The Mummy's Tomb is the second chapter in Universal's Kharis franchise. Thanks to scholars Nige Burton and Jamie Jones, it receives the royal treatment in a 36-page, Classic Monsters of the Movies tribute.
Though Tom Tyler portrayed Kharis in The Mummy's Hand, Lon Chaney Jr. (hot off of Man Mad Monster, The Wolf Man and The Ghost of Frankenstein) seized the moldy reins of the anguished prince who was mummified alive (with tongue severed), due to a reckless attempt to resurrect his cherished Princess Ananka.
For this 1942 sequel, vengeance is in full swing, as Kharis (thanks to the lure of tana leaves) is dispatched to track and kill those who dared to disrupt Ananka's tomb, while eliminating others who dare cross his path.
Burton & Jones assess the sequel at length and share biographies on its prime cast, which along with the headlining Chaney, includes George Zucco, Wallace Ford and Dick Foran and Frank (King Kong/House of Frankenstein) Reicher (all four returning from The Mummy's Hand); Turhan (The Amazing Mr. X/Arabian Nights) Bey; Elyse (Joe Palooka/Arabian Nights) Knox; Harry (The Black Cat '34) Cording; and John (One Million B.C.) Hubbard. Additional credit is given to director Harold (The Frozen Ghost/Jungle Captive) Young; writers Griffin Jay, Henry Sucher and Neil P. Varnick; composer Hans Salter; and makeup maverick Jack Pierce; among other superb contributors.
The Mummy's Tomb is a significant installment in the Kharis saga, with its success having inspired further, Chaney sequels. If you're a Kharis disciple, this Classic Monsters salute is one to possess.
No comments:
Post a Comment