Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Charles Lamont

Writers:

Lee Loeb (story)
John Grant (writer)

Release Date:

June 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Adventure | Horror

Tagline:

It has been said that a man's best friend is his mummy...

Plot:

Bud and Lou find themselves pursued by an Egyptian cult for a special medallion linked to a walking mummy.

Plot Keywords:

Mummy | Medallion | Egypt | Crypt | Curse

Cast

Bud Abbott	...	Himself / Peter Patterson
Lou Costello	...	Himself / Freddie Franklin
Marie Windsor	...	Madame Rontru
Michael Ansara	...	Charlie
Dan Seymour	...	Josef
Richard Deacon	...	Semu
Kurt Katch	...	Dr. Gustav Zoomer
Richard Karlan	...	Hetsut
Mel Welles	...	Iben
George Khoury	...	Habid
Eddie Parker	...	Klaris, the Mummy (as Edwin Parker)
Chandra Kaly and His Dancers	...	Dance Troupe
Peggy King	...	Vocalist

Also Known As:

Meet the Mummy

Runtime:

79 min | Argentina:83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-16 | UK:U | USA:Unrated

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Though Bud Abbott's character in this film was named Peter Patterson and Lou Costello's character's name was Freddie Franklin, they addressed each other by their own, real names ("Heeeeey Abbott!") throughout much of the picture.

Quotes:

Bud Abbott aka Peter Patterson: How stupid can you get?
Lou Costello aka Freddie Franklin: How stupid do you want me to be?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Everybody Loves Raymond: Grandpa Steals (#7.12)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

You Came A Long Way From St. Louis

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) ***

Bud and Lou are two down and out adventurers in Egypt struggling to get some quick cash for a trip back home. They learn that a certain Dr. Zoomer has recently unearthed the mummy known as Klaris, "the Prince of Evil", and requires two good men to help him transport it back to the states. But before they can volunteer their services, Zoomer is murdered by two devoted followers of Klaris. Abbott and Costello then become absorbed in a three-way tug of war to secure the mummy and possess a sacred medallion which could lead to the discovery of the tomb of Princess Ara and her treasure in the bargain. Also competing for the prize is the dangerous Madame Rontru (played by sultry Marie Windsor) and her two henchmen (one played by Michael Ansara). But the Cult of Klaris (headed by Richard Deacon, who seems awkward in this part) is determined to intervene and reclaim the mummy and the medallion of Princess Ara for themselves and preserve the legend.

This was the next-to-final film for the aging Abbott and Costello, but yet it works quite well and emerges as one of their funniest from this period. The crazy plot helps to create some humorous shenanigans including a classic routine where Lou accidentally eats the sacred medallion which is hidden inside his hamburger, and another where he gets frustrated when Abbott keeps choosing to dig with a shovel even though Lou repeatedly tells him to "take your pick". The murder of Dr. Zoomer and the attempt by the killers to hide the corpse allows Costello another chance to go through his patented "disappearing bodies" shtick, though it's better done and not as repetitious here as it was in ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET THE KILLER. Both comedians are in great form throughout this comedy, and they're given some funny lines steadily throughout the picture (BUD: "How stupid can you get?" LOU: "How stupid do you want me to be"?)

For monster movie fans, the mummy Klaris (one wonders if this name was intentional or an error by the writers if they really meant to call him "Kharis" as in the Universal mummy series) is pretty bad looking; his bandaged carcass looks more like an over-sized pair of white pajamas, and his mushy face resembles a left-over egg roll. Klaris is played by Edwin Parker, a stuntman from back in the heyday of the classic Universal monster films who used to stand in as Frankenstein's monster, the Wolf Man and even "Kharis" himself.