The Mummy

This 1932 Universal gem, though not as popular as FRANKENSTEIN, DRACULA or THE WOLFMAN at the time ranks up there with the very best of them. The late great Boris Karloff is truly a marvel to watch as he does double duty being both old Egyptian spooky dude and wrapped up old Egyptian spooky dude as well. Wha is of special import here is the driecting style of Karl Freund. Most are unaware he grw up in the German school of film making as worked as a cinematographer for both F.W. Murnau and Fritz Lang, he did in fact work on METROPLIS! THE MUMMY would be his directorial debut and sadly he would only make a few more films as his camera work was so highly valued he could only find placement in this position. Here in THE MUMMY his German roots are well on display making this a distinctly different Universal number in visual and tone. Sure, many of the elements of the original Universal DRACULA are lifted here but the overall feeling is enough to give it a fresh life. Freund would end up working on I LOVE LUCY where he would develop the three camera television shot. There are rumours he was on set and assisted on many of the original STAR TREK episodes though to my knowledge it's never been confirmed. THE MUMMY is one to sit back and enjoy and just try and remember how unique these films were back in the early dirty Thirties.