The Mummy's Hand (1940)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Christy Cabanne

Writers:

Griffin Jay (story)
Griffin Jay (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

20 September 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

The tomb of a thousand terrors!

Plot:

A couple of comical, out-of-work archaeologists (Dick Foran and Wallace Ford) in Egypt discover evidence...

Plot Keywords:

Princess | Mummy | Tomb | Egypt | Gunfire

Cast

Dick Foran	...	Steve Banning
Peggy Moran	...	Marta Solvani
Wallace Ford	...	Babe Jenson
Eduardo Ciannelli	...	The High Priest (as Eduardo Cianelli)
George Zucco	...	Professor Andoheb
Cecil Kellaway	...	The Great Solvani (as Cecil Kelloway)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Dr. Petrie
Tom Tyler	...	Kharis
Sig Arno	...	The Beggar (as Siegfried Arno)
Eddie Foster	...	Egyptian Starting Fight
Harry Stubbs	...	Bartender
Michael Mark	...	Bazaar Owner
Mara Tartar	...	Girl Vendor
Leon Belasco	...	Ali

Runtime:

67 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #6497)

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The temple scenes reused sets from Green Hell (1940)

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When bald/grey haired George Zucco is shot at the finale, the stunt double who takes the fall for him has a full head of dark hair.

Quotes:

Marta Solvani, Stage Name of Marta Sullivan: Where do they live?
The Great Solvani, Stage Name of Tim Sullivan: Where do they live? Where do they live? Where do they live? Go in the window...I don't know.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Tremors: The Sounds of Silence (#1.10)" (2003)

The Mummy's Hand (1940) ***

Not a sequel to Boris Karloff's THE MUMMY, but the start of an entirely different series of non-related films.

A group of likable treasure seekers search for the tomb of an ancient princess, but they encounter her still-living mummified prince instead, bent on destroying anyone who would dare defile the ancient Egyptian gods. This was the first and best of four Universal films featuring the mummy Kharis. At this stage of the game the formula was still fresh and not at all clichéd or monotonous, so that already places HAND at a distinct advantage over its other sequels and spin-off's.

Tom Tyler makes one very creepy mummy, all arthritic and twisted, with weird eyes that are optically blackened out for full effect in chilling closeups. George Zucco is deliciously cunning as the mad High Priest who keeps the mummy alive and killing via the sacred brew of nine ancient tana leaves. Dick Foran, Wallace Ford, Cecil Kellaway and Peggy Moran are all very pleasant as the awkward explorers who stumble upon Kharis' cursed tomb.

Comic relief is well used but never becomes intrusive, as the action always remains dead serious whenever the mummy takes center stage.