The Mummy's Tomb

Last updated
The Mummy's Tomb
The-mummys-tomb-movie-poster-md.jpg
Directed by Harold Young
Screenplay by
  • Griffin Jay
  • Henry Sucher [1]
Story byNeil P. Varnick [1]
Starring
Cinematography George Robinson [1]
Edited by Milton Carruth [1]
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures Company
Release date
  • 23 October 1942 (1942-10-23)
Running time
60 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States [1]
LanguageEnglish [2]

The Mummy's Tomb is a 1942 American horror film directed by Harold Young and starring Lon Chaney Jr. as Kharis the mummy. Taking place 30 years after the events of The Mummy's Hand , where Andoheb (George Zucco) has survived and plans revenge on Stephen Banning (Dick Foran) and his entire family in Mapleton, Massachusetts. With the help of the high priest Mehemet Bey (Turhan Bey), Andoheb and the mummy Kharis (Lon Chaney Jr.) Bey takes up a job as a caretaker of a graveyard. At the first full moon, the mummy is fed tanna leaves which allow him to break into the Banning residence and kill the now elderly Stephen. Banning's son then seeks assistance from Babe Hanson (Wallace Ford), one of the members of the original Banning expedition to Egypt to stop Andoheb and Kharis.

Contents

Lon Chaney Jr. had renewed his contract with Universal Pictures in 1942 and had his first role as the mummy Kharis in The Mummy's Tomb, a role he would reprise in the film's sequels The Mummy's Ghost and The Mummy's Curse . The film was shot between June 1 through mid-June 1942, not including footage taken from the previous film in the series The Mummy's Hand as well as Frankenstein .

Plot

Lon Chaney Jr. as Kharis Detail, from- MummysTomb (cropped).jpg
Lon Chaney Jr. as Kharis

Thirty years after discovering the tomb of Princess Ananka following a showdown with the living mummy of Ananka’s former lover Kharis, as well as his High Priest guardian Andoheb, Massachusetts archaeologist Steve Banning recounts the events to his family and evening guests in his home. As he concludes his narrative of the successful destruction of the creature, the scene switches back to the tombs of Egypt. Surviving their supposed demise, Andoheb explains the legend of Kharis to his follower, Mehemet Bey. After passing on the instructions for the use of the tana leaves, and assigning the task of terminating the remaining members of the Banning expedition and their descendants, Andoheb expires. Bey and Kharis leave Egypt for the journey to the United States.

Bey takes the caretaker's job at the Mapleton cemetery, sets up shop, and administers the tana brew to Kharis. The monster sets out to avenge the desecration of Ananka's tomb. His first victim is Banning himself, whom the creature kills as the aging archaeologist prepares for bed. As the sheriff and coroner can't come up with a lead to the killer, newspapermen converge on Mapleton to learn more about the story. Babe Hanson arrives on the scene after learning of his friend's death. When Jane Banning, Steve's sister, is killed, Hanson is convinced it is the work of a mummy. Meeting with the sheriff and coroner, Hanson is unable to convince them of the identity of the culprit. He tells his story to a newspaperman at the local bar, but, after a chase and struggle, is himself dispatched by Kharis almost immediately afterwards. Dr. John Banning, the son of Stephen Banning, enlists the help of Professor Norman to solve the puzzle of the "grayish mark" found on the victims' throats. Norman's test results prove that Hanson was right: the substance was indeed mold from a mummy.

Meanwhile, Bey has plans of his own. Knowing that Banning and his girlfriend, Isobel Evans are planning to marry, he sets out to disrupt their nuptials. Bey himself has become smitten with Isobel, and sends Kharis on a mission to bring her to him. Kharis initially balks, but finally adheres to Bey's command. In the dark of the night, the monster stealthily enters the Evans's home and abducts the fainting girl to the cemetery caretaker's hut. Bey unveils his plan to the reluctant Isobel, that she is to become his bride, as a "High Priest of Karnak", and bear him an heir to the royal line. Banning and the rest of the townspeople have become convinced that their recent Egyptian immigrant may be involved in the crimes. Arriving in force, they confront Bey outside the hut. Kharis slips away with Isobel unbeknownst to the horde, and Bey attempts to shoot Banning, but is himself gunned down by the sheriff. The creature is observed heading toward the Banning estate, and the group begins pursuit, many bearing torches. Inside the home, Banning has a fight with Kharis and holds him at bay with a torch while he rescues Isobel from the mummy's grasp, but inadvertently sets fire to some curtains. With the aid of the sheriff and coroner, John and Isobel escape via a trellis as Kharis pursues them out onto the upstairs balcony. The townspeople keep the mummy from similarly escaping by hurling additional torches at him, and the monster perishes in the flames of the thoroughly consumed house. Banning and Isobel wed in short order, as he has received his draft notice and is due to report for his tour of duty in World War II.

