Halloween 2023: Day 22

The Mummy’s Hand (1940)

Where the mummy in the first Universal film was a Dracula, this one is a Frankenstein. He has no agency and the real villain is the scientist who unleashes him. This appears to be where The Mummy (1959) received its confusion about Karnak; the evil scientist from Manchester Egyptian priest describes himself as the “high priest of Karnak” and someone later interpreted that like “priest of Loviatar”, rather than “archbishop of Canterbury.”

It’s painfully racist, gives the main character an unfunny comic relief sidekick, has an inexplicable series of close-up magic tricks padding out the running time, and some very unconvincing location choices. The worst mummy movie we’ve watched yet.

Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors

Radio play version of an off-Broadway show. Quite entertaining.