The Mummy (1932)

Director:

Karl Freund

Writers:

Nina Wilcox Putnam (from a story by) &
Richard Schayer (from a story by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 December 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror

Tagline:

It comes to life!

Plot:

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...

Plot Keywords:

Mummy | Reincarnation | Buried Alive | Flashlight | Summer

Awards:

2 nominations

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)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Florence Britton	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Bill Elliott	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson	...	Gentleman #2 (uncredited)
Eddie Kane	...	Inspector's Assistant (uncredited)
Tony Marlow	...	Police Inspector (uncredited)
C. Montague Shaw	...	Gentleman #1 (uncredited)
Pat Somerset	...	Helen's Dancing Partner (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Nubian (uncredited)

Directed by
Karl Freund

Writing credits
Nina Wilcox Putnam		(from a story by) &
Richard Schayer		(from a story by)
John L. Balderston		(screenplay)

Produced by
Carl Laemmle Jr.	....	producer
Stanley Bergerman	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
James Dietrich		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Charles J. Stumar		(camera) (as Charles Stumar)

Film Editing by
Milton Carruth		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Willy Pogany		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Vera West		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Jack P. Pierce	....	makeup designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Joe Lapis	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Fred Archer	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Jerome Ash	....	camera (uncredited)
James Drought	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Martin Glouner	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ray Jones	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
James Dietrich	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Carl Laemmle	....	presenter
Carl Laemmle	....	president: Universal Pictures Corp.

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1932) (USA) (theatrical)
• Croeze en Bosman (1933) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1934) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Realart Pictures Inc. (1951) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Screen Gems (1957) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (1999) (Canada) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2004) (Canada) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

73 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Arabic | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Germany:12 | UK:15 | USA:Unrated | Finland:(Banned) (1935) | Finland:K-11 (2004) | Spain:T | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #2709-R: 23 September 1936 for re-release) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Brazil:12 | Netherlands:18 (original rating) (1933)

Filming Locations:

Mojave Desert, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Boris Karloff was virtually unknown when he appeared as the creature in Frankenstein (1931). He created such a sensation that when this was made, only a year later, Universal only had to advertise "KARLOFF....'The Mummy'."

Goofs:

Continuity: 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.

Quotes:

Frank Whemple:Oh, I know it seems absurd when we've known each other such a short time. But I'm serious.
Helen Grosvenor:Don't you think I've had enough excitement for one evening, without the additional thrill of a strange man making love to me?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The House That Freddy Built (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Misterioso

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.