Reserve a Room in “The Mummy’s Tomb”-Tonight!
The Universal Mummy series continues tonight, when Lon Chaney Jr. slips into the wrappings of Kharis the living Mummy in “The Mummy’s Tomb”!
Do you like stock footage, kids? Well, this movie has plenty of it- as we get a rehash of the Mummy story when an older Stephen Banning- the handsome young archeologist from “the Mummy’s Hand”- delivers the story of Kharis and his brush with the nasty monster to entertain his family and guests. He considers the Mummy to be a thing of the past, but- we discover that the high priest who sicced the bandaged baddy on Steve and his pals somehow survived being shot- and has again maintained the tanna leaf treatment that keeps Kharis alive!
The high priest passes on the secret formula for the tanna tea, and assigns a new young priest to a new assignment of vengeance- he must take Kharis to America, and have him kill all the surviving members of the expedition that invaded the Princess Ananaka’s tomb that Kharis swore to protect! The new caretaker of the Mummy heads to the U.S., and gets a job near Banning’s home as- caretaker of the cemetery, where he can house Kharis in a convenient tomb- and prepare him to wipe out the interlopers one by one!
Things get complicated when the new priest grows a little too interested in Banning’s son’s fiancée- and decides to use the powerful Mummy to clear the way for him to hook up with this hometown hottie! Will Kharis go along with this scheme- and will the plan for revenge be carried out to its full potential?
This 1942 sequel to “The Mummy’s Hand” brings back several of its cast members- Dick Foran as Steve Banning, Wallace Ford as Babe, and George Zucco as the old high priest- but the Mummy goes from being played by Tom Tyler to being portrayed by Lon Chaney Jr.- and, supposedly, Lon wasn’t happy about it, since he disliked the elaborate and uncomfortable Mummy make-up and outfit. He demanded that they find short-cuts for the face make-up, which lead to a more mask-like prosthetic being developed for his Kharis roles. He would go on to play the Mummy two more times.
Another new addition is actor Turhan Bey, an actor with Turkish and Czech roots, who made a career out of playing exotic foreigners. We’ll have more information about the cast, and, of course, more Mummy shtick for you to enjoy.
“The Mummy’s Tomb” opens on Me-TV tonight at 10 pm eastern, 9 pm central, 1 am on San Francisco’s KOFY, and please check the local listings in your area to see what time we will come on there. If you’re one of our Chicago area viewers, you get the usual bonus Sven stuff- at 11 am on Me-TV, it’s another showing of Lon Chaney Jr. as the sophisticated Count Alucard in “Son of Dracula”- and, at 3 pm on U Too, it’s all hands on deck when we bring you the definitely non-horror hilarity of “Rescue from Gilligan’s Island”- featuring a fake ( but- ahem- well –upholstered ) Ginger- and, for fans of our lovely friend Candi from KISS-FM, an old clip from when she was still at B-96 and dropped by to visit us!
If you’re a subscriber to our newsletter, be watching your in-box for the latest edition for July. We also have quite a few July appearances coming up, so- make sure you check our site regularly for all the information!
Enjoy “The Mummy’s Tomb”- open a window, and let the hot weather simulate the heat of the Egyptian desert!
57 Responses to Reserve a Room in “The Mummy’s Tomb”-Tonight!
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It’s surprising that Universal never gave the role of the Mummy’s handler (manager?) to Bela Lugosi in at least one of these films. He would’ve been just as right for the part as the others who played it. And he could’ve been gotten just as cheaply, sad to say.
Great thought! Bela would be great as caretaker of Kharis! In lieu of Lugosi, always think of this as Turhan Bey’s signature role. George Zucco is a fan favorite…plus Peter Coe and John Carradine in parallel roles. Tomb it may concern…enjoy Lon Jr. And this blast cast! P.S. I often wonder why the Mummy’s victims don’t just RUN! As a monster, Mummy is so slow! Perhaps they are petrified or hypnotized at his very presence!
So sad, would love some campy Gilligan’s Island with a non-Ginger and with Candi visiting…but AT&T does not offer! I am so mad I could write a letter, LOL! I guess I better start writing AT&T!!!!
Si. Mummies are traditionally slow, creeping monsters. They are basically a dry-cured zombie wrapped-up to keep ‘em fresh. This preservation process means they don’t eat living people to stay fresh, but they do contain a deadly level of nitrates and sodium. Mummies also came first. Zombies are a few centuries old, mummies go back more than 3000 years B.C. They tend to collect stuff as a hobby to make all that time pass, and so they are very protective of they’re stuff. All it takes is some nosey archeologist poking around and they start lashing out at anyone they deem suspicious. So, I know over the years Sven’s Sat nite show is pretty much dependable, and different times of year sometimes there’s reruns on. Maybe during the day on Saturday, there’s been 3am weekday showings before. Since comcast cable still still doesn’t recognize Sven on the TV listings, just checking, are there reruns in any other time slots right now? If not, see that happening in the relatively near future? If so, would like to know, been cravin’ the bold, cheesy flavor of Sven lately. I know ‘the U’ or ‘MeTV’ or ‘This’ could do the 3am rerun thing this summer, I’d be tuned in.
So… do ya think Alfred Hitchcock had this flick in mind when he wrote “Psycho”? Particularly, what do Dick Foran and Wallace Ford have in common with Janet Leigh?
A classic movie. Looking forward to making some popcorn and a vanilla milkshake, while I enjoy the movie.
To Dan S. Hmmm, six degrees of desperation ? A quick perusal of IMDB says that Dick Foran and John Wayne were good friends, and, Janet Leigh was in Jet Pilot with J. W. Gave up on Wallace Ford.
Love the “archeological” chemistry between Dick Foran and Peggy Moran in “The Mummy’s Hand”…look for them paired again in Universal’s rarely seen “Horror Island” circa 1941. Of course Mr. Foran is in tonight’s “Mummy’s Tomb”. No Ms. Moran, unfortunately. Hey, Sven…love the comment about enjoying the hot weather tonight to replicate the desert! Possible snacks during the movie : some healthy WRAPS….and cool tana-gerines!
HELLO FROM SEATTLE WHERE WE GET SVEN EVERY SATURDAY NITE! I LAUGHED AT THE FIRST COMMNENTER’S REFERENCE TO THE “MANAGER” OF THE MUMMY. IF I WAS THE MANAGER, I’D PUT IN A PINCH RUNNER…..
AND TO JOHN (PRET) PRIPUSICH “WHAT’S WITH THOSE EYES”?
I don’t know that I really want to go into that tomb, but I’m reserving some space on the couch, for sure.
Great to see my two Universal Monster loving brothers posting and thanks for the invite to do so as well. Great, Blood, er Blog Spot, Sven! I’ll definitely be kicking back with Sven like I do most Saturday nights and it’s great knowing my bros are watching simul-tana-leaves-ly (bad – “pa TOOey”!)
Alfred Hitchcock didn’t write “Psycho”. Robert Bloch wrote the novel “Psycho” upon which the screenplay and film were based.
“The Mummy’s Tomb” is an atmospheric, fast-moving chiller–definitely entertaining. As Sven once mentioned, the movie is also a trifle mean-spirited: All the Mummy’s victims are senior citizens (including that sweet, little old Scottish lady Mary Gordon, who played Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson’s housekeeper, in the Universal Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce Holmes series).
Being a sequel, “The Mummy’s Tomb” is rather predictable, and features perhaps too much stock footage from “The Mummy’s Hand,” but is still very watchable. I just think John Hubbard makes a very ordinary leading man-hero, and is not convincing as Dick Foran’s son–the two actors were practically the same age! For that matter, neither Foran nor Wallace Ford is especially convincing in old-age makeup, but, hey, that’s Hollywood!
Love how Steve Banning and “Babe” Jensen, the two happy-go-lucky adventurers from “The Mummy’s Hand” are hunted down and killed by the bestial mummy they thought they’d disposed of at the end of the previous picture. There’s the terror of recogntion before they’re finished off too. “Kharis!” Nice!
A couple replies here:
Jack, since you’re suggesting refreshments, don’t forget to include the iced (tanna leaf) tea.
Dale, interesting you brought up Sherlock Holmes, since I mainly recognize George Zucco (the elderly priest) from “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, in which he played Professor Moriarty.
Love the show, and particularly love the information of the casts that you give us.
Great beverage idea, Chris! With lots of ice! It’s been desert hot for a week now. Kharis loves this heatwave! Not so sure about Lon Jr in that makeup and those bandages! Whatever he was paid, he was underpaid! Enjoy “The Mummy’s Tomb”!(I got to meet Ben Chapman who played the Creature From The Black Lagoon”…granted it was 1954…but he got $300 for the entire gig!……imagine how hot it got wearing THAT getup!).
We , here in Houston are anxiously awaiting the show.
Thanks man !!
A Saturday night tradition
Could never figure out why Lon Chaney jr played this part, unless he had too because of a contract. Just like Jason or Michael Myers, two other non speaking killers, they should have been able to cast any big guy, non star, to lumber through these movies.
To Dan S. I give up.
Sorry I was just laughin my ass over boomers. First time since my marriage dissolved. I’ve been watching forever but that really did it for me, thanks so much!!!!
Looks like guard dogs made good mummy alarm detectors back in the day!
Do they have the Sven shirt in size XXXL? If so I will buy one right now!
dont care about the scary movie svengoolie is FUNNY + hot
Sven/Rich, Enjoying the movie and even more so your humor…”Half Nelson…!”.
