 1932, mostly at the Universal Studios lot with location shoots at Bronson Canyon.

Lugosi, who had recently achieved superstardom in Dracula, was cast as the zombie master, Murder Legendre. Sources vary about his salary but claims range from US$500 to $800–$900, and as much as $5,000. Joseph Cawthorn, known for providing comic relief in his stage and screen roles, was cast as Dr. Bruner. Madge Bellamy's career had taken a nose-dive before she was offered the role of Madeline for $5,000, and Robert W. Frazer (also suffering career doldrums) was cast as the wealthy Charles Beaumont. Reactions to superstar Lugosi on the set were mixed. Madge Bellamy had positive recollections, stating that working with him was "very pleasant" but assistant cameraman Enzo Martinelli said, "Lugosi wasn't really a friendly type".

Like some of the cast, some of the production crew were experiencing career down-swings. Lead cinematographer Arthur Martinelli had known better days working with superstars John Barrymore and Mary Pickford and settled for relative unknowns and has-beens in White Zombie. Set designer Ralph Berger was forced to accept rented sets from Universal Studios such as the great halls from Dracula, pillars and an exterior balcony from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the corridors from Frankenstein, and chairs from The Cat and the Canary.

White Zombie was the first film credit for set designer Berger, assistant director William Cody, and sound director L. E. "Pete" Clark. Make-up artist Jack Pierce applied Lugosi's make-up for the film and gained fame for his work in Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, and The Mummy.

Music

The music in White Zombie draws from obscure works: Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition", Gaston Borch's "Incidental Symphonies", and Hugo Riesenfeld's "Death of the Great Chief". Other music includes works of Richard Wagner, H. Maurice Jacquet, Leo Kempenski, and Franz Liszt. The wordless vocals and drumming heard at the opening is titled "Chant" and was created by Universal Studios employee Guy Bevier Williams who specialized in ethnic music.

Release

White Zombie faced distribution problems from the get-go. Columbia Studios, Universal, and Educational Pictures were all thwarted by various complications. The film's first cut was previewed in New York City on June 16, 1932 and won some critical enthusiasm. Following further complications and delays, it was finally released by United Artists in late July 1932.

The first cut of White Zombie had a running time of 74 minutes while the regular distribution prints were clocked at 69 minutes. The running time was cut further when shown on television in the 1950s to running times as brief as 55 minutes. The film's public domain status allowed anyone to copy and sell it without having to obtain rights to the film.

Critical response

On the film's premiere in New York, most film critics gave White Zombie negative reviews that focused on poor acting and an over-the-top storyline. William Boehnel of the New York World-Telegram stated: "The plot...is really ridiculous, but not so startlingly so as the acting." Thornton Delehaney of the New York Evening Post wrote that the "the story tries to out–Frankenstein Frankenstein, and so earnest is it in its attempt to be thrilling that it overreaches its mark all along the line and resolves into an unintentional and often hilarious comedy." Irene Thirer of the New York Daily News wrote "Many fantastic and eerie scenes are evolved, but most of them border on ludicrous".

Industry trade reviews were more positive at the premiere. The Film Daily wrote that "It rates with the best of this type of film [...] Bela Lugosi is very impressive and makes the picture worthwhile". Harrison's Reports wrote that the film "is certainly not up to the standards of Dracula or Frankenstein, but the types of audience that go for horror pictures will enjoy it". In national media outlets the film's reception was generally negative. Frederic Smith of Liberty magazine wrote "If you do not get a shock out of this thriller, you will get one out of the acting". A reviewer wrote in Commonweal that White Zombie is "interesting only in measure of its complete failure". In the January 1933 issue of Vanity Fair, Pare Lorentz mentioned the film in their "Worst Movie of 1932" article, stating that there is a "Terrific deadlock with Blonde Venus holding a slight lead over White Zombie, Bring 'Em Back Alive, and Murders in the Rue Morgue". In the United Kingdom, press was also generally negative. The Kinematograph Weekly wrote that the film was "quite well acted, and has good atmosphere" but also that the film was "not for the squeamish or the highly intelligent". The Cinema News and Property Gazette wrote that the film was for the "less sophisticated" and that the "exaggerated treatment of the subject achieves reverse effect to thrill or conviction". Years after the film's release, director Victor Halperin stated a great distaste for his horror films. Halperin felt it was wrong to create them due to their content, stating that "I don't believe in fear, violence, and horror, so why traffic in them?"

