The Mummy's Hand / The Mummy's Tomb Double Feature

This set of films is a real treat for horror fans and exactly what popcorn was made for. It includes the original screen classic from 1932 that began our long love affair with the mysteries of archaeology and ancient Egyptian curses which have provided us with countless hours of entertainment over the years as we let our imaginations run free for an hour or two. This is top-notch fun from Universal.After the initial masterpiece of the original "A" film, "The Mummy," Universal would make a franchise of the character and it would become a staple during the 1940's for people looking to escape the harsh news of the war and get lost in a fun story on a Saturday afternoon. It was also a chance to put your arm around your girl, as you knew there would be a few thrills that would give you the excuse you needed.Films like "The Mummy's Hand" and "The Mummy's Tomb" while no more than mere entertainment helped keep the legend fresh in the minds of those hungering for more. The two later entries from the 1940's included here are both a lot of fun, and both have Lon Chaney Jr. as the tortured Kharis, forever attempting to reunite with his forbidden love, Ananka."The Mummy's Ghost" was excellent "B" film entertainment and had John Carradine as Yousef Bay. George Zucco was back as Andoheb, even though he was supposedly killed off in the previous film. Ramsay Ames is the frightened Amina/Ananka in this one and Robert Lowery is her bewildered boyfriend. Chaney elicits sympathy through the bandages somehow as he chases after the screaming Amina, who begins to transform into his love Ananka as the story progresses. The great "B" sets of Universal and the transformation of Ramsay Ames' character Amina into Ananka are highlights of a good entry in the series.Lon Chaney would portray Kharis in the final film of the series also, and this time the stunning Virginia Christine would be his most sought after prize. "The Mummy's Curse" was set in the swamps as a group of workers developing the area become frightened when they uncover the resting place of Kharis. The foggy swamps provide an appropriately creepy mood for this good "B" entry.Betty Walsh is good as Kay Harding and Peter Coe is Dr. Ilzor Zanard, hiding Kharis in the ruins of a monastery. It is best not to question why or how there is such a place on a hill overlooking the swamps of the bayou or how the coffin of Kharis came to be there. These "B" Universal entries were meant to be fun entertainment and nothing more. This one succeeds in that capacity with the foggy atmosphere of the swamps and the gorgeous Virginia Christine. The scene where she rises from the swamps, awoken by the sunlight and covered in mud, gives this one a big lift.For something on another level, the original "The Mummy" is a true film classic. The story will seem familiar to audiences today, but it still has never been done better. This great film from 1932 which introduced moviegoers to a story we still can't get enough of, was both entertainment and art. It has stood the test of time and is as much fun to watch today as it was when in theatres in 1932.The Mummy is one of the great horror films from the early days of sound pictures. It began as all true film classics do, with an excellent story, this one by Nina Wilcox Putnam and Richard Schayer. It was a mystery and adventure set in the exotic location of Egypt. Add to that a present day romance in a tug of war with an ancient and supernatural love story and you have a true masterpiece of the genre.The story opens at a dig by the British Museum in 1921 as Sir Joseph Whemple (Arthur Bryon) and his team uncover an ancient sarcophagus. It becomes clear, however, that there is something quite different and disturbing about the mummy inside. His name was Imhotep, a High Priest, and the sacred spells etched into his coffin meant to make his journey to the afterlife smooth have been scratched out. And rather than being embalmed as was the custom in ancient Egypt, he was buried alive!A small casket is also found with him that warns of death for anyone opening it. It seems it contains the ancient scrolls of the Egyptian god Isis, the scrolls holding the key to life and death itself. Try as he may, in spite of warnings about the curse and its power from Dr. Muller (Edward van Sloan), Sir Joseph's assistant Ralph (Bramwell Fletcher) not only opens the small casket, but whispers the ancient Egyptian words of the scroll inside, bringing Imhotep back to life. Ralph Norton goes insane and Imhotep disappears.Eleven years later, in 1932, a new field expedition of the British Museum headed by Frank Whemple, Sir Joseph's son, is led by a tall and stiff Egyptian with hypnotic eyes named Ardeth Bay (Boris Karloff) to the tomb of an ancient princess. There are equally dire markers surrounding her resting place, the seals of Seven Jackels from over 3,700 years prior left as a warning.A battle of wills ensues for the love of big eyed and beautiful Helen Grosvernor (Zita Johann) between Frank and Ardeth Bay/Imhotep as Imhotep wants to use the scrolls to bring back Princess Anck-Es-En-Amon and give her Helen's soul. Imhotep's spell is poweful, but perhaps not as strong as Frank and Helen's love for each other. And one must not forget how Isis feels about Imhotep's past and present transgressions against ancient things held sacred.This is old-fashioned fun in every sense of the word. It does not seem creaky at all but is very entertaining, director Karl Freund keeping this Carl Laemmle Jr. production moving along at a nice pace. Karloff, Manners, and Zita Johann are especially good in creating a memorable film that began the legend we all have come to know as, "The Mummy."There is a sarcophagus full of fun and entertainment here. These films are what going to the movies is all about. So grab the popcorn and the kids and let your imagination run wild for an hour or two. It's a lot of fun!

