Pjtaylor-96-138044 'The Mummy (1932)' is not the best of the classic universal monster movies and there's even an argument to be made that the remake (the 1999 Brendan Frazer vehicle, at least) is a much more fun and entertaining experience, though all other incarnations of the character and story have missed the original's point and none have ever recaptured its style or spirit. This is still a seminal horror picture that confidently tells its tale and takes its place in pop-culture legend for good reason, though. There's a bit more on-screen violence than you're used to in these flicks, the underlying undying 'love' plot is an interesting and nicely explored one (though a bit damsel in distress nowadays) and the central performance is decently unsettling, bolstered by on-point and transitional make-up effects. Its creepiness isn't necessarily the crux of the character, however. In fact, there's a much more 'human' side to the bandaged bogeyman, here. 6/10

SnoopyStyle A 1921 British museum expedition recovers the Scroll of Thoth with prince Im-Ho-Tep. A young researcher reads the scroll which brings the prince (Boris Karloff) back to life. It's 1932 Egypt. Another British museum expedition uncovers the tomb of princess Anck-es-en-Amon sealed up 3700 years ago. The reincarnated prince has returned to reunite with his lost love. He becomes obsessed with Helen Grosvenor who could be the reincarnated princess.This doesn't have the intensity of a modern horror. It also doesn't have the iconic visuals of its monster-classic cousins. It does have Karloff and close-ups of his wrinkled face. This provides a basic foundation for Mummy horrors to come although the iconic slow-moving bandaged mummy doesn't appear in this one. The flashback to old Egypt could have come earlier. It does have a moody, creepy feel but it mostly moves very slowly.

zardoz-13 The principal problem with "Mad Love" director Karl Freund's atmospheric laden Egyptian chiller "The Mummy" is the shortage of activities involving the eponymous character. You see Boris Karloff in the early scenes as the Mummy wrapped up realistically in a casket at the excavation site. We hear Dr. Muller (Edward Van Sloan of "Dracula") inform expedition leader Sir Joseph Whemple (Arthur Byron of "Shadow of Doubt") that the Mummy was not eviscerated during the burial ceremony 3,700 thousand years ago. Muller hypothesizes that the intact viscera indicates that this ancient Egyptian priest called Imhotep (Boris Karloff of "Frankenstein") was punished for sacrilegious behavior. Indeed, we learn later Imhotep was buried alive because he sought to resurrect his illicit lover, the princess Ankh-es-en-amon (Zita Johann), daughter of the Pharaoh. Dr. Muller pleads with Sir Joseph to destroy the Scroll of Thoth because of the curse attached to it. When you consider that the Thoth Scroll contains language capable of raising the dead, Muller makes a convincing argument.While Sir Joseph and Dr. Muller discuss the scroll outside expedition headquarters, Sir Joseph's presumptuous assistant Ralph Norton (Bramwell Fletcher of "Random Harvest) cannot leave well enough alone and reads the Scroll. This act of reading it at a whisper resurrects Imhotep, the High Priest of the Temple of the Sun at Karnak, and the Mummy comes alive, appropriates the Scroll, and traipses out of the office undetected by either Sir Joseph or Dr. Muller. Unfortunately for Norton, he witnesses this supernatural act and chuckles insanely to himself in horror. Later, Norton goes stark, raving mad and dies in a strait-jacket. The expedition of 1921 concludes without discovering anything else, but eleven years later another expedition enters the tomb again and complete its work. This time Sir Joseph's son, Frank (David Manners of "Dracula") and Professor Pearson (Leonard Mudie of "Dark Victory") are about to abandon the excavation when Imhotep, now masquerading as Ardath Bey, provides them with exact location of Ankh-es-en-amon's tomb. Grateful as they are to Imhotep, Frank and Professor Mudie not only find the tomb but also give all the treasures to the Cairo Museum. At one point, Frank asks Imhotep why he didn't dig up the tomb, and Imhotep explains that he cannot legally exhume his ancestors.Meantime, Ardath Bey plots to resurrect the body of princess Ankh-es-en-amon when he learns about a half-Egyptian woman, Helen Grosvenor (Zita Johann), and realizes that she is a dead ringer for the late princess. Convinced that Helen is the reincarnation of Ankh-es-en-amon, he sets out to murder her, embalm her, and then resurrect her as his bride. Now, Frank and Dr. Muller struggle to save Helen from Ardath Bay, and the surprise of surprises is that their best efforts to save her amount to an exercise in futility. Incredibly enough, Helen, who knows her share of ancient Egyptian history, saves herself from Imhotep during the final ceremony when he plans to stab her to death with a sacred knife. Clearly, this Pre-Code horror epic shows the damsel-in-distress triumphing over evil with the help of her male lover and his assistant. Asmentioned earlier, "The Mummy" contains fewer than ten minutes of Karloff looking authentically wrapped up for the ages and then he walks off camera and all we see are the unraveled strips of bandages as he slips out the door while Norton laughs in lunacy at what he sees. Aside from these few precious moments, "The Mummy" has no mummy on the rampage as director Terence Fisher had in his 1959 remake with Christopher Lee or Stephen Sommers had in "The Mummy" (1999) with Brendan Fraser. Mind you, Karloff gives a sterling performance as the taciturn Ardath Bay, and he looks menacing in a series of extreme close-ups that are worthy of wall posters. Furthermore, Ardath Bey is a fragile looking individual who doesn't look like he could smash a cockroach with his fist. Nevertheless, he displays impressive power because he wears a powerful ring.Scenarist John L. Balderston, who penned the screenplay from a story by Nina Wilcox Putnam and Richard Schayer, simply appears to have revised his "Dracula" screenplay with a change of the title character and the setting. Just as "Dracula" concerned a supernatural character who wields his power to seduce an innocent female victim against her will, "The Mummy" does basically the same thing. Like Mina in "Dracula," Helen in "The Mummy" has a male lover who protects her as well as an older gentleman versed in the Occult arts as Professor Von Helsing was in "Dracula." Interestingly enough, not only does actor Edward Van Sloan reprise a similar role in "Dracula," but also debonair David Manners was cast as the boyfriend in "Dracula." Although it is scary in the least, strong performances, atmosphere galore, and splendid production values highlight this Universal Pictures chiller that was followed by "The Mummy's Hand," "The Mummy's Tomb," "The Mummy's Curse," and "The Mummy's Curse."

Python Hyena The Mummy (1932): Dir: Karl Freund / Cast: Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners, Arthur Byron, Edward Van Sloan: Classic horror film about those ancient things that are best left buried. Boris Karloff, fresh after his classic performance as the Frankenstein monster, is back as the mummy come to life after a curse is broken. He aims to resurrect a princess whom he was mummified for attempting to resurrect before. Now he encounters a woman who bears resemblance to her and decides to communicate to her through a mind trance. Directed by Karl Freund with splendid makeup effects on Karloff. The Egypt digging site is well presented within a screenplay that plays on the hokey. Perhaps this film might have been creepier had the mummy been unable to talk. This renders him too approachable thus tarnishing any potential suspense. Karloff still remains a haunting image whether he is the Frankenstein monster or this ancient figure who can draw power just by staring into one's eyes. Zita Johann plays the female whom resembles the ancient princess and falls under the mummy's trance. David Manners plays the son of one of the reseachers, and he becomes smitten with her. Arthur Byron and Edward Van Sloan play two of the researchers who know just how dangerous their discovery is, and the scroll they must conceal and destroy. Corny yet entertaining creature feature about sins best left unearthed. Score: 9 / 10