CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES: THE MUMMY'S GHOST

The Mummy's Ghost was Lon Chaney Jr.'s second outing as the frightful yet poignant Prince Kharis. This creepy, 1944 chapter is now memorialized by scholars Nige Burton, Jamie Jones & John (Penny Dreadful) Logan in a 36-page, Classic Monsters of the Movies tribute. 

Directed by horror/adventure veteran Reginald (Weird Woman/Calling Dr. Death) LeBorg and written by Griffin (The Mummy's Tomb) Jay (with assistance from the latter's Henry Sucher, in addition to Brenda Weisberg), The Mummy's Ghost is set in Mapleton, Massachusetts, thirty years after the previous chapter's events. Kharis resurfaces through mystical, tana-leaf meddling, conducted by George Zucco's high priest and John Carradine's avid protege, who lead him to the reincarnated Princess Ananka, portrayed by Ramsay (G-Men Never Forget/Calling Dr. Death) Ames. 

Additional cast members are highlighted in the volume, including the reprising Frank (King Kong/Son of Kong/Superman and the Mole Men) Reicher (who, according to legend, Chaney almost choked to death on camera); Robert (Revenge of the Zombies) Lowery (who'd soon star as the Caped Crusader in Batman and Robin); David (The Mad Ghoul/Calling Dr. Death) Bruce, Martha (Captive Wild Women/Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman/The Big Sleep) Vickers, Barton (The Walking Dead/Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde 1941) MacLane; Oscar (Of Mice and Men/Captains Courageous) O'Shea, Harry (Citizen Kane/Touch of Evil) Shannon and Peanuts, the tale's brave Scotty. An overview of director LeBorg distinguishes the edition, with portions devoted to producer Ben Pivar, monster maestro Jack Pierce, photographer William A. Sickner, composer Frank Skinner and stock-music contributors Hans Salter and Charles Previn.

The authors discuss the movie's pros and cons, romantic pathos, behind-the-scenes mishaps and unconventional, Lost Horizon-inspired ending. These essential portions are bridged by rare photos and colorful, publicity materials, plus quotes and trivia, all printed on high-stock paper. 

Burton, Jones & Logan's analysis is exemplary and demands an encore. Here's hoping that Classic Monsters of the Movies publishes a deluxe edition on that big, Kharis finale, The Mummy's Curse, but for now, The Mummy's Ghost beckons at 

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ALIEN: A CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES TRIBUTE

"In Space, No One

Can Hear you Scream." 

I love Alien. It's hands down one of my all-time favorites, which is why I'm pleased as Punch that Nige Burton & Jamie Jones have fashioned a luxuriant, 36-page, Classic Monsters of the Movies volume in its honor. 

The 1979, 20th Century Fox blockbuster was directed by Ridley Scott and written by Dan O'Bannon & Ron Shusett. With its dark-discovery roots stemming from the notable It! The Terror From Beyond Space, Queen of Blood and Planet of the Vampires, Alien proved a momentous breakthrough for its intricate, gritty imagery and H.R. Giger's iconic Xenomorph, based on his 1976 "Necronom IV." The Alien, along with its resulting, gruesome scares, placed the production on an immediate par with Psycho, albeit in the desperate depths of space.   

Of course, it was the movie's monstrous phases that made this macabre work of art the talk of the town, with the great, late Giger's design worn by the agile and towering Bollaji Badejo, and then there are those eerie eggs, the Facehugger, Chestbuster and "space jockey" Engineer, their weirdness bracketed and heightened by Jerry Goldsmith's portentous and resonant score (an orchestral classic if ever there was or will be).  

Additionally, Burton & Jones share bios and insights on the Nostromo's indelible characters and performers: Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley, Tom Skerritt's Captain Dallas, John Hurt's Kane, Yaphet Kotto's Parker, Harry Dean Stanton's Brett and Ian Holm's Ash. 

Precious trivia and "quotable quotes" also populate this high-stock edition, with photos that bleed with intensity and vitality. Indeed, Classic Monsters of the Movies: Alien is a collectible of the grandest order.

