Posts Tagged ‘Mummy’

Movie Review – Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)

In December of 1944, the audiences wondered if The Mummy’s Curse was going to be the final Mummy film made by Universal Studios.

By that point the Mummy film franchise had dwindled into a collection of mediocre films, and the whole “horror” element was mostly missing.  The Mummy himself had transformed into a humanoid monster more resembling a deranged killer rather than a mysterious and cunning creature dating back thousands of years.

In 1955, the Mummy would finally return to the cinemas in Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy.  This time around, instead of being a horror film, this Mummy movie is a comedy that spoofs the entire Mummy franchise.

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) – movie poster

Directed by Charles Lamont, Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy stars the comedy duo of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello as Pete Patterson and Freddie Franklin, a pair of Americans stranded in Cairo, Egypt.  Supporting them in the film are Marie Windsor as Madame Rontru, Michael Ansara as Charlie, and Peggy King as a singer in a nightclub.

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) – (c) Universal Pictures

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy begins with two American explorers, Pete Patterson (Bud Abbott) and Freddie Franklin (Lou Costello), out of money and stuck in Cairo, Egypt.  While at the Cafe Bagdad, they, and several other people, happen to overhear Dr. Gustav Zoomer (Kurt Katch) mention that he has discovered the mummy Klaris, the guardian of the tomb of Princess Ara.  Patterson focuses on the fact that Zoomer needs a couple of men to help escort the mummy back to America.  That could be he and Franklin’s ticket out of Egypt and back home. Read more…

Movie Review – The Mummy’s Curse (1944)

Just when you thought that it was finished . . . along comes another sequel to the Mummy series of movies.

As we remember in The Mummy’s Ghost, Yousef Bey was sent to Mapleton, Massachusetts to recover the mummified body of ancient Egyptian Princess Ananka as well as the mummy Kharis.  Yousef was tasked with recovering those two mummies and returning them to Egypt so that they could rest in piece.  Of course, things didn’t go as planned, and choas ensued.  The movie ended with Kharis taking the reincarnated version of Princess Ananka into a swamp so that they would both drown and finally be together for eternity.

Released in late 1944, The Mummy’s Curse advances the storyline another twenty-five or so years (presumably in the year 1995), and it changes locations from Mapleton, Massachusetts, to the swamps of Louisiana.  An. irrigation project accidentally unearths the mummies Kharis and Ananka.  Two representatives from a museum arrive to try to excavate the site and recover the mummies.  The story takes a turn when the mummified body of Ananka walks again and turns into a human being, a beautiful young lady with no memory of her past.  As Kharis tries to catch Ananka, there’s also treachery involving the museum representatives, and death lurking around every corner.

The Mummy’s Curse (1944) – movie poster

Directed by Leslie Goodwins, The Mummy’s Curse stars Lon Chaney, Jr. as the mummy Kharis.  Chaney was the only actor to return from the previous film.  Other actors and actresses in this Mummy film include Virginia Christine as Princess Ananka, Kay Harding as Betty Walsh, Dennis Moore as Dr. James Halsey, Peter Coe as Dr. Ilzor Zandaab, and Martin Kosleck as Ragheb.

The Mummy’s Curse (1944) – (c) Universal Studios

The Mummy’s Curse begins in Louisiana twenty-five years after the events in The Mummy’s Ghost.  The locals remember hearing stories about the mummy and how he carried a woman into the swamps, but those stories are turning out more like legends and local folklore.  Perhaps there’s more to the stories as many of the construction workers are convinced that the local swamps are actually cursed with an evil presence.  One of the workers disappeared the previous night, and the rest of the workers are concerned for their own safety. Read more…

Movie Review – The Mummy’s Ghost (1944)

In The Mummy’s Tomb we learned that the mummy Kharis was still alive and (mostly) well despite being burned with fire at the end of The Mummy’s Hand.

Thirty years after the events in The Mummy’s Hand, Kharis was set to America along with Mehemet Bey to get revenge against the members of the Banning Expedition along with their descendants.  Although Stephen Banning and Babe Hanson were killed by Kharis, Banning’s son, Dr. John Banning, managed to kill Mehemet and defeat Kharis with the help of a mob of people.  The Mummy’s Tomb ended with Kharis being killed in a fire and John Banning marrying his fiancée, Isobel Evans.

