Voodoo Man (1944)

Directed by William Beaudine and released by Monogram Pictures, Voodoo Man is a delightfully bizarre slice of Poverty Row horror starring Bela Lugosi, John Carradine, and George Zucco. It’s the last of Lugosi’s nine Monogram features, though it was released before the eighth (Return of the Ape Man) due to production quirks. With voodoo rituals, zombified brides, and a mad doctor trying to revive his dead wife, this film is pure 1940s horror camp.

Plot Summary
Dr. Richard Marlowe (Lugosi) is a voodoo-practicing scientist who kidnaps young women to transfer their “will to live” into his wife Evelyn, who’s been dead for 22 years but remains mysteriously preserved. He’s aided by gas station attendant Nicholas (Zucco) and the eerie Toby (Carradine), who burns his hand with a match in one scene—a moment that was reportedly unscripted. Meanwhile, Hollywood screenwriter Ralph Benton stumbles into the mystery while en route to his wedding, and ends up writing a script based on the events, in a meta twist.

Cast Highlights

• Bela Lugosi as Dr. Marlowe
• George Zucco as Nicholas
• John Carradine as Toby
• Wanda McKay, Louise Currie, and Michael Ames round out the cast

Behind-the-Scenes Trivia

• Originally titled Tiger Man, the story was purchased from author Andrew Colvin, but he was not credited when the title changed to Voodoo Man
• Shot in just seven days, beginning October 16, 1943
• The gas station dialogue references gasoline rationing coupons, a nod to wartime life in the U.S.
• Producer Sam Katzman is referenced in-joke when Ralph calls his boss “S.K.”