The Mummy's Tomb (1942)

Truly Dreadful Film

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Filmed in a non-dynamic, straightforward manner, this is a basic standard style b-movie. Each scene follows the one before it, very predictably. This is OK but the producers are obviously not reaching for anything dynamic or ground-breaking. Its predecessor/originator "The Mummy's Hand" is an exciting, fun Mummy film but as a sequel "The Mummy's Tomb" is strictly a follow-on that begins with flashbacks to scenes from that predecessor.It should be noted that most of the acting in this sequel is quite good with a little gem of a performance by George Zucco, and featuring stalwarts like Turhan Bey and Mary Gordon doing excellent work in supporting roles.Hubbard and Knox are on hand to be just what they are: contract b-movie players who do competent work and don't get in the way. But that is really all they are asked to do and they are engaging if some what bland leads- you will find their roles and performances to be attractive and inoffensive but definitely not memorable.Mummy fans will appreciate this film and need it in their collections. It is watchable and is a good enough continuation of the Mummy series, but has the feel of a movie that was made for the purpose of marking time cheaply as the series plays itself out.

Another fun mummy movie from Universal. This is the first of three mummy films that feature Lon Chaney, Jr. as the mummy. It's really a thankless role for him, as you never see his face and it could be anybody under those bandages as far as the audience is concerned. Still, Chaney is the only horror movie legend to play all four of the great monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, Wolf Man, Mummy).This story takes place decades after the last film. Here, George Zucco's character is now an old man and he charges Turhan Bey with the sacred duty of controlling Kharis (both Zucco and Kharis survived the last film). Bey takes Kharis to America, where he proceeds to kill off the remaining members of the expedition from The Mummy's Hand. It's interesting they had the protagonists (Dick Foran, Wallace Beery) from the previous film killed off here. This sort of thing wasn't done back then but it's pretty cool. The new leads (John Hubbard, Elyse Knox) are a little on the bland side but the movie works anyway because the mummy is the star. As with most Universal horror films, I definitely recommend you check it out. It's a short runtime full of great escapist fun for young and old alike.

Harold Young directed this sequel to "The Mummy's Hand", now starring Lon Chaney Jr. as Kharis the mummy, who is still alive and on his way to America with a young priest(played by Turhan Bey) who are pledged to kill off the survivors of the Banning expedition that brought Princess Ananka home to the Scripps museum. George Zucco also returns as Andoheb, who survived being shot in the earlier film, and sent them on their mission of revenge. Dick Foran and Wallace Ford reprise their roles as Banning and Babe. Strange and misconceived sequel picks up the story thirty years later(!) Why the long wait? No idea, no explanation is given. To see key characters killed by Kharis is surprising, but also bizarre. Largely ineffectual film has little credibility or atmosphere; mostly good for camp value.

Hmmm; it isn't saying much for the quality of the movie when the first 10 minutes or so of the 60 minute film are taken up with flashbacks from The Mummy's Hand. Universal were basically ripping off their own product, and displaying a cynical attitude to their audience. Later on in the story they spliced in some rampaging townsfolk from Frankenstein as if to emphasise the cheap jack nature of this effort. The two Mummy sequels which followed it were at least an improvement.The story, what there is of it, has Turhan Bey taking over from George Zucco's high priest of Karnak and transporting Kharis to New England to take revenge on the Banning family for desecrating the tomb of Ananka 30 years earlier. Why the cult waits so long is never explained. Maybe they were trying to think of a way to get the sarcophagus past customs...Cue Dick Foran and Wallace Ford getting strangled by Chaney Jr.'s lurching Mummy. Actually these killings represent the highlight of the movie, and are surprisingly effective. The rest is all ho-hum territory. A moment of amusement might be had from two townsfolk waking up the sheriff in the middle of the night to report they've seen a shadow.Turhan Bey does his best with an under-written part, but Chaney Jr is a boring Kharis. He clearly hated the role and, er literally walked through it. The romantic leads are dull, and to be honest, so is the movie largely. At least it's brief.