An October wouldn’t be right without The Mummy (1932), and I
guess I love it so much because it does have plot machinations similar to
Dracula (1931). I actually love Van Sloan in this as he really closely
resembles his Van Helsing character from Dracula. When he looks right into the
far more powerful Ardeth Bey and tells him that if he could he’d grab him by
the throat and break his dried flesh into pieces, I want to just rise up and
applaud. And what makes Van Sloan ideal for the character of Dr. Muller is that
he respects the curses and warnings, considering artifacts sacred although
without studying archeological findings how well versed would he actually be?
Still, this is my favorite of makeup artist, Jack Pierce’s work. Karloff in his
various stages, first as complete mummified corpse, in wraps, and then later
with dried, aged skin is by far my favorite of Pierce’s monsters. And this is
coming from a HUGE Wolf Man fan. And then boring romantic Manners once again as
the son of the respected scientist/archeologist who falls quickly in love with
descendent of Bey’s [Imhotep] former love, Ankh-es-en-amon, named Helen (Zita
Johann). I guess out of most of my Mummy ’32 viewings, this 2017 revisit
reminds me the most of Dracula. I was quite taken aback at home much it follows
the same sort of beats. The adversarial communication between Muller and Bey,
Manners trying to keep Helen from Bey, Helen eventually in Bey’s company, the
threat on Helen’s life and how Bey just about secures her as his “bride”, and
the significance of belief and superstition as Muller is right when his peers
look at what he says with great skepticism.
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