MartinHafer Monogram Studios was a very low-budget film company that had a knack for creating dumb movies that still were often entertaining. Cerebral? Never...but fun in a low-brow sort of way. So, if you are looking for William Shakespeare, keep looking for another studio. But, if you like schlocky Lugosi, Carradine or George Zucco films, then this is the studio for you! Here, we find John Carradine in a couple familiar roles--a mad scientist AND a Nazi!! But unlike the typical insane Nazi scientist, he has come up with a rather unique plan--to create an army of zombies! This way, they Third Reich will have super-soldiers who are impervious to pain and practically unstoppable. Being a really nice guy, he kills his own wife and reanimates her--he's THAT devoted to his goody cause. Into this weird little world of bizarre experiments come a group of do-gooders--including Monogram's king of scaredy-cats, Mantan Moreland. In this movie, Moreland basically plays the same guy he played in the Charlie Chan films--comic relief that occasionally actually helps despite himself! As I said above, this is NOT a film for the intellectually-minded and I am sure the Criterion Collection will NOT be releasing this film any time soon. The acting is occasionally quite bad, the plot silly and the whole thing makes no sense if you think about it....but it's an oddly satisfying B-movie if you like that sort of schlock! So, if you like schlock, then this is very good schlock!!

dbborroughs John Carradine, in one of his occasional starring roles from the 1940's, plays a mad doctor working in the Louisiana swamps on a method of creating zombies for the Nazi cause. In order to perfect his method he's gone so far as to turn his wife into one. Things get complicated when his wife's brother shows up with a detective nd doctor in tow. Worse still is the fact that his zombie bride seems to have a mind of her own.This is a mostly good horror mystery espionage thriller. For most of the films brief running time the film is a clever at and mouse game between the doctor and his guests. The trouble is that in the final fifteen minutes the film goes through so many gyrations of the plot that you'll swear that someone left a reel or two out the film. Its twist upon twist upon nonsensical turn. Its fine in the B movie way the film is constructed, but at the same time it considerably lessens what should have been a better film.Over all this is an amusing film (some nice comedy is provided by the great Mantan Moreland). Its definitely worth checking out if you run across it or can pick it up, as I did in the the bargain bin.

Robert J. Maxwell It's instructive to compare this tale of zombies in da bayou country being raised to provide Hitler with an indestructible army, with Val Lewton's almost contemporaneous production, "I Walked With a Zombie", over at RKO. Both are saddled with lurid title and a low budget. Both have a few recognizable names at the head of the cast. But "I Walked With a Zombie" is immeasurably better than this one because of the care that Lewton put into his minor masterpieces. "Revenge" seems to have been thrown together hastily, made up of comic, dramatic, and mystery elements -- something for the whole war time family including the half-dozen kids. Maybe ESPECIALLY the kids.The plot is absurd, naturally, but generally speaking the notion of zombies is kind of interesting from a cultural perspective. Think of it. A horde of mindless workers who never die, never eat, and never get paid. Slaves who don't mind their condition. It's the very model of a traditional agrarian society. Zombies provide labor-intensive enterprises with the rough and unskilled hands they need. It's no surprise that we associate zombies with the Caribbean and the Gulf Coast. That's where plantations of rice, sugar, cotton, and tobacco thrived.Oh, yes. The movie.All done by the numbers. Everything is pretty much rudimentary, from the photography to the direction by Steve Sekely and set dressing. John Carradine gives the only truly smooth performance. Gale Storm is cute but irrelevant. Mantan Moreland does his usual eye-bulging number but never gets around to saying, "Feets, don't fail me now!," which might have salvaged at least one scene.Otherwise, the acting is no better than you or I could do. Of course the performers get no help from the script but it would hardly matter. If you doubt it, stand in front of your bathroom mirror and recite this line, "Gentlemen, I think that it's imperative that we see no unholy rites are performed over Mrs. Altermann." If that particular line is troublesome, try this one. "Forgive me, Hair Doctor, but I can't believe you would turn your wife into a zombie." Well, it's not entirely without its virtues. The movie provided employment for a number of African-American actors and actresses outside the flourishing black cinema of the period.The skeleton in the closet -- the one called "Charlie" -- is actually a female. The pelvic girdles are the windows of the skeleton.

howdymax This movie is another example of the genius of Poverty Row studios, like Monogram, Republic, Mascot, etc. Who can argue with the kind of comedic mystery represented by Charlie Chan, The Purple Monster, The Tiger Woman, Radio Ranch, Rocket Man, and zombie movies like this.The plot has to do with a mad scientist who wants to create an army of zombie Storm Troopers to help the Nazi's conquer America. (Be sure to look for an early scene where the zombies are assembled and goose step in formation). I don't think we need to go any farther into the story. It is only important to realize that this is Saturday Matinee entertainment in it's purest form.It is one of the only forums where one can see the sinister elegance of a John Carradine, as well as the comic genius of a Mantan Moreland, all the while enjoying a virtual parade of second string pre-prime, and post-prime players. In this case we find Gale Storm (pre My Little Margie), and Bob Steele (post cowboy). A mute Veda Ann Borg, as the zombie wife, reminds us that her voice was as important as her acting. Speaking of Mantan Moreland; it is really too bad that PC guilt won't allow for the recognition he deserves.I urge anyone who is interested in a little Saturday entertainment to catch this little gem if you can. You won't be disappointed. If you like it, and I know you will, you might want to check out another called "The Whip Hand".