Of course, that’s not the end of the story involving Kharis.  This is where the next film, The Mummy’s Ghost, comes into play.

After the failure of Mehemet Bey, the ageing High Priest of Arkam sends another follower to America to simply retrieve Kharis (allegedly still alive and well despite being set on fire *again*) and the mummified body of Princess Ananka, and to return them to Egypt so that they can rest in piece.  Of course, things don’t go as planned and the town of Mapleton, Massachusetts has to face the killer mummy one more time.

The Mummy’s Ghost (1944) – movie poster

Directed by Reginald Le Borg, The Mummy’s Ghost features the return of Lon Chaney, Jr. as Kharis, Frank Reicher as Professor Norman, and George Zucco as the ageing Andoheb.  Newcomers this time around include John Carradine as Yousef Bey, Robert Lowery as Tom Hervey, and Ramsay Ames as Amina Mansori / Ananka.

The Mummy’s Ghost (1944) – (c) Universal Pictures

The Mummy’s Ghost begins in Egypt as Yousef Bey (John Carradine) is summoned to a secret meeting with the High Priest of Arkam, Andoheb (George Zucco).  It looked like Andoheb died in the previous film after handing over the duties to Mehemet Bey, but apparently there must be a glitch somewhere in the space-time continuum.  Anyway, Andoheb proceeds to tell Yousef Bey about the history of Kharis and Princess Ananka, and the purpose of the tana leaves.  He also informs Yousef that although the world believes that Kharis was destroyed, the mummy is still, in fact, alive.  Kharis’s sole purpose is to guard the tomb of Princess Ananka.

Yousef Bey’s mission is to return Kharis to Egypt along with the mummified body of Princess Ananka.  Andoheb then hands over the official duties of being a high priest as Yousef swears to carry out his mission. Read more…

Movie Review – The Mummy’s Tomb (1942)

In 1940, the horror film The Mummy’s Hand introduced the audience to a new storyline involving a killer mummy from ancient Egypt.

While not as successful or critically acclaimed as the original movie, 1932’s The Mummy, The Mummy’s Hand did offer a somewhat new plot along with a new cast of characters.  And unlike the original film, The Mummy’s Hand made it easier for the writers to continue the story in a sequel.

The Mummy’s Tomb continues the story that was established in The Mummy’s Hand.  As we suspected, the fire really didn’t kill Kharis.  It also turns out that Babe Jenson’s bullet didn’t kill Andoheb either.  Set thirty years later and in New England, Andoheb sends his follow with Kharis on a mission to kill everybody associated with the Banning Expedition along with their descendants.

The Mummy’s Tomb (1942) – movie poster

Directed by Harold Young, The Mummy’s Tomb returns Dick Foran as Stephen Banning, Wallace Ford as Babe Hanson (renamed from Jenson in the previous film) and George Zucco as Andoheb.  In this film we’re introduced to John Hubbard as Dr. John Banning, Elyse Knox as Isobel Evans, Turhan Bey as the villain Mehemet Bey, and Lon Chaney, Jr. as the mummy Kharis.

The Mummy’s Tomb takes place thirty years after the events in the first film, putting this movie around the year 1970.

The Mummy’s Tomb (1942) – (c) Universal Studios

The film begins with an aged Stephen Banning (Dick Foran) recanting the tale of his expedition and that of Kharis the mummy to his family and friends.  Banning is back in his hometown of Mapleton, Massachusetts.  The guests at his home include his son, Dr. John Banning (John Hubbard), and his fiancée, Isobel Evans (Elyse Knox).  It takes about eight or nine minutes for Banning to tell his tale.  During that time we see flashback clips from the previous movie.  As far as Banning knows, both the mummy and Andoheb were killed. Read more…

Movie Review – The Mummy’s Hand (1940)

Back in 1932 the audiences were terrified with The Mummy, a horror film that involved an ancient Egyptian priest being brought back to life, and his quest to kill a modern woman so that he can reincarnate an Egyptian princess.