Modern critical reception has been generally mixed, with critics praising the film's atmosphere while deprecating the acting. Time Out London wrote, "Halperin shoots this poetic melodrama as trance; insinuating ideas and images of possession, defloration, and necrophilia into a perfectly stylised design, with the atmospherics conjuring echoes of countless resonant fairytales. The unique result constitutes a virtual bridge between classic Universal horror and the later Val Lewton productions." TV Guide gave the film three and a half stars out of four, stating that the film "creates a sense of nightmarish foreboding and dreamy disorientation [...] rivaled only by Carl Dreyer's masterpiece Vampyr (1931) [...] [the Halperins] handling of actors is woefully inadequate. With the exception of Bela Lugosi, who turns in one of his finest performances, most of the acting [...] is weak." Edward G. Bansk, the author of Fearing the Dark wrote "White Zombie is not an unqualified masterpiece. The acting is stilted, the timing is off and certain aspects of the film are haphazard and sloppy" and "[e]ven Lugosi is off the mark now and then; the silent pauses between his lines last entirely too long. Although White Zombie is a film with courage, a film difficult not to admire, its ambitions overstep competence of its principal players".

Box office

White Zombie opened on July 28, 1932 in New York City's Rivoli theater to a mixed reception, but proved a great financial success in the end and brought director Halperin a Paramount Studios contract. During 1933-34, the film scored big in small town America, and in Germany as Flucht von der Teufelsinsel (Curse of the Devil's Island), was one of the few American horror films to be approved and released by the Nazis.

Opening on July 29, 1932 in Providence, Rhode Island and Indianapolis, Indiana, the film grossed $9,900 and $5,000 respectively following one-week engagements. Frankenstein and other contemporary horror films had grossed more in Providence, and the Indianapolis theater "wasn't too happy with White Zombie, but what audiences saw it were pleased enough." In Cleveland, Ohio in August, Zombie sold a record 16,728 tickets its first weekend.

In Montreal, Canada, the film opened August 3 at the Princess Theater. The façade had been transformed into a "House of the Living Dead" and "zombies" walked atop the marquee. Despite the gimmicks, the film failed to gross its estimated $8,000 and realized only $6,500 following a one-week run. In comparison, Dracula had grossed $14,000 at Montreal's Palace Theater during its first week in March 1931.

Home media

White Zombie was transferred from poor quality prints to VHS and Betamax in the 1980s, and released to DVD by K-Tel, Alpha Video, and other companies. The movie has been bundled in box sets with miscellaneous Lugosi vehicles or various zombie-themed flicks. Some believe the Roan Archival Group DVD version the best in quality.

Legacy

White Zombie has been described as "the archetype and model of all zombie movies". Not many early films about zombies incorporated their Haitian origins, but relied instead on resurrection of the dead or mixed zombie mythology. In 1936, White Zombie was followed by the Victor Halperin-directed sequel, Revolt of the Zombies. Béla Lugosi was considered for the role of villain Armand Louque, but the part went to Dean Jagger. Cinematographer Arthur Martinelli and producer Edward Halperin returned for the proceedings. Modern critical response to Revolt is generally unfavorable. Glenn Kay wrote, "[T]here's no experimentation here, only dull composition shots and flatly lit shots of yakking characters in a by-the-numbers plot." Hal Erikson rated White Zombie three stars out of five, and gave Revolt a lower one star rating stating, "Revolt of the Zombies unfortunately isn't nearly as good [as White Zombie]".

Notes

References

• Bansak, Edmund G. (2003). Fearing the Dark: The Val Lewton Career. McFarland. ISBN 0786417099. Retrieved 6 October, 2009. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
• Kay, Glenn (2008). Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 1556527705. Retrieved 3 October, 2009. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
• Prawer, Siegbert Salomon (1989). Caligari's Children: The Film as Tale of Terror. Da Capo Press. ISBN 030680347X. Retrieved 6 October, 2009. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
• Rhodes, Gary Don (2001). White Zombie: Anatomy of a Horror Film. McFarland. ISBN 0786409886. Retrieved 3 October, 2009. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

External links

• White Zombie at AllMovie
• White Zombie is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
• White Zombie at IMDb
• White Zombie at Rotten Tomatoes

Reply

Whoa, that prunes a lot though! There are some issues with your review though. WP:FILMCAST says "Try to avoid using the section as a repository for further "in-universe" that really belongs in the plot summary." so I don't think more cast information belongs there. I would've added this information to the cast section in the first place, but outside the leads in the film, I can not find references to other cast members. Much information that has been found on over the year has been proven wrong by "White Zombie: Anatomy of a Horror Film" book and even in the information in that book is often "suggested" rather then being factual.

I do not think the Music section is needed for a section of it's own. MOS:FILM says to place that information in the production section. I've also found some information about the Halperin's style I'd like to implement, namely that they created charts and graphs to make a perfect formula for films as well as the lawsuit brought against them byby Webb, the creator of the play Zombie. Andrzejbanas (talk) 19:39, 1 December 2009 (UTC)