Universal and Hammer Mummy movies

[Earth 2 Chris]

The Mummy has always been kind of an afterthought for me with classic horror movies. I've neglected him for years, mostly because the whole Egyptian angle doesn't fit in with the European folklore feel of Dracula, Wolfman and Frankenstein. I only gave Karloff's original "The Mummy" a pass due to it's classic nature.

This year I thought I'd remedy that and watch me some Mummy movies. I gotta say...I LIKE 'EM! I've made it through all of Universal's output except for the last Kharis flick. HEAVY on formula, and horny high priests, but what the hey. I preferred Chaney's Kharis over Tom Tyler, but Chaney gets points for being my favorite Uni monster, Larry Talbot. George Zucco refuses to die, and somehow grew hair after being bald in the first Kharis flick. His stunt double had hair in that one (obviously), so may that's what caused the confusion!

The continuity between "The Mummy's Hand" and "The Mummy's Curse" was actually quite well done for the most part. To bring the same main characters and actors back for "Curse" only to kill them off was kind of a bold move I didn't completely expect.

"The Mummy's Ghost" had to have one of the biggest downer moments in all of Universal's monster output when Kharis takes the reincarnated Anankha into the swamp as she dries up and withers away. Usually SOMEONE walks away from these movies happy (even Henry Frankenstein, who honestly never deserved too). Poor Robert Lowery has to deal with the fact his lady dried up like a raisin and ran off with her old boyfriend. Oh well, he gets to be Batman in the movie serials later.

Last night, I thought I'd give Hammer's "The Mummy" a try. Unlike some of the Universal Kharis films, I don't think I'd ever seen this one at all. So imagine my surprise when I found how it picked up and rearranged many elements from the Universal films. Even Cushing's character name, John Banning! Lee made one powerful mummy, and his make-up was very well done, changing as he got wet and muddy, dried, etc. I thought he did a great job mostly acting through those piercing eyes. The ending ALMOST duplicated The Mummy's Ghost, but with a happier outcome. I have another Hammer Mummy flick on the DVR, and am looking forward to seeing it.

Chris

[enyawd72]

Welcome to the tomb! I've always been a huge Mummy fan. While not the fastest or fiercest monster, there's just something really creepy about a 3000 year old dried up corpse walking around.

[enyawd72]

If you ever get the chance, check out the Tales from the Darkside movie. It has the best Mummy story ever! Super creepy and scary. It's called lot 249...here's a clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzYht_EEf0U

[PNGwynne]

The weird thing about Universal Mummy movies is that the first one with Imhotep is really a Dracula remake; the later Kharis films are really classic Zombie movies if you look closely at the format.

I like the first Hammer film very much--great cast, great Lee performance, great pastiche of the Universal cycle which occured I think because Universal fronted some money & distributed it.

Tales from the Darkside IS really good, btw.

[Earth 2 Chris]

^Yeah, as much as I love the Karloff movie, it does indeed seem like a Dracula remake. And later Draculas borrowed the reincarnated love angle as well.

And yes, Hammer actually worked out a deal with Universal, and the Mummy was the first film in that deal, so sayeth Robert Osborne before the film on TCM.

Oh, and I had the movie names wrong. "Curse" was the last movie. "Tomb" was the first of Chaney's turns as Kharis. I watched the final film tonight. Of course much as been written about how the setting suddenly changes from New England to Louisiana!!! That was one BIG swamp, apparently!!!

At least this time the high priest didn't get the jones for the lady. It was his lackey on this outing!

Chris

[MIB41]

"He was dancin' with the devil!" I'll never forget that line for as long as I live. About 20 years ago my friend and I were out looking for a "classic" Mummy movie. I chose one based on a photo rather than the actual storyline. When we started watching it, we realized it was taking place in Louisiana and my buddy says, "I thought mummy movies took place in Egypt?" About that time came this previously mention line and we just fell out laughing. It was a funny way to get reintroduced to the series.

[Earth 2 Chris]

^I had to explain to my son how African-Americans were often treated as...excitable types in these old movies. "Dobey" or whatever his name was, just kept saying that line over and over. I guess it's no worse than the thick Cajun stereotypes also in evidence, though.

Poor Princess Ananka can't catch a break. I guess 25 years in the mud just moisturized her skin for a time.

Chris

[palitoy]

^I had to explain to my son how African-Americans were often treated as...excitable types in these old movies. "Dobey" or whatever his name was, just kept saying that line over and over. I guess it's no worse than the thick Cajun stereotypes also in evidence, though.

It has to be better than the "Andy Panda goes to Africa" cartoon my kids saw once, they REALLY need to take that out of syndication.

As for Mummies, Kharis always has my vote. The original Mummy is a good film but I think the later entries are more fun. Just recently rewatched the Hammer version as well, really enjoyed it.

[PNGwynne]

Lee's performance as Kharis is quite deft--he really uses his eyes & body language well.

[Earth 2 Chris]

^Yes. I've heard a lot about Tom Hardy's performance as Bane in DKR, and how he relied mostly on his eyes, since 75% of his face was covered by that big honking mask. Lee did the same thing, really conveying a wide range of emotions with his eyes and body language. Apparently he hated the makeup and vowed never to reprise the role, which he didn't.

Chris

[Earth 2 Chris]

Watched Hammer's "Curse of the Mummy's Tomb" last night, DVRed last month off of TCM. Overall I appreciated the fairly original wrinkle to the usual Mummy tale, but man, did it take a long time to get to the Mummy! Hammer seemed to go overboard with the suspense building in their middle period between their initial horror push (Horror of Dracula, Curse of Frankenstein) and their T&A phase (Vampire Lovers, etc.). I still liked the film, but I was just kept waiting for a big guy in bandages to show up and throttle someone.

This one seemed to up the gore and sadism a lot from other Hammer fare of the time. Chopped off hands, skulls crushed under the Mummy's foot...And why did the police and everyone just stand there and let that Mummy crush the poor Egyptian guy's head, anyway?

Lacking a bit from the absence of Cushing and Lee, but still enjoyable.

Chris

[PNGwynne]

Ehhh, and once he does show up, he's a rather pudgy, stolid Mummy.

The twist with the immortal brother is neat, though.

[Earth 2 Chris]

One thing that bothered me throughout the movie: I knew I recognized the actor playing Sir Giles. Right before the Mummy gets him, it hit me; he played Van Helsing in "The Monster Squad" (1987). He even had the same facial hair, 23 years later!

Chris

[Bruce Banner]

Love the Mummy movies... both the Karloff original and then the Kharis saga with Tom Tyler and LC Jr.
Classic.

I really hope that one day they find the deleted scenes from The Mummy... the whole reincarnation flashback sequence. That would be awesome.

And Jack Pierce's make up for Karloff was amazing... and then we hardly see it in the finished film.
And some footage of Karloff in the full body Mummy gear early in the picture was also cut.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Yes, at it stands, Karloff is barely "The Mummy" in the movie at all. Such fantastic make-up and costuming to be essentially wasted. The Ardeth Bey look is cool, but we needed more Mummy! All of the action figures of Imhotep are kind of anti-climatic to me, since he never saw much "action". Kharis is a different story!

Chris