The Mummy was a hit with the audiences.  Not only did the film provide thrills and chills, but it also involved the ancient Egyptians, one of the oldest known civilizations.  And mummies, pyramids and tombs are just plain awesome as well.

It was just a matter of time before The Mummy would receive a sequel.  More Mummy films would be made, but, unfortunately, none of them would be a sequel to the original film.

The Mummy’s Hand (1940) – movie poster

Released in 1940, The Mummy’s Hand is a new Mummy film that’s part remake/ripoff of the original film, and part original story.  The Mummy’s Hand does involve a similar back story and even uses footage from The Mummy, the main story has been changed to present an original film.

Directed by Christy Cabanne, The Mummy’s Hand stars Dick Foran as Steve Banning, an archaeologist in Egypt who is down on his luck at making a major discovery.  Wallace Ford is Babe Jenson, Banning’s sidekick, and Peggy Moran plays the role of Marta Solvani, Banning’s accomplice / partial love interest / damsel in distress.  Tom Tyler plays the role of Kharis, an Egyptian mummy still alive after thousands of years.

The Mummy’s Hand (1940) – (c) Universal Studios

The Mummy’s Hand begins in modern times (1940) as Egyptian Andoheb (George Zucco) arrives at the Hill of the Seven Jackals to answer the summons of the High Priest of Karnak (Eduardo Ciannelli).  The elderly priest is dying and has decided to tell his follower, Andoheb, the story of Kharis (Tom Tyler).  The two of them gaze into a pool of water and the high priest explains that Princess Ananka died and Kharis tried to resurrect her body by using tana leaves.  Kharis is caught in the act, and as punishment he is mummified alive and buried underground with tana leaves.

The high priest informs Andoheb that the secret to controlling Kharis is through the tana leaves.  During each full moon, the leaves can be cooked and converted into a fluid which can then be administered to Kharis and to keep him alive.  If Andoheb would need to restore movement to Kharis so that he could be used to attack people, for example, then Andoheb would need a bigger dose of tana leaves.  The priest cautions that too many tana leaves will give Kharis uncontrollable power. Read more…

Movie Review – The Mummy (1932)

The ancient history of Egypt and the pyramids of Giza have always been an area of mystery and fascination.

It’s also been an area involving the curse of the pharaohs and death to those who would dare rob the tombs or disturb the mummified remains.

That’s the basis for 1932′s horror film, The Mummy.  Primarily set in 1932, The Mummy tells a tale of archaeologists discovering the mummified remains of an Egyptian priest.  One of the archaeologists reads from a forbidden scroll and the mummy comes back to life.  The mummy takes a human form and seeks the reincarnation of his love from thousands of years ago.  When he finds this person, he intends on killing her and then resurrecting her from the dead so the two of them can live forever.

Directed by legendary Hollywood director and cinematographer Karl Freund, and produced by Carl Laemmle, Jr., The Mummy stars Boris Karloff in the roles of Imhotep and Ardath Bey.  Co-starring in the film are Zita Johann as Helen Grosvenor and Princess Ankh-es-en-Amon and David Manners as her boyfriend Frank Whemple.

Supporting them are Arthur Byron as Sir Joseph Whemple, Edward Van Sloan as Dr. Muller, Bramwell Fletcher as Ralph Norton, and Leonard Mudie as Professor Pearson.

The Mummy (1932) – (c) Universal Studios

The Mummy begins with informing us about the Scroll of Thoth, an ancient ritual used to restore life to the recently deceased.

The film then jumps to 1921 and a field expedition by the British Museum.

Three archaeologists, Sir Joseph Whemple (Arthur Byron), Dr. Muller (Edward Van Sloan), and Ralph Norton (Bramwell Fletcher), have recently discovered an Egyptian mummy along with a mysterious box.  What’s odd is that this mummy doesn’t look like the other mummies that have been discovered, almost as if he died a horrible death.  Evidence suggests that whomever was mummified was actually buried alive.

