PROFILPELAJAR.COM

Creature of the Walking Dead
Creature of the Walking Dead
Directed by	Jerry Warren
Written by	José María Fernández Unsáin (plot); Alfredo Varela Jr. (screenplay)
Produced by	Alfredo Ripstein hijo; Jerry Warren
Starring	Rock Madison; Ann Wells; George Todd; Willard Gross; Bruno VeSota; Lloyd Nelson; Katherine Victor;
Cinematography	Enrique Wallace
Edited by	Jorge Busto; Jerry Warren
Music by	Gustavo César Carrión
Production; company	Jerry Warren Productions Inc.
Distributed by	A.D.P. Pictures Inc.
Release date	June 15, 1965;
Running time	74 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Creature of the Walking Dead is a 1965 horror film re-edited 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]

Plot

Dr. Malthus (Fernando Casanova), a 19th-century mad scientist, discovers the secret of eternal youth by means of transfusing the blood of young women into his subjects. He is hung for his crimes, but decades later, 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 his 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

Ann Wells
George Todd
Willard Gross
Bruno VeSota as Police Inspector
Lloyd Nelson
Katherine Victor

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 receiving a shoulder massage 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]