It’s fair to say that the Mummy is the most overlooked of the original Monsters, as he’s rarely featured among the original Universal triumvirate since The Wolf Man (who debuted nearly a decade later) is more prominently associated with Dracula and Frankenstein. Despite this, the property has arguably endured even more than the others, having been rebooted twice now since the studio’s golden age. Such a fate is in keeping with the Universal tradition, of course, as the studio has never been hesitant about reviving this property to the point of exhaustion. All told, the Mummy actually featured in six movies, allowing this title to more or less keep pace with its contemporaries, right down to an eventual crossover with Abbott and Costello. In fact, it might be apt to say it was the Friday the 13th of its day, especially once Universal started churning them out on a regular basis in the 40s. Obviously, that’s not a criticism around these parts, and, as with the case with that franchise, I appreciate all of the Mummy entries—it’s just that I love some a little bit more than others.
6.The Mummy’s Curse (1944)
Watching all of these sequels in a short time frame tends to blur them together, and it’s no surprise that Curse suffers the most. With three previous films all riffing around the same themes, it’s left with little to do but recycle the same old stuff. Even transplanting the action from New England to Louisiana does little to distinguish it, save for a gothic monastery, an awesome scene where Ananka rises from the swamp like a zombie, and an unfortunate minstrel-style performance by Napoleon Simpson. Otherwise, Virginia Christine’s turn as Ananka is the only truly compelling element here. At times, it feels like this is finally her sequel, but the film doesn’t quite go all the way through with it; I suppose doing so would have gotten in the way of churning out the same old thing that audiences would have already seen earlier that year.
Honestly, I don’t think that makes them the bad guys this time, but, you know, Kharis is gonna do his thing once he’s resurrected—especially when he realizes the spirit of his dead wife now rests in Amina Mansouri (Ramsay Ames), a local girl who’s unsettled by her Egyptian heritage. More or less a mash-up of every Mummy film up to this point, The Mummy’s Ghost shambles along decently enough. Since it, too, is only an hour long, it certainly doesn’t wear out its welcome. More than anything , it’s bogged down by the thick haze of déjà vu, at least until it climaxes with a surprisingly bleak ending that manages to set this one apart just enough.
As usual, they’re bumbling their way through the plot, in this case a complicated yarn involving the discovery of Klaris, an ancient mummy that’s attracted the attention of both high priests and an enterprising businesswoman looking to cash in. Caught in between are Abbott and Costello, whose trademark banter provides a raucous energy to a manic story that weaves through a Cairo murder mystery, a game of hot potato involving a cursed amulet, and, finally, a funhouse of horrors once the two are dragged to Klaris’s resting place. The climax—which finds a couple of imposter mummies joining the very real Klaris—is a total hoot, full of trap doors, giant iguanas, and dime store skeletons. Having always been a fan of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the pair still had it here in their penultimate outing together (they would appear in one final, independently produced movie the next year). It wasn’t a bad note for the original Mummy franchise to go out on, either.
Even though The Mummy’s Tomb spends 10 minutes (or about 17% of its runtime) literally recapping the previous film (eat your heart out, Silent Night, Deadly Night 2!), I have a fondness for this particular sequel, perhaps because it’s the most straightforward of the films. With Kharis having already been introduced in the first film, he’s free to romp around here and bring carnage to this sleepy New England town. Changing locations is a subtle but crucial alteration that conjures up memories of the region’s ghastly history, which shades the already eerie proceedings. Something about watching Chaney prowl through a fog-drenched cemeteries and the moonlit countryside evokes that classic Universal Horror tone, right down to the townsfolk grabbing their torches and pitchforks to hunt down the monster during the climax.
Well, eventually—in truth, that summarizes the second half of The Mummy’s Hand. The first half is dedicated to setting up all the carnage with a story involving a couple of American archeologists (Dick Foran & Wallace Ford) talking a magician (Cecil Kellaway) into funding their latest expedition, much to the chagrin of the latter’s skeptical daughter (Peggy Moran). Even more resistant is Professor Andoheb (George Zucco), an Egyptian native who’s charged with protecting the tomb of Kharis and his bride. Since The Mummy’s Hand only clocks in at an hour long, the setup is far from belabored, and the fun, broadly-sketched performances leave quite an impression. The humorous, easygoing rapport between the American leads lends a screwball vibe that contrasts well with the menacing overtures lurking within Zucco’s shifty, brooding turn. As the events become more ominous, baying jackals roam the eerie Egyptian hillside, their howls setting the stage for a spooky finale to this solid entry in the Mummy canon.
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