Zombies on Broadway

Zombies on Broadway

Year: 1945

Runtime: 69 mins

Language: English

Director: Gordon Douglas

ComedyHorror

Two hapless press agents are tasked by their former gangster boss, now owner of a trendy nightclub, to track down a real zombie for a promotional stunt. With a deadline looming and their jobs on the line, they stumble through chaotic encounters, desperate to secure the undead performer before the boss’s revenge catches up with them.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Zombies on Broadway (1945)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Zombies on Broadway (1945). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Broadway, New York, San Sebastian, Virgin Islands

The story opens in the bustling Broadway showbiz scene before shifting to a Caribbean island. Jerry and Mike’s plan centers on the launch of a nightclub and its sensational act, anchored in spectacle. The action moves to the remote island of San Sebastian in the Virgin Islands, where Renault’s secret laboratory and Kalaga’s menace loom over the opening night.

🎭 Showbiz 🧟 Supernatural 🕵️ Crime

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:06

Main Characters – Zombies on Broadway (1945)

Meet the key characters of Zombies on Broadway (1945), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Jerry Miles (Wally Brown)

A quick-witted Broadway press agent who schemes to hire a genuine zombie for the opening of Ace Miller's club. He relies on improvisation and bold risks to outpace rivals, but his plans are haunted by real danger when a real zombie enters the picture.

🎭 Showbiz 🧟 Zombie 🗝️ Deception

Mike Strager (Alan Carney)

Jerry’s partner in schemes, equally eager to land a sensational act. He’s resourceful but anxious about delivering a real zombie, and becomes entangled in Renault’s dangerous experiments as events spiral out of control.

🎭 Showbiz 🧟 Zombie 🗝️ Deception

Jean LaDance (Anne Jeffreys)

A cabaret singer who helps locate Professor Renault in exchange for passage off the island. She becomes entangled in Renault’s plans, is captured and escapes, and ultimately aids the protagonists.

🎤 Showbiz 🧭 Adventure

Professor Renault (Bela Lugosi)

A zombie expert who runs a hidden laboratory on San Sebastian and wields a secret serum. He manipulates the pursuit of a real zombie, blurring ethics with curiosity and control over life and death.

🧪 Science 🧟 Supernatural

Ace Miller (Sheldon Leonard)

A ruthless nightclub owner and gangster who threatens Miles and Strager if they fail to deliver a real zombie. He embodies the criminal side of show business, wielding fear to maintain power over his club and crew.

💬 Crime 🕶️ Gangster

Kalaga - the Zombie (Darby Jones)

Renault’s zombie creation, used as leverage in the conflict between Renault and Ace Miller. Kalaga epitomizes the danger of a science-driven obsession turned real threat.

🧟 Supernatural ⚠️ Danger

Douglas Walker (Louis Jean Heydt)

A radio celebrity and Miller’s nemesis who threatens to humiliate Miller on air if a real zombie isn’t present. He represents the media’s appetite for sensationalism and the power to shape public perception.

🗞️ Media 🕵️ Crime

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:06

Major Themes – Zombies on Broadway (1945)

Explore the central themes of Zombies on Broadway (1945), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕵️ Identity

The film plays with performance versus reality, as characters craft appearances for others while hidden threats lurk beneath. Jerry and Mike engineer a convincing zombie act to secure Miller’s backing, blurring lines between show and danger. The real stakes surface when the line between deception and crime becomes perilous for everyone involved.

⚗️ Science

Renault’s experiments and the serum introduce a moral conflict about manipulating life for entertainment or power. The pursuit of a real zombie reveals the perils of scientific hubris and the potential for science to be weaponized. The story suggests consequences when curiosity collides with criminal aims and public spectacle.

🎤 Showbiz

Show business serves as both backdrop and driver, with the Zombie Hut’s opening acting as a battleground for fear, fame, and finance. Promoters, performers, and criminals collide as the audience’s appetite for sensationalism drives dangerous choices. The plot uses the carnival of entertainment to critique how glamor can mask coercion and risk.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:06

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Zombies on Broadway Summary

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Zombies on Broadway Summary

Zombies on Broadway Timeline

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Zombies on Broadway Timeline

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