The Mummy (1932)

In 1921 a field expedition in Egypt discovers the mummy of ancient Egyptian prince Im-Ho-Tep, who was condemned and buried alive for sacrilege. Also found in the tomb is the Scroll of Thoth... See full summary »

Director:

Karl Freund

Writers:

Nina Wilcox Putnam (from a story by), Richard Schayer (from a story by),

Stars:

Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners

2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Boris Karloff	...	Imhotep
Zita Johann	...	Helen Grosvenor
David Manners	...	Frank Whemple
Arthur Byron	...	Sir Joseph Whemple
Edward Van Sloan	...	Dr. Muller
Bramwell Fletcher	...	Ralph Norton
Noble Johnson	...	The Nubian
Kathryn Byron	...	Frau Muller
Leonard Mudie	...	Prof. Pearson
James Crane	...	The Pharaoh
Henry Victor	...	The Saxon Warrior (scenes deleted)

Storyline

In 1921 a field expedition in Egypt discovers the mummy of ancient Egyptian prince Im-Ho-Tep, who was condemned and buried alive for sacrilege. Also found in the tomb is the Scroll of Thoth, which can bring the dead back to life. One night a young member of the expedition reads the Scroll out loud, and then goes insane, realizing that he has brought Im-Ho-Tep back to life. Ten years later, disguised as a modern Egyptian, the mummy attempts to reunite with his lost love, an ancient princess who has been reincarnated into a beautiful young woman.

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Plot Keywords:

mummy | reincarnation | buried alive | flashlight | summer | 

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Taglines:

It comes to life!

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Arabic French

Release Date:

22 December 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cagliostro

Filming Locations:

Mojave Desert, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$196,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Boris Karloff to make-up artist (and designer of the mummy bandage costume) Jack P. Pierce: "Well, you've done a wonderful job, but you forgot to give me a fly!"

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Goofs

In the flashback scenes of Imhotep being mummified, his legs are bandaged together. They are still bound together in long shots of the mummy in his sarcophagus (which was a dummy). But when he comes to life, his legs are bandaged separately, allowing him to walk.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Frank Whemple: Helen! Helen! Come back! It's Frank! Come back!

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Crazy Credits

The credit begins over a rotating model of the Pyramids site, then the main title 'The Mummy' is made with 3D rock letters on the side of a pyramid.

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Connections

Referenced in The Monster Squad (1987)

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Soundtracks

"Misterioso"
(uncredited)
Composer unknown
Precedes "Swan Lake" during opening credits

User Reviews

A Well-Crafted Horror Classic

With one of Boris Karloff's numerous acting successes and a production done the way that a horror feature should be made, this is a well-crafted classic of the genre. From the first scene, the right atmosphere is established, and the story is told at an implacable pace that slowly builds up the tension and possibilities.

As he does with his characters in so many of his horror features, Karloff makes "The Mummy" a menacing monster, yet one with enough human motivations to keep him from becoming cartoonish. Karloff's approach, as does the movie as a whole, stimulates the imagination rather than the senses, giving this classic version a depth and permanence that cannot be matched by those more recent adaptations that rely on boring "special" effects and contrived "action" sequences instead of a well-told story with solid characters.

Edward Van Sloan, David Manners, and the rest of the supporting cast also help out. The atmosphere and settings are kept relatively simple, but effective. Naturally, the story is far-fetched, but it has a consistency that makes it relatively easy to suspend disbelief. The picture fits together well, and it remains a solid entry in the list of classic horror films.