The Mummy's Hand (1940)

Archaeologists defile the tomb of mummified Kharis, who was buried alive for falling in love with 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

When Marta goes back to retrieve the investment money, she fires nine (9) shots at the door, but she's using a revolver that's only a six-shooter.

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Quotes

Andoheb: Tana leaves!
The High Priest: Bring three of them. Three of the leaves will make enough fluid to keep Kharis's heart beating. Once each night, during the cycle of the full moon, you will dissolve three tana leaves and give the fluid to Kharis.
[a jackal howls]
The High Priest: Children of the night, they howl about the Hill of the Seven Jackals when Kharis must be fed. Should unbelievers seek to desecrate the tomb of Ananka, you will use nine leaves each night to give life and movement to Kharis. Thus you will enable him to bring ...
[...]

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Connections

Edited into Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed (1999)

User Reviews

good mummy movie with some comedic elements, but definitely a horror film

An Egyptian man is told by is father an account of a Priest named Kharis who was in love with a Princess Annanka, and wanted to bring her back from the dead by stealing Tana leaves. There's no indication that she was in love with him. He is caught, and his tongue cut out, and buried alive with Tana leaves. The Egyptian man in the current day made high priest and is given the responsibility of keeping Kharis semi-alive with doses of three liquefied Tana leaves. If the Princess' tomb is going to be violated, then Kharis is to be revived with nine Tana leaves to destroy those responsible.

I found it odd that a man who was going to desecrate Annanka's grave was given the responsibility of guarding it. Perhaps it was poetic justice, and he lacked the ability to want to try to bring her back to life again. Indeed, the mummy of Kharis lacks the ability to do much more than move and carry out orders, and desire Tana leaves almost like a junkie.

Two men from Brooklyn stumble across a vase with a clue as to the whereabouts of Annanka's tomb. They see the opportunity to become rich and famous. They run it by the head of the Egyptian museum, who is the high priest, as it happens. He tries to dissuade them. His dual identity reminded me of Karloff's dual identity as mummy and scholar in The Mummy, to which this is only thematically a sequel.

The Brooklynites manage to get funding from a fellow Brooklynite and stage magician. After some trouble with his daughter, who was led to believe they were frauds, they go to find the tomb. (Oddly, one of her lines seems to have been dubbed in "I'll fix them with my trick revolver," to what purpose I'm not sure.) This of course means that a mummy is going to come to life! The mummy is given creepy jittery all-black eyes which was neat.

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