The Mummy (1932 film)

• Release Date: 1932
• Director(s): Karl Freund
• Writer(s): John L. Balderston
• Principal Actors and Roles: Boris Karloff (Imhotep); Arthur Byron (Sir Joseph Whemple); Zita Johann (Helen Grosvenor); David Manners (Frank Whemple); Edward Van Sloan (Doctor Muller)

The 1932 film The Mummy was one of the earliest horror films written specifically for the screen. Archaeologists had discovered the actual tomb of Tutankhamen (King Tut) in 1922, and ten years later, they completed their excavations. When the completion of the project put the so-called Boy King back in the headlines, Universal Studios jumped on the idea of making a horror movie built around the excavation of Egyptian tombs. Over time, the film has become a true classic of the genre, along with Frankenstein, Dracula, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The Mummy was also one of Boris Karloff’s greatest roles, showcasing his talents as a multifaceted actor.

The original concept for the movie The Mummy came from Universal Studios, which commissioned author Nina Wilcox Putnam to write a treatment. In that treatment, entitled Cagliostro, Putnam added Egyptian elements to the true story of an eighteenth century Italian who passed himself off as an alchemist. Only one element of this treatment was retained in the final version of the script for The Mummy—namely, the idea of a love story from the ancient past tragically revived in the present day.

Putnam’s original concept was reconceived by John L. Balderston, a well-known rewriter who had worked on other Universal horror masterpieces. Ten years earlier, Balderston had been a journalist covering the original discovery of King Tut’s tomb. Now, in 1932, the discoveries made in the tomb were finally coming to light.

Balderston was also well aware of the so-called Curse of the Pharaohs—a curse of death believed to affect all those who dared to open the ancient tombs. He closely followed the story of the curse insofar as it apparently affected all those involved in the violation of Tutankhamen’s tomb. First, just five months after the tomb was opened, its primary funder, Lord Carnarvon, died. One month after Carnarvon’s death, another funder, George Jay Gould, died after visiting the tomb.

The papers were full of these stories of King Tut’s curse, inspiring Balderston to recraft the movie script to include lurid details of a mummy’s curse, the battle for a woman’s love, and the fascinating details of Egyptian archaeology. The story also provided a fine opportunity to showcase Boris Karloff, who had recently entered the public eye in the role of Frankenstein’s monster.

Plot

The Mummy begins in 1921 as an archaeological expedition led by Sir Joseph Whemple prepares to open the ancient Egyptian tomb of Imhotep. Other members of the expedition include Dr. Muller and Sir Joseph’s assistant Ralph Norton.

The tomb of Imhotep contains not only a mummy, but also the Scroll of Thoth, which, when read aloud, will bring the mummy back to life. As Muller inspects the mummy, he notes that the body has not been laid out or embalmed as usual. In fact, he says, it is likely that Imhotep was actually buried alive—presumably for the crime of blasphemy.

Despite warnings, Norton reads the Scroll of Thoth aloud. Immediately, the mummy begins to come to life and finally walks out of the tomb with the scroll. Norton is driven mad with fear and eventually dies (although not at the mummy’s hands).

Ten years later, Sir Joseph is once again leading an expedition; this time, he finds nothing of interest. The frustrated Sir Joseph is therefore receptive when he meets an Egyptian named Ardeth Bey (actually the reanimated Imhotep). Bey offers to lead Sir Joseph to the untouched, 3,700-year-old tomb of the Princess Anckes-en-Amon. Inside the tomb are remarkable treasures, including the princess’s sarcophagus, which is placed in the Cairo Museum.

Meanwhile, the lovely Helen Grosvener, a houseguest of Dr. Muller, reveals that she is half-Egyptian. Frank, Sir Joseph’s son, tells her that she resembles Anckes-en-Amon and also that he has fallen in love with her.

Bey, at the museum, reads the Scroll of Thoth in an attempt to revive the mummy of the princess, his lost love. His reading of the scroll has the unintended effect of summoning Helen—who is actually the reincarnation of Anckes-en-Amon—to the museum. She attempts to enter but falls unconscious at the museum door. It is here that she is found by the Whemples and Muller. Muller discovers the scroll as well as Bey’s true identity.

Back at the Whemple home, Bey arrives to see Helen. He is confronted by Muller, who accuses him of being the mummy of Imhotep. Bey, using his evil powers, kills Sir Joseph to prevent him from burning the scroll. Bey then compels Helen to return to the temple, where she learns of Bey’s terrible past.

Imhotep explains that he loved the princess Anckes-en-Amon. After the princess’s death, he says, he stole the scroll in order to bring her back to life. This attempt was a form of blasphemy against the god Isis, and so the mortal man was condemned to be buried alive. Now immortal, he intends to kill Helen, mummify her, and then raise her from the dead so that she can live forever at Bey’s side.

Helen returns to Frank, but she is once again placed under a spell. Returning to Bey at the temple, she is dressed in the princess’s clothes and jewels while Bey burns the mummy of Anckes-en-Amon.

Frank and Muller rush to the temple, but they are held back by the mummy’s potent magic. Helen now remembers her past life and calls out to the god Isis to save her from Imhotep. The statue of the god raises its arm and destroys the scroll, and Bey turns to dust. Frank and Helen are reunited.

Significance

The 1932 version of The Mummy won no Academy Awards. It did, however, spawn a number of spin-offs and related films. These include:

• The Mummy's Hand (1940)
• The Mummy's Tomb (1942)
• The Mummy's Ghost (1944)
• The Mummy's Curse (1944)
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (a 1955 spoof)
• The Mummy (1959)
• The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964)
• The Mummy's Shroud (1966)
• Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971)

In 1999, Universal made a new version of The Mummy that had many elements in common with the original film. There were, however, significant differences in the story line. This version of the film was followed by The Mummy Returns (2001) and a prequel, The Scorpion King (2002), which was itself followed by several sequels.

Bibliography

Freeman, Richard. "The Mummy in Context." European Journal of American Studies 4.1 (Spring 2009). Web. 14 Nov. 2015. <http://ejas.revues.org/7566?&id=7566>.

Hall, Mark A. "Romancing the Stones: Archaeology in Popular Cinema." European Journal of Archaeology 7.2 (2004): 159-76. Print.

Jones, Jason. "The Mummy (1932)." Classic-Horror.com. Answer 42 Media, 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2015. <http://classic-horror.com/reviews/mummy‗1932>.

MacDonald, Sally, ed. Consuming Ancient Egypt. London: UCL Press, Institute of Archaeology, 2003. Print.

"The Mummy." Turner Classic Movies. Turner Entertainment Network, Inc., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2015. <http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/84111/The-Mummy/>.