In response to your recent post Jerry from Elk Grove, I wonder how much the mummy costume weighed back in the day? I understand the Frankenstein makeup Karloff used to wear for the movies added almost a couple hundred lbs. on his person. And he dawned the costume one last time in his 60s. These guys were not only strong actors but physically strong individuals imop!
I am so glad I can watch you in West Lafayette. I loved watching you in Chicago, but I am happy that more “regions” will know who you are and how funny you are. You called my class a while back when we read a book about a monster movie host. You are a great guy!
We put on the channel getting ready for Sven and the KIharis and to our surprise our lovely AT&T U-Verse will no longer show Me-TV. Does anyone know why? All we know is we had it last week and this week it’s blocked.
Nice to know if I moved across the country I could see Sven but, here, 30 miles away, I can’t.
Jeanin,
Is your tv set fairly current? Does it have a digital OTA tuner built into it? If so you way be able to tune it in using your old fashion UHF/VHF antenna if you have one affixed to your domicile! That’s how I watch MeTV in Dallas, on channel 47.1 on my OTA antenna which is really an OTA UHF/VHF antenna being used to receive digital channels. My house still had the old antenna when I moved into it. Even though it was knocked down many years ago during a storm, I still use it for MeTv reception since it receives MeTv in HD as opposed to DirecTv who only broadcasts it here on channel 4 in S(Standard)Definition I think.
Mine are bigger. I’m actually going to be mummified when I die, and I’m having myself cured with hickory smoke and maple syrup. Then I’ve requested that my remains be processed into Beggin’ Strips brand dog snacks… dogs won’t know I’m not bacon.
I think when the mummy in this movie was still able to speak it’s possible he may have had a heavy Egyptian accent. Also, it’s very hard to do phonetic spelling in hieroglyphics. What I’m getting at is that his name is probably just “Chris”, not “Kharis”.
Holy crap the Flash Gordon Svensurround was hysterical!! There were a lot of good parts, I particularly liked the horned gorilla’s “How-Ah-Yah!” entrance.
what the crap? watching “metv” channel 20 in los angeles and they have some infomercial going in place of you sven!! been watching faithfully for the past month and they pull this?!!
Living in Phoenix, I enjoy a good mummy movie. Reminds me of everything else out here that’s dried-out from the desert heat! Flash was hysterical, wish you had more episodes.
WTH? Why are you running infomercials on LA ch 20 instead of The Mummy Returns? There’s nothing on the other 200 channels. I had to watch The Alamo again and now a rerun of Red Eye. Run a scroll along the bottom of the screen and tell us what happened. Did MeTV get kicked off?
Flash was HYTERICAL………..Is there more?? Is it available?? Just like the old Firesign Theatre “J Men Forever” , which was hilarious!!!
As per Dale Uhlmann says:
June 30, 2012 at 5:25 pm, “The Mummy’s Tomb” is an atmospheric, fast-moving chiller–definitely entertaining…
I AGREE WITH THE ENTERTAINING, BUT FAST-MOVING??? AND OTHER “REFRESHMENTS” WHILE WATCHING LAST NIGHT INCLUDED MUMMY (YUMMY) SODA, AND HOSTESS (GHOSTEST) SNO (MUMMY) BALLS…
Miguel: Your comment about Kharis probably having a heavy Egyptian accent (before the priests cut out his tongue) brings up another question: would he even have understood English? The new high priests never speak to him in Egyptian, only in English, and he seems to understand them clearly. Was Kharis bi-lingual?
Can’t believe ATT U-Verse dropped MeTV. Time for me to drop them..Comcast here I come. Only way to see first run Svens.
I think Kharis has a real anger management problem! Of course, if somebody had cut my tongue out and mummified me alive, and my 3,000 year-old slumber was interrupted by some nosy archaeologists trying to steal my girl’s body, maybe I’d be a little cranky, too. But instead of automatically strangling people, he should take a deep breath, count to TANNA, and then just move on (or shuffle on).
Tried to Tivo “Lost In Space” & “The Svengoolie Show” last night & came home to find that KVME 20 in L.A. has apparently scrapped their excellent Saturday night lineup for infomercials. Where should the angry emails be directed?
Good one. I think the local citizens chasing Kharis at the end of the movie need serious counseling! So, the Mummy is carrying the leading lady on the second floor balcony of the house…and the citizens throw flaming torches and set the house on fire! Couldn’t about ten citizens run up and grab the girl and take Kharis into custody? This lack of judgement may explain why they ignore the barking dogs and don’t RUN when Kharis approaches! And…they really screwed up; the mansion is gone…but Kharis still lives! Two more enjoyable sequels to follow!
