Grade: D
Synopsis: A doctor’s evil twin comes back from the dead as a vampire to exact revenge.
Dead Men Walk isn’t a good movie by any stretch, but it’s not a complete loss either.
George Zucco almost works in the duel role of heroic doctor and evil vampire. His vampire is the superior effort, though some better makeup would have no doubt helped. His doctor is considerably weaker, echoing a poor man’s Edward Van Sloan minus the accent.
Surrounding Zucco is a mostly forgettable supporting cast with the exception of Dwight Frye who basically reprises his Renfield character as Zolarr.
The real tragedy of Dead Men Walk is that it could have been good. The story is solid, even if the twins angle seems a bit gimmicky. The dialog is uneven, but ultimately passable, and the brief 64-minute running time helps move things along fairly quickly. With a few script touches, a real budget, and a better supporting cast, this might have turned into a good little horror movie. Unfortunately, we’ll never know.
Bottom Line: While it certainly isn’t a good movie, given the non-existent budget, Dead Men Walk could have been much worse.
