Travis Simpkins: The Mummy (1932): Boris Karloff in Ancient Egypt

Saturday, October 24, 2015

The Mummy (1932): Boris Karloff in Ancient Egypt

Directed by Karl Freund, and produced by Carl Laemmle Jr., The Mummy (1932) is one of the renowned Universal Monster Movies… a true Classic in every sense. The story begins with the discovery of the tomb of cursed Ancient Egyptian high priest Imhotep, who is brought back to life by the incantation on a papyrus scroll… and continues with Imhotep's hypnotic and murderous power to reunite with his beloved Ankh-es-en-amon. Spurred by the Egyptomania following Howard Carter's discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb in 1922, the film provides the manic view of archaeology and museums at the time for all things Egyptian. The sets, while stagy, are well-designed and give the proper feel. Boris Karloff delivers one of the all-time Iconic portrayals in Horror with his role as the revived mummy Imhotep. Zita Johann is lovely as his romantic infatuation. David Manners and Edward van Sloan co-star.