I never expected to see a horror film directed by Ernst Lubitsch and, while this has been touted as such and is even listed in genre-related books, it's nothing of the kind
and that makes it doubly disappointing for an all-round film-fan like myself! Actually, I've seen little of the director's work made in Germany (which includes only one major title, MADAME DUBARRY [1919], also starring Pola Negri and Emil Jannings) and none of his American Silents which means that, to me, Lubitsch has always been a master of the Talkie medium, so, bear than in mind
Anyway, the title is indeed incidental to the main plot which, once again, concerns the vicissitudes of a romantic triangle (Jannings, Negri and Harry Liedtke) which can only end in tragedy. Jannings and Negri are Egyptians involved in a scam milking tourists out of their money, by having the girl lend her eyes to the "mummy" from inside an empty sarcophagus! When a British lord and adventurer comes to visit, she falls in love and leaves with him to England. Needless to say, Jannings who, naturally, has feelings for Negri himself follows them (conveniently in the employ of another English aristocrat and friend to Liedtke) in order to exact his revenge. While the plot offers no surprises (except, maybe, the fact that Jannings has a Svengali-like hold on Negri), it's also rather ordinarily handled; indeed, here one finds scarcely any evidence of the much-renowned "Lubitsch" touch!
To be fair to the film, the famed Curse of King Tut's Tomb hadn't yet taken place (that was in 1921) so, in all probability, the film was never intended as a horror film at all. Anyway, Jannings who's always worth watching in a larger-than-life manner is the best thing about the entire film
but the melodramatic acting of Negri, a great star of the period, has dated badly and, indeed, she seems to do little throughout but faint!! As a matter of fact, as a means of amusing myself to counter the tedium of the film itself, as I was watching I imagined the actress discussing the shooting schedule with her director:
Negri: "What's on the schedule for today, Ernst?" Lubitsch: "You faint!"
The next day.
Negri: "What's on the schedule for today, Ernst?" Lubitsch: "You faint!" Negri: "Oh
"
The next day.
Negri: "Er--Ernst, do I get to faint today as well, by any chance?" Lubitsch: "Er
I'm afraid so!"