I share your pain, Don! And by “Good One! “..I mean’t Dale’s very funny post about Kharis’ anger issues! Yeah…it hasn’t been easy for the K-man. I think he could use a good meal. Tana juice is okay…..but would it kill George Zucco or Turhan Bey to spring for a burger every now and then?
I love how the old caretaker holds his right arm & hand against his side & talks of how they were maimed & disfigured 30-years earlier…
Then, as he passes the amulet to the new caretaker, both hands/arms seem to work perfectly.
A miracle just as he dies on a stone throne… kinda like Elvis?
Gotta love some of the campiness that is inherrant (sp?) in some of these classics.
You also GOTTA love Lon Chaney’s eye’sduring the close-ups!
Hello Boss. Reading my E-Mail, I see you plan to air “Francis in the Haunted House” on July 14. I enjoyed the Francis Movies, I always believed “Mr. Ed” was Francis replacement. And on July 21 its “The Ghost and Mr. Chicken”, is this for Ker-Win?. I really enjoy “Don Knotts” Movies. D.N. WAS!!! “The Andy Griffith Show”, (sorry A.G.) its true tho. I”m glad Minnesota gets Me T.V. now, Your show is IT!!!.
Babe irritated me in The Mummy’s Hand but then I was sad when Kharis killed him in The Mummy’s Tomb. Maybe his old man makeup softened my ire. I was out of town yet delighted to find Svengoolie and MeTV on a weekend I thought I’d go without a monster movie.
Jack: Yeah, and how about the sheriff’s total disregard of civil liberties? He lets the townspeople try to break down Mehemet Bey’s (Turhan Bey’s) door without a search warrant, and then allows Banning to interrogate Bey and threaten him with violence if he doesn’t talk! Where is the ACLU when you need them?
Dale :
, if somebody had cut my tongue out and mummified me alive, and my 3,000 year-old slumber was interrupted by some nosy archaeologists trying to steal my girl’s body, maybe I’d be a little cranky, too.
TO SAY NOTHING OF CUTTING OFF YOUR JOHNSON AND STICKING IT IN A MSAON JAR.
Jack:
I think the local citizens chasing Kharis at the end of the movie need serious counseling! So, the Mummy is carrying the leading lady on the second floor balcony of the house
DID YOU SEE ALL THE FRANKENSTEIN STOCK-FOOTAGE GUYS WITH TORCHES INCLUDING THE SLOW FAT GUY?
AND ICK! THE CLOSEUP OF THE MUMMY’S FOOT ON THE PASSED OUT WHIMPY GUY.
The Mummy movies are the best. I just don’t care for all the humor from The Mummy’s Hand movie. I hope Sven shows the Hammer Production of the Mummy with Christopher lee and Peter Cushing, it would be nice if they could make a real new version of the Mummy not like the Brandon Frasher ones, they were too much on the humor silliness side. Get Jon Carpenter to do it to make it scary.
Hi Sven-I enjoyed The Mummy’s Tomb, but I have one question: where’s Poopsie??
What I heard was: After their long relationship, Babe broke up with Poopsie and changed his last name to avoid dollimony payments.
I still say Lon Chaney Jr was such a great actor he not only deserves a star on the Hollywood walk of fame, but can teach a thing or two to some of the young actors of today.
Dr. Talbot: Say, that’s right! I forgot that the ancient Egyptians performed radical invasive surgery on male mummies. Obviously, Universal didn’t want to bring that up when explaining Kharis’ fate in the flashbacks! And, yes, that is stock footage from “Frankenstein,” with the villagers’ distinctly east European costumes, we see in the climax of “The Mummy’s Tomb.” That and the scenes from “The Mummy’s Hand” prove that Universal was more interested in economy than in consistency of detail.
Lon Jr. Definitely should have a star on Hollywood walk of fame! What a great actor….terrific career! Sven….Why don’t we start a petition?
WHAT!?!?
Lon Chaney DOESN’T have a star on the Walk-Of-Fame!?!?
Have you seen some of the SCHMUCKS that DO have them!?!?
But not a star like Lon Chaney!?!?
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised… there are no more stars… just talentless public figures… reality-show & tabloid “celebrities”…
Jack/Glenn: Te best way to make your voice heard is log on to http://www.lonchaney.com. This is the official Chaney family website started by Lon Chaney, Jr.’s grandson, Ron Chaney, Jr. If you go to the site’s LCS link, you will be able to send an email to the Walk of Fame committee, as well as make a small monetary donation to the effort to have Lon Chaney, Jr.’s star on that Walk.
Thanks, Dale! I’m on it!! Part of Lon Jr’s legacy…he’s even been on a Postage Stamp! Much more rare!
If the Mummy would bathe, incriminating evidence (like 3K year old dust), would not be found on the victims neck. He’d (the Mummy), would have gotten away with murder. Perfect crime, no known finger prints on file. (If they had finger printing methods back then).