And you can order it right here and now ...

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THE MUMMY'S TOMB: A CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES TRIBUTE

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.

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THE MUMMY'S HAND: A CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES TRIBUTE

 

Long before reboots became fashionable, The Mummy's Hand inaugurated the concept, as Universal moved from Boris Karloff's Imhotep to Tom Tyler's Kharis. 

To commemorate the landmark switch, Classic Monsters of the Movies' writers/researchers Nige Burton & Jamie Jones analyze the 1940 revision, The Mummy's Hand. 

At the outset, Prince Kharis' tale mirrors Imhotep's, with the heartbroken noble attempting to resurrect his beloved Princess Ananka. However, due to the his sacrilegious act, he's mummified (with his tongue removed), becoming the abiding sentinel of the princess' tomb. Centuries later, when an expedition comes upon Ananka's resting place, a high priest awakens Kharis through tana leaves, prompting the mummy to pursue the intruders.  

The authors give a thorough, academic assessment of the movie, as well as tossing the spotlight on Kharis actor and western/movie-serial star, Tom Tyler. Bios on his costars include George Zucco, Wallace Ford, Dick Foran, Peggy Moran, Cecil Kellaway, Charles Trowbridge and Eduardo Cianelli. Burton & Jones give equal veneration to the movie's director, Christy Cabanne; its producer, Ben Priva; its writers, Griffin Jay and Maxwell Shane; its composers, Hans J. Salter and Frank Skinner; its cinematographer, Elwood Bredell; its legendary makeup man, Jack Pierce; among other talented contributors. (There's no question that their efforts ushered an influential, if not eternal, effort in the corridors of creepy cinema.)

The illuminating, 36-page, photo-packed edition is a must for horror fans and reboot historians; so say a little prayer to Amon-Ra, get those tana leaves stoked and order Classic Monsters of the Movies: The Mummy's Hand for your collection. 

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SCREAM SIRENS: A CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES TRIBUTE

With thoughts and fears turning to female, horror figures in recent days and years (Kathryn Newton's Lisa Frankenstein, Mia Goth's Elizabeth Lavenza, Jessie Buckley's The Bride!, Alisha Weir's Abigail and Natalie Grace's Katie), their faithful followers will find Classic Monsters of the Movies' Scream Sirens: The Heroines of Classic Horror an invaluable resource. 

Nige Burton and Jamie Jones' encyclopedic, 68-page volume explodes with the great women who inspired many of their contemporary counterparts.

These talented, pioneering ladies range from the silent era through cinema's silver stretch and include Mary Philbin, Elsa Lanchester, Zita Johann, Helen Chandler, Frances Dade, Frances Drake, Mae Clarke, Valerie Hobson, Gloria Stuart, Gloria Holden, Nan Grey, Martha Mansfield, Miriam Hopkins, Ingrid Bergman, Maureen O'Hara, Carroll Borland, Brigitte Helm, Olga Baclanova, Fay Wray, Simone Simon, Kathleen Burke, Evelyn Ankers, Anne Gwynne, Jane Adams, Illona Massey and yes, more, more more! 

Of course, respectful adoration also falls on the memorable movies in which they starred, such as King Kong, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, Dracula's Daughter, Mark of the Vampire, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man, The Invisible Man Returns, Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, Metropolis, Mad Love, Cat People, Freaks, The Phantom of the Opera 1925, The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1939, Island of Lost Souls ... and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde 1921, 1931 & 1941.

In addition to Burton & Jones' detailed overviews, this special edition features outstanding, photo reproductions of the actresses, along with their virile (and often sinister) costars, which makes this trip down memory lane all the more comprehensive and endearing. 

If one loves old-time Hollywood and the women who distinguish it, Scream Sirens is an essential: an elaborate reference source that celebrates a cordial kind of nostalgia that only grows more vibrant with the passage of time. 

Order Classic Monsters of the Movies' Scream Sirens at 

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