By this point in the series, Universal was clearly running out of steam with its Mummy movies. The Mummy, released in 1932, was an effectively creepy and moody standalone movie during the early Universal horror cycle. The Mummy’s Hand, while not great, was a decent start to a new series focusing on a new mummy, Kharis. Since then, the series has gone into a sharp decline, each film being no better or worse than the other. Only a few months after The Mummy’s Ghost, Universal was already working on another one. English filmmaker Leslie Goodwins, who directed the Oscar-nominated short Dummy Ache, took charge of Lon Chaney Jr.’s final mummy movie. Almost none of the cast and crew from the previous films return for this, which is fitting considering this film. Finally, in December of 1944, The Mummy’s Curse was released five months after The Mummy’s Ghost.
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Synopsis
Twenty-five years after the last film, an engineering company in New Orleans is working to drain the swamp. The locals are wary, believing the mummy Kharis (Lon Chaney Jr.) is buried in the swamp with his bride Ananka. Doctors James Halsey (Dennis Moore) and Ilzor Zandaab (Peter Coe) arrive at the swamp to investigate and find the mummies. One night, one of the workers gets killed, and Halsey is convinced that Kharis has been uncovered and was responsible. Turns out Zandaab is a High Priest of the Arkam sect, and he meets with disciple Ragheb (Martin Kosleck). Meanwhile, Princess Ananka (Virginia Christie), rises out of the swamp and is found by local Cajun Joe (Kurt Katch). Now that she’s around, it’s only a matter of time before Kharis tracks her down, killing anyone in his path. The bayou is about to fall victim to The Mummy’s Curse!
Review
For a finale to the story of Kharis, The Mummy’s Curse ends things off with a whimper, not a bang. First off, you can tell the people making this didn’t care considering the location change made with no explanation. While the previous two films took place in Massachusetts, this film takes place in New Orleans for some reason. Not only that, but this film takes place 25 years after The Mummy’s Ghost, which further adds to the confusion. Also, during this film’s big exposition scene, they use the same flashback sequence from The Mummy’s Hand. Like before, Chaney Jr. mostly stumbles about as Kharis, and the makeup is considerably cheaper looking than the last films. Jack Pierce built a rubber mask for Chaney Jr., which is a good thing considering he hated the makeup. Interestingly, that mask is, to date, the last surviving piece of Pierce’s makeup.
Though this film’s uninspired, there are a few highlights, the biggest being the scene of Ananka rising from the swamp. It’s effectively creepy and goes on just long enough to maintain suspense, benefitting greatly from Virginia Christie’s performance. Speaking of, you can tell that she’s doing the best she can given the material she has to work with. The film’s other highlights are the scenes of Kharis killing people, feeling like a precursor to slashers of the 80s. At only an hour in length, the film drags on to the end, which is anti-climatic, to say the least. After being set on fire numerous times and somehow surviving, Kharis is finally defeated by falling rocks. This film is only worth a watch for Universal horror completionists, but otherwise, it’s not worth your time. Overall, The Mummy’s Curse is a disappointing finale to a series that had some potential.
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