An inscription on the interior of the sarcophagus mentions that the mummy is a high priest named Imhotep.  The men also notice that the sacred spells that normally protect the deceased people in the land of the dead have been removed.  Imhotep was not only sentenced to death in this world but also the next one.  Perhaps Imhotep was a little too friendly with a princess of a reigning pharaoh. Read more…

Movie Review – The Mummy Returns (2001)

In the summer of 1999, Universal Pictures brought the classic movie monster of The Mummy back to life in an action-adventure film set in Egypt.

While The Mummy wasn’t a contender for top film awards, the movie itself was fun, full of action and adventure, and it successfully brought back to life one of Hollywood’s classic movie monsters.  As The Mummy earned a large revenue in the theaters, Universal Pictures began working immediately on a sequel.

Released in May of 2001, The Mummy Returns brought almost all of the previous cast back for another adventure in the Egyptian desert.  This time around we’re introduced to the Scorpion King, a warrior who used divine powers to conquer the known world 5,000 years ago.

Written and directed by Stephen Sommers, The Mummy Returns features music composed by Alan Silvestri.  Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz star in their previous roles of Rick O’Connell and Evelyn Caranahan O’Connell.  John Hannah returns in his role as Jonathan Caranahan, Evelyn’s brother, and Oded Fehr reprises his role as Ardeth Bey.  Both Arnold Vosloo and Patricia Velasquez have returned in their roles of Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun.

New actors in this film include Freddie Boath in the role of Alex, Rick and Evelyn’s young son, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the Scorpion King.

The Mummy Returns (2001) – (c) Universal Pictures

The Mummy Returns begins back in 3067 BC as the Scorpion King (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) leads an army and tries to take over the known world.  At the end of a brutal seven-year campaign, the Scorpion King’s army was defeated and forced to march across a long desert.  The heat of the desert killed all but the Scorpion King.  The Scorpion King made a deal with Anubis, vowing to give the god his soul in exchange for the power to defeat his enemies.  Anubis accepted and created the oasis of Ahm Shere.  Anubis also gave the Scorpion King the power of his army, a legion of undead humanoid jackal creatures.

The Scorpion King lead the Army of Anubis across Egypt and destroyed everything in their path.  Once the enemies were defeated, Anubis claimed the Scorpion King’s soul as well as his unstoppable army. Read more…

Movie Review – The Mummy (1999)

Back in 1999, Universal Pictures released The Mummy, a movie remake that loosely followed 1932′s classic monster movie of the same name.  While not as horrifying as the 1932 original film, the 1999 remake of The Mummy was an exciting and imaginative adventure movie.

The Mummy proved to be a hit with the theater audience, and the film earned over $400 million in worldwide revenue.  This film would produce two sequels to the theaters along with a hit thrill ride, “Revenge of the Mummy,” in the Universal Studios theme parks.

Set in Egypt in both the 1290s BC as well as the 1920s AD, The Mummy stars Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and Arnold Vosloo in the lead roles.  The Mummy was written and directed by Stephen Sommers, and music legend Jerry Goldsmith provided the film’s score.

The Mummy begins in 1290 BC as Anck-su-Namun (Patricia Velásquez), the mistress of Egyptian Pharaoh Seti I, has an affair with the high priest, Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo).  When Pharaoh Seti I discovers the affair, Anck-su-Namun and Imhotep kill the pharaoh.  Imhotep escapes from the palace as Seti’s guards enter the room.  Anck-su-Namun tells Imhotep to resurrect her before she kills herself in front of Seti’s guards, the Medjai.

The Mummy (1999) – (c) Universal Pictures

Imhotep steals Anck-su-Namun’s corpse and takes it deep in the desert to Hamunaptra, the city of the dead.  Imhotep and his priests begin the resurrection ceremony, but the Medjai stop him before it can be completed.  As severe punishment, Imhotep’s priests are mummified alive, a horrific procedure.  Imhotep’s punishment is even worse as he endures the Hom Dai – his tongue is removed, and he’s buried alive and consumed by flesh-eating scarab beetles.  The Hom Dai ritual makes Imhotep immortal so that he can suffer from his wounds for all eternity.  His body is buried beneath a statue of Anubis, and his tomb is guarded by several generations of Medjai.  If Imhotep is ever released from his tomb, then the immortality granted to him by the Hom Dai ritual will allow him to unleash untold destruction. Read more…