The Mummy

1932
TV-14
1h 13m

IMDb RATING

7.0/10

31K

YOUR RATING

Boris Karloff and Zita Johann in The Mummy (1932)

Theatrical Trailer from Universal Pictures

Play trailer1:33

1 Video

99+ Photos

Dark Fantasy Supernatural Horror Fantasy Horror

A resurrected Egyptian mummy searches Cairo for the girl he believes to be his long-lost princess.A resurrected Egyptian mummy searches Cairo for the girl he believes to be his long-lost princess.A resurrected Egyptian mummy searches Cairo for the girl he believes to be his long-lost princess.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.0/10

31K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations

Knight
(scenes deleted)

Florence Britton

Nurse
(uncredited)

Jack Deery

Party Guest
(uncredited)

Bill Elliott

Party Guest
(uncredited)

Leyland Hodgson

Gentleman #2 at Cairo Party
(uncredited)

Eddie Kane

Inspector's Assistant
(uncredited)

Tony Marlow

Police Inspector
(uncredited)

Director
- Karl Freund
Writers
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

7.6

7.4

7.2

7.8

7.8

Bride of Frankenstein

6.9

Creature from the Black Lagoon

6.6

The Mummy

6.0

The Mummy's Hand

7.1

Son of Frankenstein

6.4

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man

5.5

The Mummy's Tomb

6.3

Dracula's Daughter

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
Unlike the other Universal classic monsters, the other Mummy movies have no direct relation to this one. The other films feature a different mummy, named Kharis, who is resurrected by tana leaves to be controlled by a modern person (similar to a voodoo zombie). The Mummy's Hand (1940) reuses footage from this film, but changes Imhotep to Kharis. It was Kharis who would appear in the other Universal and Hammer films. Imhotep wouldn't reappear in theaters until The Mummy (1999).

Goofs
Imhotep has been sentenced to "the Nameless Death", yet his name is still inscribed on his coffin. The ancient Egyptians had chisels and should have been able to destroy the glyphs on the coffin that make up Imhotep's name, but it is untouched when his mummy is found.

Quotes
[Norton laughs manically after seeing the Mummy leave the archaelogists' workshop with the sacred scroll]
Sir Joseph Whemple: What's the matter, man? For heaven's sake, what is it?
Ralph Norton: He went for a little walk! You should have seen his face!

Crazy credits
The credit begins over a rotating model of the Pyramids' site, then the main title 'The Mummy' is made with 3D rock letters on the side of a pyramid.

Connections
Edited into The Mummy's Hand (1940)

Soundtracks
Misterioso
(uncredited)
Composer unknown
Precedes "Swan Lake" during opening credits

User reviews244

Review

Featured review

8/10

Moody, understated and succinct

Boris Karloff plays Imhotep, a cursed Egyptian buried alive 3700-years-ago, returns to life to claim the reincarnation of his lost-love in this Universal classic. Moody, understated and succinct, The Mummy is one of the best films from Universal's classic horror period. Although much of the success can be credited to first time director Karl Freund, who normally worked as a top cinematographer, and the brilliant make-up artist Jack P. Pierce, it is Boris Karloff who gives the film its resonance. As he previously did with the Frankenstein monster, Karloff imbues this character with an aching sense of humanity which was completely absent later incarnations of the Mummy character. Credit must also be given to the able supporting cast including Zita Johann and the always reliable Edward Van Sloan. Now here's a question. Is the film scary by today's standards? I guess I'd have to say not really. However, I just watched this film again after seeing the American version of 'The Grudge.' 'The Grudge' certainly had me jumping more, but which film did I enjoy more? It'd have to be 'The Mummy.'