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(1934) Olive Borden, Reed Howes, Molly O’Day. A truly remarkable low-budget gem, broadly described as a romantic voodoo jungle thriller. A gnarled, old black voodoo mistress from the Everglades comes out of the swamp to seek revenge on the white plantation lord responsible for the death of her husband 15 years earlier. Her daughter, Chloe (who could pass for white), finds herself torn between the love of a black man and a handsome white foreman. Suddenly evidence surfaces that Chloe may actually be the plantation lord’s long lost child. Is she? A frenzied, realistic sacrificial voodoo ceremony highlights the climax of this wonderful film that weaves its way through swamp shacks, alligators, voodoo dolls, snakes, bats, and cypress trees. It reeks with atmosphere. The aspect of inter-racial romance on screen was unheard of for its time. A charmingly lyrical orchestral score underlies most of the film and adds a flavor that’s quite similar to WHITE ZOMBIE. CHLOE is a crude film in some ways, yet this adds to a moody charm that has seldom been achieved by another film of such low budget trappings. A fascinating piece of rare cinema. From 16mm
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