Runtime: 61 minutes
Directed by: Harold Young
Starring: Lon Chaney, Jr., Turhan Bey, Dick Foran, John Hubbard, Elyse Knox
From: Universal
There’s no need for me to ever see The Mummy’s Hand…
This played last night on the Universal Monsters streaming channel found on platforms such as Pluto TV. I would have watched The Mummy’s Hand (the second in the franchise-Tomb is the third) except that the channel wasn’t playing it last night. That was irrelevant anyhow as the first 1/5th (!) of this film is a CliffsNotes version of Hand, told 30 years later by the lead in Hand-a character w/ the surname Banning- to his family in the living room.
The villains (both human & mummy) seek revenge 30 years later; at least this being a direct sequel explains why… this time the mummy is shipped to New England to gain revenge on the Banning family. The “tomb” in question is at a cemetery in New England. The mummy is guided by Turhan Bey. Now, this isn’t the best Universal Horror by any regards and has its silly moments; one example is that a guy phones the sheriff after hearing a wolf howl!
Yet, the movie is still enjoyable, a fine hour spent with a decent score and some atmospheric moments. Wallace Ford had a supporting role as the typical wisecracking Wallace Ford character. Plus, Lon Chaney, Jr. was the titular mummy, Kharis. It does plenty of killing even as it shuffles about and only has one working arm. Bey had a Turkish father; no surprise that he portrayed many “ethnic” roles during his career, including Egyptian in The Mummy’s Tomb.
Tomb is not a must-see film, not the best of the Universal Horror sequels of the 30’s through the 50’s. This does not mean there isn’t fun to be had viewing a mummy stalk then strangle people to death as if it was a slasher movie villain. If you’re familiar with The Mummy’s Hand, the first 12 of the 60 minutes being devoted to recapping that will be irksome but otherwise the film is competent, w/ several memorable moments.
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