The Mummy (1932 film)
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| The Mummy | |
|---|---|
| Image:Mummy1932.jpg | |
| Directed by | Karl Freund |
| Produced by | Carl Laemmle Jr. |
| Written by | John L. Balderston |
| Starring | Boris Karloff Zita Johann David Manners Edward van Sloan |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 22 1932 (U.S. release) |
| Running time | 73 min |
| Country | Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States |
| Language | English |
| Followed by | The Mummy's Hand (1940) |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Mummy is a 1932 horror film from Universal Pictures directed by Karl Freund, starring Boris Karloff as a revived ancient Egyptian priest. The film also features Zita Johann, David Manners and Edward van Sloan.
Contents |
[edit] Cast
- Boris Karloff as Im-ho-tep, alias Ardath Bey
- Zita Johann as Helen Grosvenor/Princess Anck-es-en-Amon
- David Manners as Frank Whemple
- Arthur Byron as Sir Joseph Whemple
- Edward Van Sloan as Dr. Muller
- Bramwell Fletcher as Ralph Norton
- Noble Johnson as The Nubian
- Kathryn Byron as Frau Muller
- Leonard Mudie as Professor Pearson
- James Crane as The Pharaoh
[edit] Production
The Mummy very closely parallels the studio's classic from the year before, Dracula. Karl Freund, cinematographer for Dracula, was the director of The Mummy and scenes very much resemble each other. Some cast members of Dracula, such as David Manners and Edward Van Sloan, appear in similar roles. Some critics have called The Mummy an instant remake of Dracula, produced so the studio could cash in.
The Mummy was not based on an earlier novel or play, but those familiar with the lesser known works of Arthur Conan Doyle may notice some striking similarities between the film and Doyle's short story "The Ring Of Thoth" (to be found in "The Captain Of The Polestar"). If there is any debt on the part of the film's writers, it has never been acknowledged.
The film used names for the mummy and his wife from history and from word play. The name "Ardath Bey" is a pig Latin rendering of Karloff's often-mimicked pronunciation of his own first name and also an anagram of "death by Ra". Imhotep, the mummy's real name, was the first famous Egyptian architect, living in the Old Kingdom, while Ankhesenamun was the wife of the pharaoh Tutankhamun from the New Kingdom.
Although the Mummy wasn't on screen for more than ten minutes (and for long shots a wrapped dummy appears to have been used), Boris Karloff wore a whole body suit and a highly elaborate eight-hour makeup job for the short time he was on screen.
Boris Karloff was billed as KARLOFF on film posters, dropping his first name for several years during this period when his career was at its height before reverting back to both names by the time Son of Frankenstein was produced.
[edit] Sequels and remakes
The film found several sequels in the 1940s, namely The Mummy's Hand (1940), The Mummy's Tomb (1942), The Mummy's Ghost (1944), The Mummy's Curse (1944) In 1955 the comedy Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy reworked the theme.
In the late 1950s British Hammer Film Productions took up the Mummy theme, beginning with The Mummy (1959), which was based on Universal's The Mummy's Hand and The Mummy's Tomb. This film was followed up by The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964), The Mummy's Shroud (1966) and Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971).
[edit] References in other media
The Mummy appeared in The Monster Squad, Mad Monster Party, Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School, Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf and Waxwork.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The Mummy at the Internet Movie Database
- The Mummy at the All Movie Guide
The Mummy series |
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| Original pentalogy: The Mummy (1932) The Mummy's Hand (1940) • The Mummy's Tomb (1942) • The Mummy's Ghost (1944) • The Mummy's Curse (1944) Remake trilogy: The Mummy (1999) • The Mummy Returns (2001) • The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) Characters: Rick O'Connell • Evy Carnahan-O'Connell • Mathayus (The Scorpion King) • Ardeth Bay (Medjai) • Characters related to The Mummy Spin-off prequel: The Scorpion King (2002) The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian (TBA) Spin-off television: The Mummy: The Animated Series (2001) Video games: The Mummy (2000) • The Mummy Returns (2001) • The Mummy: The Animated Series (2004) • Scorpion King (2002) • The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian (TBA) Attractions: Revenge of the Mummy (Florida) • Revenge of the Mummy (Hollywood) |
fr:La Momie (film, 1932) it:La mummia (film 1932) pt:The Mummy (1932) ru:Мумия (фильм, 1932) sv:Mumien vaknar uk:Мумія (фільм, 1932)
