The Mummy

A year after serving as cinematographer on Tod Browning’s Dracula, the mega-hit that inaugurated Universal’s cycle of horror films, the great German Expressionist cameraman Karl Freund was hired to direct The Mummy. The film is based on an original script by John L. Balderston, whose writings contributed to both Dracula and Frankenstein. Boris Karloff, fresh off his star-making role in Frankenstein, has the lead role —and was billed on The Mummy’s posters as “Karloff the Uncanny”! The result was another enduring addition to the pantheon of Universal movie monsters. “Ten years after the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb created a stir around the world, Universal gratified public demand for all things Egypt with this chilling tale of a cursed mummy reanimated by an ancient spell. Karloff’s portrayal of Imhotep, the mouldering monster driven to possess the modern-day incarnation of his long-lost love, is as unforgettable as his bandaged visage” (UCLA Film and Television Archive). B&W, 35mm. 73 mins.