The Mummy (1932) is probably my least favorite of the classic Universal Horror films. Frankly, it is a bit dull and the Mummy doesn’t have nearly enough screen time. But it does contain some great set work and a wonderful performance from Zita Johann. This is probably why I’ve never bothered with any of the sequels…until now
The Mummy’s Hand takes the worst parts of the original and adds in some corny comic relief. Dick Foran and Wallace Ford, doing their best Abbott and Costello impressions play an archeologist and his trusty sidekick, both down on their luck. A broken vase they buy in an open-air market leads them on an expedition funded by a silly magician (Cecil Kellaway) and his daughter (Peggy Moran).
After a lot of plot, they eventually find the Mummy’s tomb. Some high priest or some-such thing feeds the Mummy some tea leaves and puts him under his control. Or something. My attention was waning at this point.
It isn’t a terrible film. The Mummy’s design is good, and some of the comedy is actually pretty funny. It’s just that the film feels so very slight. Its runtime is just 66 minutes and the Mummy doesn’t show up until about 40 minutes in, so there is a lot of filler. It had a tiny budget and pretty much no one involved with the original had anything to do with this sequel, so you can’t blame it for not being amazing.
All the Mummy “sequels” are pretty bad: The Mummy’s Hand (1940), The Mummy’s Tomb (1942), The Mummy’s Ghost (1944), and The Mummy’s Curse (1944).
I do kind of like the mood and sexual undertones of the original Boris Karloff The Mummy. Slow-paced, though, as was Dracula.
Yes, I’ve been looking at the other sequels thinking I should probably watch them at some point, but their reputation does not really make me want to actually do it.
I don’t know if you’re just viewing what’s available online, or also watching Blu-rays as part of your 31 Days of Horror, but one of my favorites is Night of the Demon – the extended British version of the American Curse of the Demon. All I can find online is the shortened/re-edited American version, which unfortunately omits some important sequences by cutting out 14 minutes. Yeah, the demon is cheesy looking, but it’s a great movie! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Demon
I haven’t heard of that one but I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve watched from Jacques Tourneur. I’ll keep an eye out for the extended version.
I watch a mix of what I own on DVD/Blu-ray, what’s officially available on the various streaming services, and what’s unofficially available if you catch my meaning.