Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy

Abbott and Costello meet the Mummy is less of a movie then an episode of the Abbott and Costello show. Marjorie Windsor is a terrifically determined villainess and she helps to give the movie some drama and dark charisma but the movie is too unstructured otherwise. It's more on a final, undisciplined romp for Abbott and Costello. Even though their chemistry is long since gone, they are still brilliant comedians and they fake their way through the movie with a plethora of stand up bits. The good, clean comedy is a nice breath of fresh air. The opening slapstick gets the movie off on a good foot and the stage act (three women and one man) that performs is INCREDIBLE. The cult of Klaris is a major bore, ranging from the incredibly non-Egyptian "Egyptian" Richard Deacon to the cult, itself, that features a man who is clearly either Tibetan or Chinese. The routine that Costello does with the lady is hilarious and high spirted and the bit with the amulet is well timed. The plot point of Costello eating the amulet (in pieces) and then it appearing intact in his stomach is meaningless here as the whole movie is not for purists. The mummy is a major disappointment as the "bandages" look like a pajama outfit with a bandage pattern. Abbott gets into mummy's "wraps" for pretty much no reason other then to have three mummy's running around at one point. As if sensing that this is their last big blowout together, Costello is very natural with his criticisms of Abbott and Abbott seems almost too real with his abuse of Costello. Whatever dysfunction they had in their later years, they do their best here to slug it out. Costello acts like a man ready to jump off ship and he seems to be lightening his load for his journey. He gives a very light and a very funny performance. Abbott is sharper then he has been in years. Abbott was so sharp in his younger days that he looks bad in comparison here but his worst is still better then most people's best. The plot is pretty much garbage and unenthralling and the mummy is completely impotent but the performances of Abbott and Costello and Marie Windsor help move the show.

Bud and Lou are two down and out adventurers in Egypt struggling to get some quick cash for a trip back home. They learn that a certain Dr. Zoomer has recently unearthed the mummy known as Klaris, "the Prince of Evil", and requires two good men to help him transport it back to the states. But before they can volunteer their services, Zoomer is murdered by two devoted followers of Klaris. Abbott and Costello then become absorbed in a three-way tug of war to secure the mummy and possess a sacred medallion which could lead to the discovery of the tomb of Princess Ara and her treasure in the bargain. Also competing for the prize is the dangerous Madame Rontru (played by sultry Marie Windsor) and her two henchmen (one played by Michael Ansara). But the Cult of Klaris (headed by Richard Deacon, who seems bland and awkward in this role) is determined to intervene and reclaim the mummy and the medallion of Princess Ara for themselves and preserve the legend.

This was the next-to-final film for the aging Abbott and Costello, but yet it works decently considering this late period. The crazy plot helps to create some humorous shenanigans including a classic routine where Lou accidentally eats the sacred medallion hidden inside his hamburger, and another where he gets frustrated telling Abbott to "take his pick", yet Bud keeps choosing to dig with a shovel. The murder of Dr. Zoomer and the attempt by the killers to hide the corpse allows Costello another chance to go through his "disappearing bodies" shtick, though it's better done here with less repetition than it was in ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET THE KILLER. Both comedians are in great form throughout this comedy, and they're given some funny lines steadily throughout the picture (BUD: "How stupid can you get?" LOU: "How stupid do you want me to be"?)

For monster movie fans, it's something of a letdown. The mummy Klaris (one wonders if this name was intentional or an error by the writers if they really meant him to be the same "Kharis" as in the 1940s mummy series) does not appear very often, and he's pretty poor looking; his bandaged carcass looks more like an over-sized pair of white pajamas, and his mushy face resembles a left-over egg roll. Klaris is played by Edwin Parker, a stuntman from back in the heyday of the classic Universal monster films who used to stand in as Frankenstein's monster, the Wolf Man and even "Kharis" himself.

**1/2 out of ****

"How stupid can you get?" "How stupid do you want me to be?"

I thought this movie was better than I anticipated. It's a gentle comedy of 2 buffoons who stumble into an adventure in Egypt after one is mistaken for a murderer. It is relaxing and laid back but if you want funny Abbott and Costello then look else where. There's a cute scene which uses their poisoned drink routine where instead they use hamburgers and a cursed medallion. Again, Costello directed his comedy at the children by pulling faces and doing far too much talking at the camera. This was funny in some of their other films but not in this one. Another good scene is where Abbott and one of the bad guys dress up as the Mummy, this isn't laugh out loud comedy but one or two scenes should put a smile of any fan's face. Their last film for universal.

This is the last hurrah for Universal Pictures from the dynamic duo of Bud & Lou. Tho the film finds them long past their best, with the overall material having to be severely stretched to sustain a feature length movie, it does however have some merit. The plot sees the lads mixed up in a murder mystery with an Egyptian cult. Cue lots of Mummy like staple scenario's as our bumbling duo bluster their way thru by luck more than any sort of guile. In the hands of lesser comedians this production would have sank without trace, but such is the vibrancy and comedic knowing of the pair the film at least remains watchable to the end. It may well find them on auto-pilot, but a couple of scenes show why they were such well loved comedians. With medallion hamburgers and a triple whammy of Mummies for the typically frenetic finale, the movie, if not even close to doing justice to their great careers, does remain engaging and thankfully stays above average. 6/10

This was the last feature for Universal that the two box office champs of the 40s did. Having met Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolfman, Dr. Jekyll, Mr Hyde, and the Invisible Man...Universal paired the two comedians with their mummy for one last go-round. The effort is not entirely satisfying, yet all together bad either. Bud and Lou seek their fortunes in Egypt when brought into a circle of intrigue, murder, and a curse of a mummy. The rest of the film centers around their bumbling, situational comedy, and a couple of dance hall numbers. The sets are pretty good, but the make-up for the mummy is definitely sub-par for the studio that brought us The Mummy in 1932. Richard Deacon stands out in a supporting role. Some pleasant scenes involve Bud and Lou playing hide-go-seek with a dead body(much like was done in A&C Meet the Killer), a trio of mummies treading through a hidden fortress, and a routine of Bud and Lou playing revolving hamburgers. Not their best to be sure, but sure to bring a smile to you.