Uriah43 In order to dispose of an honest judge a small group of racketeers hire a local gunman to kill him and then set up a recently released convict named "John Ellman" (Boris Karloff) to take the fall. Sure enough, John Ellman is convicted and then sent to the electric chair due in large part because of two witnesses named "Jimmy" (Warren Hull) and his girlfriend "Nancy" (Marguerite Churchill) who wait too long to come forward. Fortunately, a physician named "Dr. Beaumont" (Edmund Gwenn) comes up with a novel idea to bring John Ellman back to life even though he has been dead for several hours. Although his plan succeeds there is something much different about John which nobody can quite seem to figure out. Now rather than reveal any more of the plot and risk spoiling this movie for those who haven't seen it I will just say that for a short, relatively low-budget motion picture produced in 1936 this film turned out to be quite good all things considered. I especially liked the performances of Boris Karloff and to a lesser degree that of Marguerite Churchill along with the nifty (albeit now antique) cars used in this movie. Be that as it may, I enjoyed this film and rate it as above average.

Zoooma Excellent little horror film directed by the amazingly talented Michael Curtiz, the same man who would later give up Casablanca amongst many other classic films.The story is a genre mashup of gangster and horror and at only about 1 hour 5 minutes, there isn't much time to lag. With such a skilled eye behind the camera, we are treated to a film that does not bore.Boris Karloff is the star and he does such a great job of bringing fright to the picture. For someone interested in the acting of Karloff or the films of Curtiz, this is a must see!7.0 / 10--A Kat Pirate Screener

blitzebill this is an interesting film but it has holes in the story.this is not a zombie film.Karloff gets his vengeance but it comes at times without a clear explanation. for instance, when Karloff suddenly appears in the boarding house where his first victim is, how does Karloff know to go there? how did he remember this person?has he been holding out on the doctor when he was queried about being able to remember his past?or has Karloff developed another capability when he was brought back to life? the ability to read minds and know the whereabouts of the people he seeks to destroy?not a sixth sense but maybe ESP or something psychic.this holds true as well for his second victim at the train station. Karloff is there waiting for him, yet how did Karloff know the guy would show up there?we are not given this information in the story or any clue of it.these are some of the holes in the story, and thus it makes the film disjointed.

Prichards12345 I suppose you could argue that many classic horror movies are pretty religious - Frankenstein is about a scientist who tampers with God's forbidden knowledge and pays the penalty - Dracula is awash in religious symbolism; The Exorcist is seen by many as a serious comment on Possession by Demons - Yet The Walking Dead also has this religious element...and then some! Boris Karloff plays John Elman, a former convict just out of prison for accidentally killing a man. Elman, a musician, is promptly stitched up by gangsters for the murder of the judge who sent him down, removing the judge's threat to their criminal activities. He walks the last mile to the electric chair proclaiming his innocence. However medical researcher Dr. Beaumont (Edmund Gwen) restores Karloff to life with the aid of the Lindburgh Heart, a real device from the 30s that Charles Linburgh co-designed in the hope it would lead to mechanical heart replacements.Elman has suffered a blood clot which has affected his memory, yet strangely he seems to know everything the guilty men did, and sets out to confront those responsible.And here is the crux - Karloff does not hunt these men down like some mad zombie, he merely appears to each and questions them as to their actions, and through their own fear they each die. The whole theme of the movie is the vengeance of a higher power using Elman as his agent.The movie is a watchable and atmospheric little thriller, with Karloff giving a strangely moving performance. Director Michael Curtiz, here making his third horror movie after Dr. X and Mystery Of The Wax Museum, delivers another good addition to these films. If you expect Karloff in monster mode you'll probably be disappointed, but The Walking Dead is interestingly different to the usual horror fare, and well worth a look.