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The Mummy
An ancient Egyptian priest named Imhotep is revived when a British archaeological expedition finds his mummy and one of the researchers accidentally reads an ancient life-giving spell. Imhotep escapes from the field site and searches for the reincarnation of the soul of his lover.
1932 · Directed by Karl Freund · 73 min · Horror · Fantasy · Screenplay in the scene database · 17 frames
Tagline
It comes to life!
Plot
In 1921, an archaeological expedition led by Sir Joseph Whemple finds the mummy of an ancient Egyptian high priest named Imhotep. An inspection of the mummy by Whemple's friend Dr. Muller reveals that the mummy's viscera were not removed, and from the signs of struggling, Muller deduces that although Imhotep had been wrapped like a traditional mummy, he had been buried alive. Also buried with Imhotep is a casket bearing a curse. Despite Muller's warning, Sir Joseph's assistant, Ralph Norton, opens it and finds an ancient, life-giving scroll, the "Scroll of Thoth". He translates the symbols and then reads the words aloud, causing Imhotep to rise from the dead. Norton is horrified and laughs hysterically as Imhotep shuffles off with the scroll.
Ten years later, Imhotep has assimilated into modern society, taking the identity of an eccentric Egyptian historian named Ardath Bey. He calls upon Sir Joseph's son Frank and Professor Pearson and shows them where to dig to find the tomb of the princess Ankh-es-en-Amon. After locating the tomb, the archaeologists present its treasures to the Cairo Museum, after which Ardath disappears. The professor recalls that Sir Joseph's assistant Norton went insane and died laughing shortly afterward.
Ardath soon meets Helen Grosvenor, a half-Egyptian woman who bears a striking resemblance to the princess, and she stays with Muller. Ardath falls in love with her, but so does Frank. After it is discovered that Ardath is the mummy Imhotep, Muller urges Joseph to burn the Scroll of Thoth, but when Joseph tries to do so, Ardath uses his magical powers to kill him and then hypnotizes Joseph's Nubian servant to be his slave and bring the Scroll to him, as the Nubian's Egyptian-related bloodline is susceptible to Imhotep's magic. After the servant does so, he hypnotizes Helen to come to his place and there, reveals to her that his horrific death was punishment for sacrilege, as he attempted to resurrect his lover, Princess Ankh-es-en-Amon.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: John L. Balderston
- Cinematography: Charles J. Stumar
- Edited by: Milton Carruth
- Music: James Dietrich
- Produced by: Carl Laemmle Jr.
Cast
- Boris Karloff as Imhotep / Ardath Bey
- Zita Johann as Helen Grosvenor / Princess Anck-es-en-Amon
- David Manners as Frank Whemple
- Arthur Byron as Sir Joseph Whemple
- Edward Van Sloan as Dr. Muller
- Bramwell Fletcher as Ralph Norton
- Noble Johnson as The Nubian Servant
- Kathryn Byron as Frau Muller
- Leonard Mudie as Professor Pearson
- James Crane as The Pharaoh
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: Arabic, English, French
- Studios: Universal Pictures
- Budget: $196,000
- Box office: $1,408
- Themes: virgin, egypt, excavation, museum, mummy, halloween, incantation, reincarnation, buried alive, resurrection
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