Creature of the Walking Dead

Creature of the Walking Dead is a 1965 horror film adapted by Jerry Warren from a 1961[4] Mexican horror film La Marca del Muerto, which translates as Mark of the Dead Man. The original Mexican film was directed by Fernando Cortés, written by Alfredo Varela Jr., and released in Mexico on October 12, 1961.[5] The special effects was handled by Nicholas Reye.[6]

Creature of the Walking Dead
Directed byJerry Warren
Produced byAlfredo Ripstein hijo
Jerry Warren
Written byJosé María Fernández Unsáin (plot)
Alfredo Varela Jr. (screenplay)[1]
StarringRock Madison
Ann Wells
George Todd
Willard Gross
Bruno VeSota
Lloyd Nelson
Katherine Victor
Music byGustavo César Carrión
CinematographyEnrique Wallace
Edited byJorge Busto
Jerry Warren
Production
company
Jerry Warren Productions Inc.
Distributed byA.D.P. Pictures Inc.
Release date
June 15, 1965[2]
Running time
74 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Dr. Malthus (Fernando Casanova), a 19th-century mad scientist, discovers the secret of eternal youth by means of draining the blood of young women into his subjects. He is hung for his crimes, but his grandson (who looks just like him) inherits his home and revives him from the dead. Malthus then resumes his rejuvenation activities using himself as the subject and enabled by the grandson, who procures healthy young victims they can bleed. Fernando Casanova played both the mad scientist Dr. Malthus and his grandson in a dual role.

Cast

plus cast members of the original Mexican film:

  • Fernando Casanova as Dr. Malthus and his grandson (dual role)
  • Aurora Alvarado
  • Rosa María Gallardo
  • Hortensia Santonena
  • Pedro d'Aguillón
  • Edmundo Espino[7]
  • Sonia Furio[8]

Production

Warren's contribution to the U.S. version of the film consisted of extensive editing, some dubbing of the Mexican players in select scenes, voice-over narration over most of the Mexican footage, and the inclusion of several brief scenes filmed by Warren in the United States with American actors. The Americanized version was released on June 15, 1965.[9]

Warren wrote actor Bruno Ve Sota into the film as a police inspector in the added American footage, and added some scenes starring Katherine Victor as a fortune teller conducting a seance. Although a "Rock Madison" was given top billing in the credits, modern sources state that "Rock Madison" was just a fake name made up by Jerry Warren to make his casts seem larger.[10][11]

Reception

On his website Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings, Dave Sindelar gave the film a negative review, criticizing the film's dialogue, and poor editing which Sindelar felt ruined any build-up of drama and tension.[12]

Fred Olen Ray said "Whenever the original Spanish cast members are called upon to speak, we are treated to a constant stream of voice-over narration, supplied by the grandson, who conveniently explains what they are saying....Bruno Ve Sota, receiving one of cinema's longest arm massages, rattles on incessantly....It is maddening."[13]

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See also

References
  1. https://www.lavanguardia.com/cartelera/peliculas/la-marca-del-muerto-m-1361175
  2. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/623206/Creature-of-the-Walking-Dead/
  3. Ray, Fred Olen (1991). "The New Poverty Row". McFarland and Co. Inc. ISBN 0-89950-628-3. Page 22
  4. https://www.lavanguardia.com/cartelera/peliculas/la-marca-del-muerto-m-1361175
  5. https://www.lavanguardia.com/cartelera/peliculas/la-marca-del-muerto-m-1361175
  6. Ray, Fred Olen (1991). "The New Poverty Row". McFarland and Co. Inc. ISBN 0-89950-628-3. Page 22
  7. Ray, Fred Olen (1991). "The New Poverty Row". McFarland and Co. Inc. ISBN 0-89950-628-3. Page 22
  8. https://www.lavanguardia.com/cartelera/peliculas/la-marca-del-muerto-m-1361175
  9. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/623206/Creature-of-the-Walking-Dead/
  10. Maltin, Leonard (22 July 2018). "Turner Classic Movies Presents Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide". Penguin – via Google Books.
  11. "Man Beast (1956) - Notes". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  12. Sindelar, Dave. "Creature of the Walking Dead (1965)". FantasticMovieMusings.com. Dave Sindelar. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  13. Ray, Fred Olen (1991). "The New Poverty Row". McFarland and Co. Inc. ISBN 0-89950-628-3. Page 14
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