Monster of the Day #199

Updated on February 16, 2011 By Ken Begg 13 Comments



This isn’t the guy we think of as the Mummy; although he via a brief–if seminal–sequence the first of the Mummies. Still, ancient sorcerer Imhotep remains a great character (largely due to Karloff, of course), and one of cinema’s great martyrs to love.

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  • Gamera

    Funny I liked Karloff as the unbandaged intelligent mummy more than I ever liked the bandaged unstoppable (almost) killing machine most of the later mummy movies became.

  • Ericb

    Gamera, though Christopher Lee’s Hammer mummy with the wonderfully expressive eyes is almost as good as Karloff’s.

  • roger h

    The startled man and the very calm looking mummy make a nice composition.

  • Gamera

    Eric- Heh, no kidding. I’d pay to hear Lee read ads from the local Yellow Pages.

    Just something about the mummy here taking off his grave wrappings and then this ancient being moving about the modern world plotting and scheming is just really creepy to me. And how Karloff played the role as at the same time kinda stiff and fragile looking but still unstoppable and with an incredible power of will. Nothing but nothing was going to stand in his way to get back with his old ghoulfriend. Always seemed an awesome screen presence to me. And again guess I’m weird but it seems a lot more romantic than any vampire movie.

  • Ericb

    I wonder if the Twilight series will try to ruin mummies and gillmen too.

  • Rock Baker

    Eddie was worried when the boss came to his table. The old draftsman had blueprinted some of the most impressive structures in the city. Eddie thought himself little more than competent, and was visibly nervous that the ‘Old Man’ would find the work on the desk useless. Too useless to keep in his employ a man who couldn’t draw to standard. Eddie had fear. Fear of the Depresssion-ravaged streets and bread lines. Fear of being yet another name without a job. Fear of being a statistic. Mostly, fear of having no paycheck to bring home to his new young bride. She, who easily fell sick when underfed…
    “Keep up the good work, Son.” And the Old Man turned to the next room. Eddie was left, rubbing the sweat off his now relaxed brow, easing back into his chair.

  • fish eye no miko

    Rock Baker said: “Eddie was worried when the boss came to his table. […]”

    Very nice! [applauds]

  • Rock Baker

    Thanks!

    On another note, everybody needs to vote in the Rondo Awards if you haven’t already! I just filled out my ballot, so I’m spreading the word!

  • PB210

    Will Ayesha receive an entry? She seems to have inspired quite a few plot points about the mummy.

  • Sandy Petersen

    I was actually pretty impressed at the first of fhe new Mummy films, when I realized that it was based on Im-Ho-Tep rather than Kharis. Good call on the filmmakers part.

  • Rock Baker

    I was just glad to have a new Indiana Jones/Allan Quartermain type adventure movie. It’d been too long since one of those had been released.

  • sandra

    Great movie ! One of Kharloff’s best performances. The clay used to create the wrinkles flaked off if he moved his face too much, so he had to do most of the acting with his eyes and that wonderful voice. I agree that Imhotep was a martyr to love: he gave that bitch princess four thousand years of devotion, only to get dumped for an insipid prettyboy. Shame !

  • Ah, the uber charismatic David Manners. He became a running joke during T or T(ween) Fest last year when we watched The Invisible Ray.