Cast

Cast adapted from the book Universal Horrors: [1]

Production

The Mummy's Tomb director was a former film editor who worked in England in the 1930s working with people like Alexander Korda films like The Scarlet Pimpernel . [3] His subsequent work in Hollywood as a director predominantly consisted of b-films including The Mummy's Tomb. [3] The onscreen credits and contemporary reviews list George Robinson as the director of photography, early Hollywood Reporter production charts credit Harry Neuman. [2] Lon Chaney Jr. renewed his contract with Universal Pictures in February 1942 and made his first appearance as the Mummy in The Mummy's Tomb, a role he would reprise in two Universal films: The Mummy's Curse and The Mummy's Ghost . [1] [2] Recent naturalized United States citizen Wallace Ford reprised his role as Babe Hanson.

Production on the film began on June 1 and ended in mid-June 1942. [2] Parts of the film use elements from previous Universal Pictures. [3] This includes footage from The Mummy's Hand , Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein and The Ghost of Frankenstein with the film's music score containing portions of music written for The Invisible Woman . [3] [4] It also reuses the Shelby House on Universal's backlot originally for the film Uncle Tom's Cabin (1927) for the Banning residence. [3] [4]

Release

The Mummy's Tomb was distributed by the Universal Pictures Company and released on October 23, 1942. [1] [2] The film was a double feature with Night Monster . [4]

Reception

From contemporary reviews, Harrison's Reports stated that "much happens, but nothing that will surprise the horror fans", [5] while Theodore Strauss of The New York Times proclaimed "no wonder the Mummy lasted for 3,000 years. In that tandem fashion, he may go on for another 3,0000 - heaven forbid!" [5]

From retrospective reviews, the authors of the book Universal Horrors stated that The Mummy's Tomb was a weaker film for Chaney, noting that "the care and talent that was lavished upon The Wolf Man is sorely lacking in The Mummy's Tomb" and that the film "gets by as entertainment for hardcore Universal enthusiasts by its cozy familiarity alone", concluding that The Mummy's Hand was superior proclaiming that the film is "so perfunctory, so small scale in ambition and execution, it seemed destined for the bottom-of-the-bill slot". [1] [3] [4] Hans J. Wollstein of AllMovie awarded the film two stars out of five, stating that the film "is neither the best nor the worst in Universal's second wave of horror films", finding that "when all is said and done there is only so much that a monster swathed in bandages can do", concluding that the film "is fairly entertaining fare and it is fun to see the angry villagers from the original Frankenstein back in action via stock footage". [6]

Actor Turhan Bey admitted that he had not seen The Mummy's Tomb; he would later state it among his favorite screen roles: "I guess it's my favorite because it was a part closest to my own nationality - it was a young Egyptian who believed in something which we couldn't comprehend with our five senses.... If I could have picked my roles, I would have played these kinds of heavies, people who have a mental quirk or who for some reason or another, are acting against the positive side of the plot of the picture". [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lon Chaney Jr.</span> American actor (1906–1974)

Creighton Tull Chaney, known by his stage name Lon Chaney Jr., was an American actor known for playing Larry Talbot in the film The Wolf Man (1941) and its various crossovers, Count Alucard in Son of Dracula, Frankenstein's monster in The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), the Mummy in three pictures, and various other roles in many Universal horror films, including six films in their 1940s Inner Sanctum series, making him a horror icon. He also portrayed Lennie Small in Of Mice and Men (1939) and supporting parts in dozens of mainstream movies, including High Noon (1952), The Defiant Ones (1958), and numerous Westerns, musicals, comedies and dramas.

<i>The Mummy</i> (1932 film) 1932 film

The Mummy is a 1932 American pre-Code supernatural horror film directed by Karl Freund. The screenplay by John L. Balderston was adapted from a treatment written by Nina Wilcox Putnam and Richard Schayer. Released by Universal Studios as a part of the Universal Classic Monsters franchise, the film stars Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners, Edward Van Sloan and Arthur Byron.

