Kharis the mummy is given a sacred potion that grants him eternal life to search for his lost love, Princess Ananka, despite the unending curse that haunts them.
"The Mummy's Ghost" is a sequel to "The Mummy's Tomb" (1942). In that film Kharis the Mummy (Lon Chaney) perished in a house fire. Also the old high priest (George Zucco) dies of old age while handing over his powers to a new high priest. In this film we find out that not only did Kharis survive the fucking fire unscathed but the old high priest turns up still alive as shit. This is the third of four movies in the original "Mummy" franchise.
NO CHAINS Can Hold It! NO TOMB Can Seal It!
I'm not saying The Mummy's Ghost is any worse than the rest, it's just the same god damn thing. The movie features both John Carradine and Lon Chaney Jr. again in the role of the mummy. Chaney invests some character into Kharis this time, allowing him to become visibly angered, frustrated, and even saddened during the course of the movie. The biggest drawback for this chapter is that Robert Lowery and Ramsay Ames are pretty lousy as the two leading lovers. Chaney's ass was usually drunk by 12 noon.
Among the solid supporting cast are Frank Reicher as the doomed Professor Norman, Harry Shannon as the Sheriff, Lester Sharpe as the helpful Doctor Ayad, and the always welcome Barton MacLane as a clever police inspector who tries to come up with an alternative means of dealing with the mummy on the loose. An adorable little dog named "Peanuts" has his moments, as well. Martha Vickers has a bit as a student in Reichers' class. Director Reginald Le Borg keeps it moving along adequately, to help it clock in at an appreciably brief running time of 61 minutes.
It is rumored during Kharis' raging attack on the night-porter (Oscar O'Shea) in the Scripp's museum, that Chaney actually slammed the old man into a real pane of glass, smashing it and injuring O'Shea. Alcohol has not been ruled out.
There's an amusing part where the locals, lead by Barton MacLane's cranky Inspector Walgreen, cunningly fashion a disguised pit in which to topple the Mummy, who doesn't even notice the fucking thing and just walks straight past!
The ending of the film is most notable - the monster gets the girl! But it's a short lived victory, as the Mummy and his kidnapped bride succumb to a swampy grave, an ancient Egyptian curse is fulfilled - "The fate of those who defy the will of the ancient gods shall be a cruel and violent death". At least she has been spared a life of married bliss with that jerk off Hervey.
Among the solid supporting cast are Frank Reicher as the doomed Professor Norman, Harry Shannon as the Sheriff, Lester Sharpe as the helpful Doctor Ayad, and the always welcome Barton MacLane as a clever police inspector who tries to come up with an alternative means of dealing with the mummy on the loose. An adorable little dog named "Peanuts" has his moments, as well. Martha Vickers has a bit as a student in Reichers' class. Director Reginald Le Borg keeps it moving along adequately, to help it clock in at an appreciably brief running time of 61 minutes.
It is rumored during Kharis' raging attack on the night-porter (Oscar O'Shea) in the Scripp's museum, that Chaney actually slammed the old man into a real pane of glass, smashing it and injuring O'Shea. Alcohol has not been ruled out.
A Hot Chick. The only thing that makes the Mummy's dead arm come to life.
The plot holes and lack of continuity in the Mummy series are well known and have been pointed out in many knowledgeable sources. Kharis is a killing machine and not a sympathetic creature as some of the other Universal monsters are. His tendency to kill senior citizens is yet another reason not to root for him. Watching The Mummy's Ghost isn't the worst way to spend an hour and is essential if your are following the series.
In the scene where Kharis trashes the Scripps Museum, Lon Chaney Jr. drove his fist through real glass--it was supposed to be breakaway glass, but the prop man forgot to replace it before shooting started--and a shard of it flew up and cut him through his mummy mask in his chin. In this scene, Kharis can be seen bleeding, and it's real blood.
Although there are rumors that Lon Chaney Jr.'s scenes in the "Mummy" series frequently used doubles for Chaney, director Reginald Le Borg stated that Chaney did his own scenes in this film.
According to director Reginald Le Borg in a 1989 interview, Lon Chaney Jr., as Kharis, went overboard in the scene in which he strangles Frank Reicher, although Chaney blocked the camera from picking up Reicher's reaction. The veteran actor was moaning, and exclaimed, "He nearly killed me!" According to LeBorg, Reicher was a veteran and didn't make a formal complaint, but the next day the director noticed his neck visibly bore the effects.
The opening scene introduced Kharis simply walking out of the woods with no explanation or rationale. Director Reginald Le Borg was able to talk producer Ben Pivar into shooting a prologue set in Egypt with John Carradine and George Zucco in order to give Kharis' introduction a basis in logic.
Acquanetta, who was initially cast as Ananka, slipped and fell in her first scene on the first day of shooting, suffering a slight concussion. She was replaced by Ramsay Ames.
Second of Lon Chaney Jr.'s three "Mummy" features, filmed from August 23-September 1, 1943, but not released until June 30, 1944 (copyrighted 1943) .
Lon Chaney Jnr. often said that being made up as the Mummy character was his least favourite make-up. There is a photo of the actor on set during production of "The Mummy's Ghost" where he is pinching his own nose in disgust.
Part of the original Shock Theater package of 52 Universal titles released to television in 1957, followed a year later with Son of Shock, which added 20 more features.
A Scene with Robert Lowery & the Dog at the 50 minute mark in the movie (50:30 seconds), Robert Lowery picks up the dog & says "Where is She?", puts the dog down & you hear a Sqweeky Dog Toy sound .. and the dog runs across a bridge with Lowery, after the Mummy.
This is one of a very few Universal Horror Classics where the female lead doesn't survive the film.
Now swear by the ancient Egyptian gods, that you will never rest until the Princess Anaka and Kharis have been returned to their rightful resting place, in these tombs...
Trivia:
Second of Lon Chaney Jr.'s three "Mummy" features, filmed from August 23-September 1, 1943, but not released until June 30, 1944 (copyrighted 1943) .
