The Mummy's Curse

The Mummy's Curse (1944)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Twenty-plus years after the events in the previous film, another high priest enters the Louisiana swamps to bring Kharis (Lon Chaney, Jr.) back from the dead. This time out Princess Ananka (Virginia Christine) comes back to life but can't fully remember why she knows so much about Kharis. Soon the mummy is trying to track her down and is willing to kill anyone who stands in his way.

THE MUMMY'S CURSE would be the last of the Universal mummy movies until Abbott and Costello would bring him back towards the end of their careers. I think the film is an improvement over the previous entry and thankfully the movie runs at an extremely fast-pace and manages to provide several good moments. There are several fun moments throughout but one of the highlights has to be the Louisiana setting. I thought the swamp setting added a lot of atmosphere to the picture and there's no question that it help the entertainment value. Another great scene happens early on when the priest and his servant brings the mummy back to life.

Chaney probably gives his best performance of his three mummy roles here, although that might not be saying too much since he's pretty limited as to what he can actually do. Instead of just stumbling around, at least this time out he appears to be into what he's doing. Peter Coe makes for a good lead and Chrstine certainly fits her role nicely. Another plus is the make-up from Jack Pearce who manages to make the mummy look a lot better than the previous two films.

THE MUMMY'S CURSE certainly doesn't have a great story or anything but there are still many good moments that make it worth seeking out. The most famous scene happens to be the one where Princess Ananka rises from her grave and it's still quite chilling to watch after all these years.