DVD review (region 1)
Directed by Karl Freund
Starring Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners
Release date Out now

A team of archaeologists uncover the ancient Egyptian mummy of Im-Ho-Tep (Karloff). A decade later Im-Ho-Tep has disguised himself as the softly spoken Ardath Bay with an aim to reunite with his beloved Princess Ankh-es-en-amon – who has been reincarnated as Helen Grosvenor (Johann)…

Having drawn on literary classics for 1931’s Dracula and Frankenstein, Universal Pictures exploited the era’s fascination with Ancient Egypt (following the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922) for their next monster movie.

In general, Karl Freund’s leisurely-paced movie isn’t as unsettling as Dracula or Frankenstein, though it does feature one wonderfully creepy scene in which the bandaged Im-Ho-Tep stumbles from his tomb and drives an archaeologist insane. The appeal of the film lies more in its groundbreaking special effects work by Jack Pierce (both in the lumbering bandaged Im-Ho-Tep and the stretched-skin of the ancient Ardath Bay) and Boris Karloff’s mesmerising performance. The actor, who was billed as ‘Karloff the Uncanny’ in the film’s marketing, brings a dignified grace and calm humanity to the title character, making him a strangely sympathetic figure (in contrast to the villainous Im-Ho-Tep of Stephen Sommers’ remake).

The story itself is actually a surprisingly affecting tale of lost love and desire, and Freund (a former cinematographer whose work included Todd Browning’s Dracula a year earlier) lets the action unfold in slow but suspenseful fashion without the recourse to big shocks. Given Freund’s background, it’s no surprise to find that the movie boasts magnificently atmospheric cinematography, heavily influenced by the German Expressionist pictures of the 1920s.

This two-disc DVD release comes in a stylish gatefold box and includes plenty of worthwhile extras. Best of the bunch is the 1998 feature-length documentary Universal Horror. Kenneth Branagh narrates this account of the rise of the Universal horror film, covering both the classic monster movies and other memorable titles such as The Old Dark House, and there are fond recollections from the talent involved. The documentary also examines the influences on these films (like The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari and The Golem) and, as such, it also acts as a useful guide to early cinematic horror in its entirety.

The other documentaries are a mixed bunch. He Who Made Monsters provides an accessible overview of the work of Jack Pierce (with contributions from the likes of Kim Newman and Rick Baker), though it suffers from rather treacly music at times. Unravelling the Legacy of the Mummy is mostly made up of cut-and-pasted promo material for 1999’s The Mummy and 2001’s The Mummy Returns (whose noisy action is a world away from the understated original), while Mummy Dearest sheds some light on the making of the picture (including the conflict between Freund and Zita Johann). Finally, the movie comes with two welcome commentaries – one by a bunch of fans (including Rick Baker and Bob Burns) and a more academic one by film historian Paul M. Jensen. Matt McAllister

VERDICT: 8/10
Classic monster movie, complete with enlightening extras.