The Mummy's Curse (1944)

An irrigation project in the rural bayous of Louisiana unearths living mummy Kharis, who was buried in quicksand twenty-five years earlier.

Director:

Leslie Goodwins

Writers:

Bernard Schubert (screenplay), Leon Abrams (original story)

Stars:

Lon Chaney Jr., Peter Coe, Virginia Christine

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Mummy (as Lon Chaney)
Peter Coe	...	Dr. Ilzor Zandaab
Virginia Christine	...	Princess Ananka
Kay Harding	...	Betty Walsh
Dennis Moore	...	Dr. James Halsey
Martin Kosleck	...	Ragheb
Kurt Katch	...	Cajun Joe
Addison Richards	...	Pat Walsh
Holmes Herbert	...	Dr. Cooper
Charles Stevens	...	Achilles
William Farnum	...	Sacristan
Napoleon Simpson	...	Goobie

Storyline

An irrigation project in the rural bayous of Louisiana unearths living mummy Kharis, who was buried in quicksand twenty-five years earlier.

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Plot Keywords:

tana leaves | secretary | buried alive | cajun | louisiana | 

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Taglines:

ALL NEW THRILLS -- as the most dreaded curse of the ages strikes again! (Realart re-release ad)

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

22 December 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

La maldición de la momia

Filming Locations:

Bayou, Louisiana, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The only entry in the "Kharis" series in which George Zucco does not appear.

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Goofs

When Kharis attacks Tante Berthe in her room, she gasps as he strangles her. The camera pans to the resurrected Ananka, who stands nearby. Tante Berthe's previous gasps are replayed as Ananka watches the struggle.

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Quotes

Goobie: Dr. Halsey! Dr. Halsey!
Dr. James Halsey: What is it, Goobie?
Goobie: The mummy's alive and he's dancing with the devil.

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Connections

Referenced in Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: The Mummy (1932) (2013)

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Soundtracks

Hey, You!
by Frank Orth and Oliver Drake
Sung by Ann Codee

User Reviews

The Mummy Fades Out!

"The Mummy's Curse" was the fifth and final installment of Universal's mummy series and the third to star Lon Chaney as Kharis.

At the close of the previous film, "The Mummy's Ghost" Kharis and the reincarnated Princess Ananka are seen descending into a swamp located in New England. As this film opens we find out that they have magically been transported to the Louisiana bayous. Anyway, it seems that a certain swamp is about to be drained and the locals fear that the ancient mummy will be dredged up. As luck would have it, he is.

Dr. James Halsey (Dennis Moore) along with colleague Dr. Ilzer Zandaab (Peter Coe) have come to the area to recover the two mummies for a museum. Dr. Zandaab turns out to be the latest in along line of Egyptian High Priests charged with returning Kharis and Ananka to Egypt. Zandaab along with assistant Raghab (Martin Kosleck) revives Kharis (Chaney) in an old abandoned church and instructs him to find the Princess Ananka and to kill anyone who gets in his way. This he does.

Meanwhile Ananka (Virginia Christine) climbs out of the bayou and wanders aimlessly through the countryside. She is befriended and taken in by the locals. Eventually Kharis finds her and takes her back to Zantaab and.......

The film features a flashback sequence lifted in tact from "The Mummy's Hand" (1940) which itself was largely made up from footage taken from "The Mummy" (1932). In this sequence we see Tom Tyler as the unbandaged Kharis. The slim and muscular Tyler bore little resemblance to the heavier Chaney.

Watch for two veterans of the silent screen, William Farnum and Charlie Stevens in minor roles.

The Mummy was resurrected briefly for 1955's "Abbott & Costello Meet The Mummy".