<i>The Mummy</i> (1959 film) 1959 British film

The Mummy is a 1959 British horror film, directed by Terence Fisher and starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. It was written by Jimmy Sangster and produced by Michael Carreras and Anthony Nelson Keys for Hammer Film Productions. The film was distributed in the U.S. in 1959 on a double bill with either the Vincent Price film The Bat or the Universal film Curse of the Undead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turhan Bey</span> Austrian actor (1922–2012)

Turhan Bey was an Austrian-born actor of Turkish and Czech-Jewish origins. Active in Hollywood from 1941 to 1953, he was dubbed "The Turkish Delight" by his fans. After his return to Austria, he pursued careers as a photographer and stage director. Returning to Hollywood after a 40-year hiatus, he made several guest appearances in 1990s television series including SeaQuest DSV, Murder, She Wrote and Babylon 5 as well as a number of films. After retiring, he appeared in a number of documentaries, including a German-language documentary on his life.

<i>The Ghost of Frankenstein</i> 1942 film by Erle C. Kenton

The Ghost of Frankenstein is a 1942 American horror film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Cedric Hardwicke, Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi. It is the fourth film in the Frankenstein series by Universal Pictures, and the follow-up to Son of Frankenstein (1939). The film's plot follows the previous film's: Frankenstein's Monster and his companion Ygor are chased out of town. They go to another small town to encourage the younger son of Henry Frankenstein to continue his father's experiments, so that Ygor can have revenge against his enemies and his brain transplanted into the Monster's skull.

<i>Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man</i> 1943 US horror film directed by Roy William Neill

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man is a 1943 American horror film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot and Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein's monster. The script, written by Curt Siodmak, follows The Ghost of Frankenstein and The Wolf Man, though with a number of retcons. Most significantly, Talbot only transforms into werewolf form during a full moon, which became a standard part of werewolf lore. The film involves Larry Talbot, who is brought back to life when his tomb is disturbed. His search for a way to end his seeming immortality leads to his befriending Frankenstein's monster.

<i>Son of Dracula</i> (1943 film) 1943 film by Robert Siodmak

Son of Dracula is a 1943 American horror film directed by Robert Siodmak with a screenplay based on an original story by his brother Curt Siodmak. The film stars Lon Chaney Jr., Louise Allbritton, Robert Paige, Evelyn Ankers, and Frank Craven. The film is set in the United States, where Count Alucard has just taken up residence. Katherine Caldwell (Allbritton), a student of the occult, becomes fascinated by Alucard and eventually marries him. Katherine begins to look and act strangely, leading her former romantic partner Frank Stanley (Paige) to suspect that something has happened to her. He gets help from Dr. Brewster (Craven) and psychologist Laszlo who come to the conclusion that Alucard is a vampire.

<i>House of Frankenstein</i> (film) 1944 film

House of Frankenstein is a 1944 American horror film starring Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr. and John Carradine. Based on a story by Curt Siodmak, it was directed by Erle C. Kenton and produced by Universal Pictures. Based on Curt Siodmak's story The Devil's Brood, the film is about Dr. Gustav Niemann, who escapes from prison and promises to create a new body for his assistant Daniel. Over the course of the film, they encounter Count Dracula, Larry Talbot, the Wolf Man, and Frankenstein's Monster.

<i>House of Dracula</i> 1945 film by Erle C. Kenton

House of Dracula is a 1945 American horror film released and distributed by Universal Pictures. Directed by Erle C. Kenton, the film features several Universal Horror properties meeting as they had done in the 1944 film House of Frankenstein. The film is set at the castle home of Dr. Franz Edelmann, who is visited first by Count Dracula and later by Larry Talbot, the Wolf Man, who are trying to cure their vampirism and lycanthropy, respectively. Talbot is eventually cured, which leads him to discover the body of Frankenstein's monster in a cave below the base of the castle. Edelemann takes the monster's body back to his laboratory but finds Count Dracula has awakened and by attacking his assistants, he captures Edelmann and forces a reverse blood transfusion, which gives Edelmann a split personality and makes him a killer.

<i>The Mummys Hand</i> 1940 film directed by Christy Cabanne

The Mummy's Hand is a 1940 American horror film directed by Christy Cabanne and produced by Ben Pivar for Universal Studios. Shot in black-and-white, the film is about the ancient Egyptian mummy of Kharis, who is kept alive with a brew of tana leaves by The High Priest and his successor Andoheb. Meanwhile, archeologists Steve Banning and Babe Jenson persuade magician Solvani to finance an expedition in search of the tomb of Princess Ananka. They are joined by Solvani's daughter Marta, and followed by Andoheb who is also the professor of Egyptology at the Cairo Museum. Kharis is ordered to kill off expedition members Dr. Petrie and Ali, while Andoheb becomes attracted to Marta who he plans to kidnap and make immortal.