Ok, so I admit, I wasn't the biggest fan of the mummy as a kid. The Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster and Dracula I all loved, but the mummy left me cold for some reason. As an adult now, I have a bigger appreciation for the mummy & his place in the lexicon of classic movie monsters.Everyone knows what a classic the original 1932 movie with Karloff is. Moody, understated and beautifully photographed. A first-rate job all the way.But the real fun comes with the second wave of Mummy movies produced by Universal in the 1940s. These were the films largely responsible for the pop-culture image most people think of when they hear the word "mummy". Admittedly, these films are not great, but they are good B-movie fun (for the most part) and a lot of the fun comes with picking out the various continuity errors that occur throughout the series.Prince Kharis, the bandaged, shuffling brute who throttles anybody who is unfortunate enough to get within his grasp first comes to life in "The Mummy's Hand" played by b-movie western veteran Tom Tyler. A good movie, although the comic relief provided throughout the film for the most part is obnoxious (especially Wallace Ford), but George Zucco turns in a perfectly sinister performance as the high priest in charge of keeping the mummy alive.Even better (imo) is the follow up "The Mummy's Tomb" which gets a lot of knocks judging by most reviews I've seen, but I thought it was very atmospheric, wasn't bogged down with any annoying comic relief like "Hand" and Turhan Bey and Lon Chaney Jr. were terrific in their respective roles, although the plot device of the high priest being tempted by some American skirt & fouling up his mission because of it was already getting tired & unfortunately would continue to be repeated in the followup sequels.The other two films, "Mummy's Ghost" & "Curse" are okay features with a great performance by John Carradine in "Ghost", but for the most part, the mummy vehicle was getting more than a bit tired by the time these two films were originally released. But taken for what they are, they can still be enjoyable B-movie fodder.Overall, I rate it a somewhat generous "5 stars", mostly for the fun factor.

Just having the original Mummy movie to add to my collection is wonderful, the four others is a bonus. and while they are not as good as the original it is interesting to see the changes along the way.

schnelle lieferung und immer wieder gern

The Mummy double feature movies are classic and legendary!!! Great to see how scary it was at those times!!! They don't make them like that, anymore!!! Truly great!!!

Image et son de bonne qualité pour des films de cette époque. Attention DVD zone 1. En france seul le premier film est sorti en Z2.Sous-titres FR bien lisibles. Les bonus et commentaires ne sont hélas pas sous-titrés. A noter que le premier film n'est qu'en anglais mais les 4 autres suites peuvent être vus aussi en espagnol. Coffret indispensable pour les amateurs.

It was wonderful seeing those old movies again, and the picture was nice and clear. Dealing with this seller was a pleasure