Mummy Monday: The Mummy’s Ghost

Nameless! Fleshless! Deathless!

Now this is more like it. When Kharis lumbered back to the silver screen for the 1944 The Mummy’s Ghost, Director Reginald Le Borg brewed up some vital ingredients along with the Tana leaves. First was John Carradine the latest in the long line of ancient Egyptian priests. Hammy he may have been at times, but Carradine oozed sophistication and threat. Secondly, a Mummy movie was once again blessed with a plot. Carradine’s Yousef Bey is sent to the States to revive Kharis and recover Ananka body. Unlucky for the Egyptian, on finding the Princess’s sarcophocas, Yousef Bey discovers that Ananka’s spirit has done a bunk and settled into the body of strangely stilted librarian, Amina. Before too long, victims are piling up and Amina boyfriend, Tom, is desperate to get her out of town and down the ailse.

Little does he know that housing a cursed Egyptian soul is bad for the skin and as Amina’s mind becomes as muddy as the Nile itself, the troubled beauty begins to age.

OK, so not everything makes sense. Once again, the high-priest falls foul of a pretty face but this time we bear witness to a more vocal temptation as at the eleventh hour. It’s never explained who’s the owner of the disembodied voice that persuades Yousef Bey to disobey his orders and shack up with Ananka latest incarnation. Personally I like to think it’s Set causing trouble, but either way it spells curtains for our Fez-wearing villain.

Lon Chaney Jr. is given more to do than his previous effort and actually tries a bit of acting through all those bandages this time and Kharis, and the film as a whole, benefits from a welcome bleak ending.

I have to admit, I’m a little biased about this film: The Mummy’s Ghost was the first Universal Horror I ever saw as a kid and it hooked me ever since, but its still a DVD that I reach for when I’m looking for a slice of harmless Halloween hokum.

Oh, yes. One final thing – I notice that Anaka’s guardians have rebranded. They’re now called the Priests of Arkan. I hope they remembered to change the headed notepaper.

Next time on Mummy Monday: The Mummy’s Curse