The Mummy's Hand/The Mummy's Tomb

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Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

1940's serial mummy films come to DVD! April 15, 2003
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

Having already purchased these films on VHS, plus "The Mummy Collection" laserdisc box set, I was eager for a DVD release of "The Mummy's Hand" starring Tom Tyler, George Zucco and Peggy Moran (who, very sadly, passed away recently) and "The Mummy's Tomb" starring George Zucco, Turban Bey, Lon Chaney, Jr. and Elyse Knox (Mark Harmon's Mom). Apparently, according to other reviews here, in the first run of this DVD there was a formatting error, with the two features not in the correct order on the DVD top menu or title page. However, it must have been corrected in subsequent runs because when I put the DVD in the player the Title Menu displayed the films correctly and defaulted to the "The Mummy's Hand" (1940) first on the left and displaying "The Mummy's Tomb" (1942), to be watched second, on the right of the screen. Also, I had no problem getting back to the title page menu to watch the second film (and sequel) "The Mummy's Tomb. I used the "Top menu" (or title button some players) button from the menu page with my Toshiba player.
I thought the prints used were in good condition with "Hand" showing a little more wear than "Tomb". The dvd prints seemed almost identical to the Laserdisc edition. Maybe some small further scratches on "The Mummy's Hand", but the film was over 60 years old when the transfer was done (2001) and Universal did a commendable job. There was a scene from "The Mummy's Tomb" that was censored in 1942 and deleted from some theatrical and TV prints as well as the 1993 VHS edition release. Over a minute of the film, where the elderly character actress and Universal player Mary Gordon is strangled by the mummy (Lon Chaney, Jr.) was cut. It was restored to the 1994 Laserdisc box set edition and is included here. The print of "Tomb" was also cleaned up and is in very good condition. Sound restoration work is obvious on the audio tracks of both films. Dolby digital two channel mono English and Spanish soundtracks are included for both movies, plus English and French Subtitles. While light on extras, the dvd is a lot of fun and I am glad these films are available again for kids of all ages.

4 out of 5 stars

ENTERTAINING, BUT FLAWED! THE MUMMY SEQUELS! August 15, 2007
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I don't consider either of these films sequels of the original Mummy. They do use footage in flashback, but they really have little to do with the classic original. There were four Mummy films made in the 40's and even though they are not classics they are tough to dislike. The two films on this set are better then the two on the last set. The DVD transfer is good but, the Legacy Collection is a better deal because you get all 5 Mummy movies in one package. The extras are very good on the Legacy set.

3 out of 5 stars

Not as classic as the Karloff version, but still fun September 11, 2001
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

THE MUMMY'S HAND/THE MUMMY'S TOMB were the 1st 2 sequels of Universal's classic THE MUMMY, which starred Boris Karloff. However, while the original had Karloff's Imhotep in bandages for only about 5 minutes before appearing as a VERY wrinkled wizard, the sequels had the Mummy fully wrapped in these 2 flicks. Basically the films tell the tale of Kharis, who basically had the same back story as Imhotep: being buried alive for trying revive his dead lover, called Ananka here. The films also tell of a expedition that dig up Ananka's tomb, and occur the wrath of the Mummy. Obviously, both films end up using stock footage in padding their stories...you even see the villagers of the original FRANKENSTEIN waving their torches at one point in THE MUMMY'S TOMB. Tom Tyler, who plays the Mummy in the first film, lends a chilling presence. It also helps that his eyes are blacked-out in the editing room, adding to the creep factor. His successor, Lon Chaney, Jr., is somewhat less successful. With what looks more like a mask, Cheney seems less scary in comparison. At a little over than an hour each, the movies definitely do not drag in pacing. The DVD transfers are very sharp, but the lack of special features is disappointing. However, this is a fun double feature for fans of the Universal monsters.

4 out of 5 stars

Mummy's Hand a Classic --Mummy's Tomb has its moments January 23, 2002
6 out of 8 found this review helpful

I'm sorry that Universal has stopped producing its deluxe DVD editions of its classic horror films. While it's nice getting two films for the price of one, I would have preferred that several of these films be issued individually with commentaries and a documentary. OK, not all the films in this last batch deserve that treatment but such beloved classics as Son of Frankenstein, Son of Dracula and Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman certainly do. No question The Black Cat should also be released in a deluxe edition (when they get around to releasing it) as it is one of the very greatest of all horror films. I would also argue that The Mummy's Hand is worthy of special treatment as it is a benchmark horror film and easily the best of its series (if you don't include the original The Mummy). For one thing, it established the whole mythology of Kharis and has influenced every mummy film made since. Universal's latest remake starring Brandon Frasier owes more to The Mummy's Hand than it does The Mummy. In fact, it's a remake that follows the 1940 film's storyline very closely. The films features a top-notch cast including George Zucco in what is arguably his most memorable role. The script combines horror and humor in a manner not unlike its 1999 remake. No actor has ever made a more frightening mummy than Tom Tyler - tremendous care was taken with the make-up and optical effects to make him look very ghoulish - and his facial expressions are much more restrained and effective than Chaney or the CGI mummy in the new films. Most of the music is lifted from Frank Skinner's score for Son of Frankenstein however H.J. Salter did contribute a few unforgettable cues that are now indelibly linked with Kharis and his romantic story. Fortunately, the film's lead actress is still with us and I wish Universal had taken advantage of the opportunity to interview Peggy Moran about her memories making this film as well as her other films at Universal in the early 40s. So few actors survive from these films that it seems a shame not to capture their stories on tape if they are willing to do so. Imagine the audio commentary she could have given us! I can't get very excited when it comes to the three Chaney mummy films although here again the studio should have invited Turhan Bey to record his recollections of working on the film. That would have been interesting - probably more so than the film itself. There are individual scenes in these Chaney films that I enjoy watching (the cemetery scenes in Tomb are beautifully done) but I can't sit through them complete without getting a little bored. Still, this is a very good DVD overall despite the lack of extras. I did notice a lot of wear on the print of Mummy's Hand. Maybe it's time Universal restore it. The Mummy's Tomb looked great.

4 out of 5 stars

Adequate Entry into Universal's Classic Monsters DVD Series September 3, 2001
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Not much has been made out of these new 'double-featurette' Monster set-ups yet. I picked this particular set up at a local store before buying any more. The transfers are very sharp looking and of high quality; there are sure no complaints about how the movies themselves look.

However, sad to say that these are pretty lacking in the cool extras that the original classic Monster releases had - track commentary, mini-documentaries and photo galleries are completely missing. What you do get for extras (assuming this set is indicative of the rest of the 2-for-1 releases) are sparse 'text only' production notes which may hold a little interest for fans; select cast bios and filmography; and vintage trailers for the movies (I do not recall seeing a 'Mummy's Tomb' trailer before so that was kind of cool). And for what little it is worth the jewel-box packaging art/design is also pretty disappointing (...). On the other hand, it is kind of nice of Universal to go for a somewhat more economically minded 'two for the price of one' format with these releases; I guess if they had to sacrifice some of the extras to acheive this.....personally I (like many serious fans) would rather have paid more and seen the documentaries and heard the commentary!

All things considered; the movies themselves are the bottom line and if this set is a fair representation of the rest of the new series, they look great and are definetely worth picking up. Sadly, a lack of cool extras as we had become used to with the original Classic Monsters DVD releases knock these a little bit down from 'Must Own' status.

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