We Want Our Mummy (1939)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Del Lord

Writers:

Searle Kramer (original screenplay)
Elwood Ullman (original screenplay)

Release Date:

24 February 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Short

Plot:

The stooges go to Egypt in search of the mummy of king Rootin-Tootin for which a museum will pay a $5000 prize...

Plot Keywords:

Mummy | Midget | The Three Stooges | Egyptology | Slapstick

Cast

Curly Howard	...	Curly (as Curly)
Larry Fine	...	Larry (as Larry)
Moe Howard	...	Moe / Radio Voice (as Moe)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dick Curtis	...	Gang Leader (uncredited)
Bud Jamison	...	Dr. Crowell (uncredited)
Eddie Laughton	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Theodore Lorch	...	Thug in Mummy Outfit (uncredited)
James C. Morton	...	Museum Curator (uncredited)
Robert Williams	...	Professor Tuttle (uncredited)

Directed by
Del Lord

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Searle Kramer		original screenplay
Elwood Ullman		original screenplay

Produced by
Jules White	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Allen G. Siegler

Film Editing by
Charles Nelson

Music Department
Ben Oakland	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
William Grant Still	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia Pictures
• Image Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Screen Gems (1958) (USA) (TV)

Runtime:

USA:18 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Quotes:

Curly: C'mon, Rootin-Tootin old kid! Heh heh! Whoever crowned you king?

It sure started out well and is about as good a Stooge short as you can find

The first few minutes of this Three Stooges film were a hoot, as the Stooges were hired to find a missing Egytologist as well as the ancient king, Rootin-Tootin. The reasoning given for hiring these idiots was priceless--"no sane person would agree to do this" and "if they are killed by the curse it would be a blessing to humanity"! During this short scene, the jokes and gags come pretty quickly and I must say this Stooge film starts a lot better than most of their films.

When the arrive in Egypt, instead of the action slowing down, the film continued with a very high pace--and filled with pretty good gags--among the best you'll see the Stooges do in any of their shorts. It's funny but this approximately 16 minute short has about as many laughs as the full-length ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE MUMMY.

FYI--The voice doing the radio commercial was Moe Howard's. Also, the Alligator used in the film looks quite real and not like a cheesy prop. Too bad alligators are only native to North America!