Villain(s)  Zombies

Actor(s):  John McKay, Linda Ormond, Monica Davis, Clyde Kelly

Brief Description  Blood of the Zombie (1961), originally released under the title The Dead One, is an independent regional horror film written, produced, and directed by Barry Mahon. Shot on location in New Orleans, Louisiana, it holds historical significance as one of the very first zombie movies filmed in full color (Eastman Color). Despite its micro-budget "Z-movie" status, it serves as a unique mid-century time capsule.

Plot:
The narrative centers on a bitter family inheritance dispute over a historic Louisiana plantation. Monica (played by Monica Davis), a practitioner of voodoo, is furious when her businessman cousin, John (John McKay), returns to the family estate with his new wife, Linda (Linda Ormond). Believing she is being stripped of her rightful home and authority, Monica decides to eliminate them. Using ancient voodoo rituals and pagan rites, Monica ventures into the plantation's dark corners to resurrect her deceased brother from his grave. The film relies heavily on cultural "filler" to meet its feature length, including extensive nightclub jazz performances and long burlesque dance routines.

The resurrected brother becomes a single, mindless zombie named Jonas. Dressed bizarrely in a "dinner tux," this pale, slow-moving corpse serves as Monica's personal executioner, stalking the plantation grounds to murder the newlyweds and protect her claim to the estate. For over 40 years, Blood of the Zombie was considered a lost film. It saw poor distribution upon its initial 1961 release and completely vanished from public view. It was finally rediscovered decades later and underwent a 2K restoration from original film elements. For collectors of exploitation and creature-feature cinema, it is available on specialized physical media platforms like the Severin Films Release.