One of the best Universal horror films of the 40s and a worthy follow-up to the 1932 original, even if it wasn't directly related to it and actually spun a series of its own. While in essence no more than a B-film, it's solidly made on all fronts: the plot, unlike that of its sequels, is fresh and exciting and it boasts four likable protagonists, as well as a wonderful trio of 'villains' - Eduardo Ciannelli (appearing briefly as the dying High Priest), George Zucco (as his evil successor, in one of his finest performances) and Tom Tyler (as the maimed but relentless revenge-seeking Mummy, who's as good in the role as Boris Karloff had been earlier and Christopher Lee would be in the 1959 Hammer remake, of this one more than the original). The film's first half features a healthy dose of comic relief which I found in no way distracting, as it had proved to be in other horror films of the period; in fact, this element only helps accentuate the effectiveness of the latter sections of the film which offer more standard thrills, culminating in a superb climax - where Kharis has to literally crawl for his life-preserving tana fluid!
Review of The Mummy's Hand
