I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE - "She's Alive... Yet Dead" (1943)

This Saturday Night Halloween Countdown Special is an honest to dog true classic!

"I Walked With A Zombie" came out in 1943, and the world hasn't been safe from zombies ever since, thanx to Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur!

The quite lovely Frances (The Night Of June 13, If I Had A Million) Dee is a nurse in Canada named Betsy Connell. She has just got an offer to be a private nurse for some rich fellah's wife in the West Indies!

So why the Hell not, she takes the job, and off she goes! What a brave woman!

On the ship, Betsy meets a somber and negative man called Paul Holland, the husband of the woman she is to care for. Tom Conway is Paul Holland! Tom was "The Falcon" in at least ten movies, and he was also in Dungeon classics like "Atomic Submarine," and "Voodoo Woman."

The Holland home on the plantation is quite splendid, and the shutters everywhere create some wild lighting effects like this. "I Walked With A Zombie" was shot entirely in Hollywood, but you never really think about it while watching it!

"I Walked With A Zombie" has a strong female cast led by Frances Dee! On the poster her name is sandwiched in between the two male stars James Ellison and Tom Conway, but she is the star of the show without a doubt!

The role of Paul Holland's zombie wife goes to Christine Gordon as Jessica Holland in her first of only six credits. It's a strong female role in a completely different department!

Despite the extremely disturbing circumstances, Betsy Connell remains strong and dedicated to her job!

Christine Gordon remains in a hypnotic state for the whole film, because she is after all, a zombie!

Paul Holland's half brother is James (The Undying Monster, The Ghost Goes Wild) Ellison as Wesley Rand! He has a bit of a drinking problem!
In the background, the local troubadour as played by calypso singer Sir Lancelot creeps into the scene!

His God given name was Lancelot Victor Edward Pinard, so Sir Lancelot wasn't that far of a stretch!
He must have been doing something right because Sir Lancelot lived to the age of 98.

Here's a short classical musical moment of Sir Lancelot's performance courtesy of YouTube!

Another strong female role in this film is Theresa Harris as Alma the maid. It could have been a lowly role, but she brings it beauty and charm! Theresa had over 100 credits, which was a lot for a woman of this era, and almost incomprehensible for a black woman, and look at her, she's gorgeous!

 Another solid female part in this film is Edith Barrett as Mrs. Rand.
Here's what I learned while writing this, Edith Barrett was the wife of Vincent Price for ten years and the Mother of Vincent Barret Price. Sadly, booze and drugs destroyed her life!

So off they go to find out why Jessica is a such a messica!

From Alma's directions, Betsy leads Jessica to the Voodoo camp.

This is a killer lobby card from when they bump into the zombie guard!
Darby (White Cargo, Black Magic) Jones is probably the strongest, and most iconic of all the male characters in the film!

No happy ending here folks!
Even the zombie is saddened by the whole damned affair!

"I Walked With A Zombie" is only 69 minutes long, so there is absolutely no reason why every person alive or dead shouldn't see it at least once, especially this time of the year!


And then of course, this classic film inspired this classic song!
Hit It!

A CARTOONIST'S NIGHTMARE / Looney Tunes Horror Cartoon With Beans - 1935

Here's a great little WB cartoon from 1935, it's all about what can happen if you're a cartoonist working late at night... This is the first appearance of Beans The Cat where he teams up with the cartoonist to put some villains in their place, after they pull the artist into the cartoon with them!.. Happy Halloween Countdown!

Here's a look at the cartoon factory, where everyone's running around getting their work done before the whistle blows, bringing the day to an end.

I highly recommend the book "Termite Terrace" if you can find a copy, it's about the antics this group of artists from this time period pulled at Warner Bros. when they were at that original old run down studio, they named, Termite Terrace. You will not believe the pranks these clever guys and gals played on the executives! I give it a 10.

After the whistle blows, the employees quickly hurry out of the building. You'll notice Oliver Hardy there, but the last person with the artwork is actually Bob Clampett...

The night watchman makes his rounds and notices one cartoonist is working late. After a word with him, the watchman leaves and the artist just keeps on drawing...

He's working on a story about Beans, who is about to go up against a brutish demon character. The cartoonist is getting tired, so, he draws some bars to keep the monster away from our little hero while he catches a few winks...

The animator immediately falls asleep in his chair.

Then suddenly, the monster pulls the artist into the scene! After punching the guy a number of times, the thing drags his artistic nemesis into the room of Cartoon Villains.

And guess what's in store for him in that room... Right, many more punches!!

In the meantime, Beans gets a gift from a friend!

The monsters give the cartoonist a pencil and make him draw a deep hole! Then, they throw him in, only to be saved by a small tree branch... Watch yer keister bro!!

Beans shows up to save the day, he throws our guy a pencil and he draws a handy old ladder!

And, Beans has another plan, it has to do with grease. It must be good, see how adoringly he eyeballs that grease gun!.. Something very special indeed!

The plan works like greased lightning!! Zip, zop, they all slip and slide into the pit... Best part is when the cartoonist socks the demon monster right in the mush before it falls into the pit.

Now it's time to pull out his handy eraser and erase that freakin' pit away!

Well, the cartoonist shakes Bean's hand and all is well in cartoon land. Problem is that he was dreaming the whole time!

Our artist quickly grabs his pen and pulls the monster and prison bars back in...

Then, he draws a giant pile of ice cream for Beans to chow down on, for all the help he gave him in slumber land!

Join us again tomorrow when we will have more Halloween Countdown spookiness for you and them, here, at The Dungeon!!

POPEYE THE SAILOR - "Spooky Swabs" (1957)

Tonight's Haunted Hallowednesday feature is a Popeye cartoon from 1957!

The title is "Spooky Swabs," and if it spooks Popeye, who has had every possible type of horrific experience, then you know it's pretty stinkin' scary!

Popeye and Olive Oyl are lost at sea for some unknown reason. Kids don't care why, because that's not what the story is about.

The story is about they come across a large sailing ship and are saved!

The story is about the ship is haunted, and has been for a long time!

Unfortunately for Popeye and Olive Oyl, the ghosts are quite content, and don't wish to be disturbed!

Popeye and Olive are unphased at first!

Then the ghosts start playing dirty tricks on them!

They even have Olive walk the plank, but Popeye is able to save her!

Unfortunately she lands face first in a mop bucket!

The whole thing is starting to get to Olive a bit!

The ghosts decide to throw a full-fledged mutiny!

Luckily there was an urn of "Ye King's Spinach" on board for some reason!

Popeye downs the spinach and proceeds to kick a lot of ghost ass!

Olive stitches the ghosts together.....

.......And at least the good for nothing sons of bitches are good for something!

Oyl's well that ends well. Popeye just might get some tonight!

After the Fleischer Brothers were no longer running the show, and Bluto turned into Brutus, they totally lost me. By comparison, these cartoons were flat and dull, but I actually liked this one for some stupid reason!