The Mummy (1932)

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Movie Details

• Genre: Horror, Romance
• Release Date: 2032-01-01 n/a
• Running Time: 72 min.
• Director: Karl Freund
• Cast: Boris Karloff, David Manners, Zita Johann, Arthur Byron, Edward Van Sloan
• Producer: Carl Laemmle Jr.
• Writer: Richard Schayer, Nina Wilcox Putnam
• Distributor: Universal Pictures
• Official Site: The Mummy (1932) Official Site

Love never dies in this 1932 thriller: It just gets dry and flaky. Unlike the recent CGI-fueled remake, the original Mummy centers on Imhotep (Boris Karloff), the titular ancient awoken from a 3,700-year slumber by British archeologists trawling for discount merchandise in the sands of Egypt. Mere mortals fade into the background when Imhotep, posing as a human, enters the scene. How is it that the brainy Brits fail to notice that he's fossilized? And why doesn't anyone offer the poor guy some moisturizer? Left to his own devices, the earnest Imhotep conceals his mummy identity until he meets Helen (Zita Johann, in racy pre-code décolletage), the reincarnation of the princess for whom he gave his life. Soon our psoriatic hero is battling tweedy professors and physicians to retrieve his girl's memories from the spirit world. Actually, he's the bad guy--but what a bad guy! When Imhotep passionately locks eyes on Helen, one genuinely believes that she could overlook his musty flesh and jaunty fez to see that any guy willing to be buried alive for you is a decent catch. Dating tip for gents, which Imhotep should have followed: If a girl has a personal physician who accompanies her everywhere, she's bad news. (Stephanie Curtis)