The Mummy (1932) (NR, 1932)

In this vintage monster movie, a British archaeologist with itchy fingers ignores an ancient curse and awakens the mummy Imhotep (Boris Karloff) from a 3700-year doze. The archaeologist promptly goes insane, and for 10 years the mummy is presumed stolen. Cleaned up to look like a modern-day Egyptian (sort of), Imhotep reappears and tells a couple of unsuspecting British Museum fellows where to dig to uncover the tomb of an ancient princess, untouched for nearly 4000 years. Ulterior motive? Yes! Imhotep is out to rekindle a long-severed love, and flips his fez when he finds a young half-Egyptian beauty who he believes to be her reincarnation.

The humor derived from THE MUMMY's stiff dialogue and bizarre situations may be unintentional, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Charming -- at times laughable -- in its utter inability to evoke goose bumps, this 1932 Universal horror classic is a great one for children to cozy up to with the folks without much risk of lost sleep. "Too much yakking, not enough monsters." That's the general consensus of kids who want a movie full of dripping fangs, snaggly talons, and exploding eyeballs, none of which appear in this quaint classic. The mummy only inhabits the first few minutes of the movie, much of that time propped motionless in a corner. After that, it's Boris Karloff as a fez-sporting Egyptian who mutters ancient curses that make people clutch at their shirt collars and fall down dead.

This is a grand movie to watch at home with the lights out and the young ones laughing on the couch with Mom and Dad. There are enough brooding Karloff close-ups, weird incantations, and eerie stuff to satisfy kids who don't demand much from a monster movie. For parents, there's nostalgia and priceless lines like "Do you have to open graves to find girls to fall in love with?"

Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Karl Freund
Cast: Boris Karloff, David Manners, Zita Johann
Genre: Thriller
Run time: 72 minutes
Theatrical release: December 22, 1932
DVD release: September 28, 1999
MPAA Rating: NR