Remake

 

 (imdb)

PHANTOM KILLER-1942-A janitor named Nicodemus (the one and only Mantan Moreland) finds the dead body of an executive after giving the suspected killer a light. He identifies the murderer as John Harrison (John Hamilton), a "society big shot" who also happens to be a deaf mute. (although he talked to Nicodemus). The police captain (J. Farrell MacDonald) and his Sargent (Warren Hymer) give the case to the DA. Prosecutor Clarke (Dick Purcell; two years later he played Captain America in the serial of the same name) believes Harrison is guilty but the DA will have none of it. Even his reporter girlfriend Barbara (Joan Woodbury;KING OF THE ZOMBIES) was with Harrison at a gathering. But Harrison is the killer and is not mute or deaf. Several more victims follow including the captain when he gets too close to Harrison's secret. 

It's pretty obvious what's going on but I liked this low budget crime drama with a twist (it's a remake of THE SPHINX from 1933 which starred Lionel Atwill) because of the big role Hamilton has and that the dumb Sgt. wises up after his boss is murdered. Mantan Moreland is (unfortunately) only in the first 15 minutes.

 “One Shot” William Beaudine was the director of this strange little Monogram picture. Lead actor Purcell died of a heart attack in 1944 at the age of 38. This was one of 14 feature films the legendary Manton Moreland was in in 1942. Of course John Hamilton later memorably portrayed Perry White on TV's “Superman”.

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Zombies Rule Ok-Part 1

KING OF THE ZOMBIES-1941-Hokey horror fun from Monogram. The three man crew of a small plane crash lands on an island where the mad scientist Dr. Sangre (Henry Victor) is using voodoo and black magic to raise the dead. Actually he wants to transfer the mind of a US admiral into the body of his niece to obtain secret government information!

Dick Purcell (who’d play the lead in the Captain America serial 2 years later) and John Archer try to figure it all out. Mantan Moreland is Purcell’s (usually sacred) butler but despite the racial stereotype Moreland’s character is the only one who actually knows what’s really going on, has the funniest lines and helps save the day! Victor had played Hercules the strong man in FREAKS.

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