<i>The Mummys Ghost</i> 1944 horror film by Reginald Le Borg

The Mummy's Ghost is a 1944 American horror film directed by Reginald Le Borg for Universal. It is the second of three sequels to The Mummy's Hand (1940), following The Mummy's Tomb (1942) and preceding The Mummy's Curse (1944). Lon Chaney Jr. again takes on the role of Kharis the mummy.

<i>The Mummys Curse</i> 1944 American horror film

The Mummy's Curse is a 1944 American horror film directed by Leslie Goodwins. Produced by Universal Pictures, it is the fifth entry in Universal's original Mummy franchise, serving as a sequel to The Mummy's Ghost (1944). It marks Lon Chaney Jr.'s final appearance as Kharis, an Egyptian mummy.

<i>The Mad Ghoul</i> 1943 film by James P. Hogan

The Mad Ghoul is a 1943 American horror film directed by James Hogan and starring Turhan Bey, Evelyn Ankers, and David Bruce, and featuring George Zucco, Robert Armstrong, and Milburn Stone. The film is about the scientist Dr. Alfred Morris and his assistant Ted Allison. Morris, who is obsessed with an ancient Mayan life-preserving process to the point of madness, has fallen in love with Allison's girlfriend, the concert singer Isabel Lewis. Morris decides to use Allison for his eternal-life experiments, transforming him into a zombie who slowly recalls his past life, but is unaware of his undead status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Classic Monsters</span> Horror and science fiction films made by Universal Studios (1930s–1950s)

Universal Classic Monsters is a home video line based on a series of horror films primarily produced by Universal Pictures from the 1930s to the 1950s. Although not initially conceived as a franchise, the enduring popularity and legacy of the films and the characters featured in them has led the studio to market them under the collective brand name of Universal Studios Monsters. Steve Jones of USA Today described Universal's most famous monsters as "pop culture icons", specifically Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, and the Wolf Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kharis</span> Fictional character

Kharis is a character featured in Universal Studios's Mummy series in the 1940s, following their original 1932 film The Mummy, which starred Boris Karloff as a different mummy character, Imhotep, though their backstories are practically identical. Universal's Mummy films were inspired by worldwide interest in Egyptian archeology during the first half of the 20th century.

The Mummy is an action adventure horror film media franchise based on films by Universal Pictures about a mummified ancient Egyptian priest who is accidentally resurrected, bringing with him a powerful curse, and the ensuing efforts of heroic archaeologists to stop him. The franchise was created by Nina Wilcox Putnam and Richard Schayer.

Shock Theater is a package of 52 pre-1948 classic horror films from Universal Studios released for television syndication in October 1957 by Screen Gems, the television subsidiary of Columbia Pictures. The Shock Theater package included Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man and The Wolf Man as well as a few non-horror spy and mystery films. A second package, Son of Shock, was released for television by Screen Gems in 1958, with 20 horror films from both Universal and Columbia.

<i>Cheyenne Rides Again</i> 1937 film

Cheyenne Rides Again is a 1937 Western film directed by Robert F. Hill. It stars Tom Tyler and Lon Chaney Jr. Much as did Alfred Hitchcock in his own films, director Hill appears in a cameo as townsman "Bartender Ed".

<i>Frankenstein</i> (Universal film series) American horror film series

Frankenstein is a film series of horror films from Universal Pictures based on the play version by Peggy Webling and the 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley. The series follow the story of a monster created by Henry Frankenstein who is made from body parts of corpses and brought back to life. The rest of the series generally follows the monster continuously being revived and eventually focuses on a series of cross overs with other Universal horror film characters such as The Wolf Man. The series consists of the following films: Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Son of Frankenstein (1939), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944), House of Dracula (1945) and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).

Steve Banning is a character from the Mummy franchise who starred in the movies The Mummy's Hand, The Mummy's Tomb & The Mummy portrayed by Dick Foran in the former 2 and by Felix Aylmer in the latter 1.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Weaver, Brunas & Brunas 2007, p. 305.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Mummy's Tomb". American Film Institute . Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Weaver, Brunas & Brunas 2007, p. 306.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Weaver, Brunas & Brunas 2007, p. 307.
  5. 1 2 3 Weaver, Brunas & Brunas 2007, p. 310.
  6. ↑ Wollstein.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.