The Mummy's Hand (1940)

An ancient mummy is revived to destroy the invaders of the 3,000 year-old tomb of an Egyptian princess.

Director:

Christy Cabanne

Writers:

Griffin Jay (story), Griffin Jay (screenplay)

Stars:

Dick Foran, Peggy Moran, Wallace Ford

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dick Foran	...	Steve Banning
Peggy Moran	...	Marta Solvani
Wallace Ford	...	Babe Jenson
Eduardo Ciannelli	...	The High Priest (as Eduardo Cianelli)
George Zucco	...	Andoheb
Cecil Kellaway	...	Mr. Solvani (as Cecil Kelloway)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Dr. Petrie
Tom Tyler	...	The Mummy
Sig Arno	...	The Beggar (as Siegfried Arno)
Eddie Foster	...	Egyptian
Harry Stubbs	...	Bartender
Michael Mark	...	Bazaar Owner
Mara Tartar	...	Girl
Leon Belasco	...	Ali

Storyline

A couple of comical, out-of-work archaeologists (Dick Foran and Wallace Ford) in Egypt discover evidence of the burial place of the ancient Egyptian princess Ananka. After receiving funding from an eccentric magician (Cecil Kellaway) and his beautiful daughter (Peggy Moran), they set out into the desert only to be terrorized by a sinister high priest (George Zucco) and the living mummy Kharis (Tom Tyler) who are the guardians of Ananka^Òs tomb.

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Plot Keywords:

archeologist | resurrection | tana leaves | magician | mummy | 

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Taglines:

The tomb of a thousand terrors!

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Genres:

Adventure | Fantasy | Horror

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Part of the original Shock Theater package of 52 Universal titles released to television in 1957, followed a year later with Son of Shock, which added 20 more features.

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Goofs

Professor Andoheb has Marta strapped to a stone table. In one shot Marta is lying on the table without the straps, but in the next shot the straps reappear.

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Quotes

Marta Solvani, Stage Name of Marta Sullivan: Where do they live?
The Great Solvani, Stage Name of Tim Sullivan: Where do they live? Where do they live? Where do they live? Go in the window...I don't know.

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Connections

Features Green Hell (1940)

User Reviews

The Mummy's Hand (1940) ***

Not a sequel to Boris Karloff's THE MUMMY (1932), but the start of an entirely different series of unrelated films featuring a new mummified prince called Kharis. A group of amateur but likable treasure seekers search for the tomb of an ancient princess, but they encounter the still-living mummy instead, bent on destroying anyone who would dare defile the ancient Egyptian gods.

While not a great Universal horror movie by any means (one critique would be the re-usage of the same exact shot again and again of Kharis shambling about in the wilderness) this was the first and best of four Universal films featuring the mummy Kharis. At this stage of the game the formula was still fresh and not at all clichéd or monotonous, so that already places HAND at a distinct advantage over its other sequels and spin-off's. Tom Tyler makes one very creepy mummy, all arthritic and twisted, with weird eyes that are optically blackened out for full effect in chilling closeups (albeit the same repeated closeup). George Zucco takes top honors as the deliciously mad High Priest who keeps the mummy alive and killing via the sacred brew of nine ancient tana leaves. Dick Foran, Wallace Ford, Cecil Kellaway and the perky Peggy Moran are all very pleasant as the awkward explorers who stumble upon Kharis' cursed tomb. Comic relief is well used throughout, but never becomes intrusive, as the action always remains dead serious whenever the mummy takes center stage.

*** out of ****

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 September 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Mummy's Hand

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

67 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1