Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy

One of the final entries in the Abbott and Costello film series, "...Meet the Mummy" is far from prime A & C, but it's still lively and reasonably funny if you're into this sort of humour. Obviously their routines were no longer fresh, but they're still in fine form, and they're assisted by a good supporting cast. Some of the slapstick is still amusing, as well as the wordplay associated with A & C. Add to that secret passageways, and a conniving villainess (ever foxy Marie Windsor), and you have an entertaining comedy.

Bud is Pete Patterson and Lou is Freddie Franklin, two schmucks in Egypt who get the bright idea to accompany a mummy named Klaris (stuntman Eddie Parker) back to the States. But they end up accused of murder, and trying to dodge the enticing Windsor and her henchmen (Michael Ansara, Dan Seymour), while a cult leader (notable character actor Richard Deacon), who commands the followers of Klaris, has his own agenda.

While the comedy here may not be inspired, for this viewer it still elicited some modest chuckles. Lou terminally has bad luck when it comes to "snake charming", Bud does the "climbing the rope" routine, and you get a shell game (admittedly one that goes on too long) as both Bud and Lou try to avoid being in possession of a cursed amulet. Granted, some material was still pointless - a lady named Peggy King belts out one number that sort of stops the movie cold, and the business with the French entertainer goes nowhere.

The last A & C feature for Universal, and their penultimate vehicle overall, "...Meet the Mummy" can be funny at times, but it's more for undemanding viewers rather than their die hard fans.

Six out of 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.

This was the boys last picture for Universal. Actually it is better than some of the prior ones.

It has a better supporting cast than some with Marie Windsor & Richard Deacon. It has a better drawn story line than others too, as the script almost gets the idea right.

For the first time in many pictures, it has some of Abbott & Costellos better comic dialog which had been missing for several films. It includes the crisp "take your pick" routine and it is a breath of fresh air for the first time in a while.

There is a clever sequence where A & C pull a clever escape using some stunts that are cleverly done. There is a little music but it is not as obtrusive as some previous films. Overall, this is just slightly below their best films, much better than their worst ones.

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 ****

When the murder of an archaeologist puts a valuable medallion into their hands, Abbott and Costello waste little time in trying to sell it--only to find themselves pursued by police, a slinky adventuress, an Egyptian high priest, and the mummy himself. The concept is amusing, but the real charm of any Abbott and Costello film is the charismatic comic interplay between the stars. Unfortunately, the 1955 MEET THE MUMMY finds the two at a creative low ebb.

Featuring such notable character actors as Richard Deacon and Marie Windsor, the film is competently made and very easy to watch, but to say it lacks the inspiration of Abbott and Costello's best work would be a tremendous understatement. At most, MEET THE MUMMY is mildly amusing in a broadly slapstick sort of way, good for an occasional chuckle at best. It would be their last film at Universal and their next-to-last screen appearance together, so it might be best regarded as a fond farewell.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer