Description

For the first time ever, the original The Mummy film comes to DVD in this extraordinary Legacy Collection. Included in the collection is the original classic, starring the renowned Boris Karloff, and four timeless sequels, featuring legendary action Lon Chaney, Jr. and others. These are the landmark films that inspired an entire genre of movies and continue to be major influences on motion pictures to this day ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Adequate Entry into Universal's Classic Monsters DVD Series
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.

1940's serial mummy films come to DVD!
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.

Horror Clasic's
The Mummy's Tomb, simply put it's more then a classic. Dick Foran, as Steve Banning, wonderful actor, and not forgetting Mr. George Zucco, also, of Sherlock Holmes, 1940's famed classic's. Mummy's Hand, a stand up movie in it's own right. Should I lose this DVD version I now own, I would purchase another! If your a true horror classic fan then this is a movie for you. I love it...

not a sequel
i like all 4 films featuring kharis, the mummy. but why do some reviewers call this a "sequel" or "follow-up" to karloff's 1932 mummy? the kharis films have nothing to do with the 1932 film.

Mummy's Hand a Classic --Mummy's Tomb has its moments
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. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

One Of The Better Old Dark House Flicks
For what it is, a creaky Poverty Row old-dark-house whodunnit, this gets 4 out of 5. A group of people are gathered in a spooky old mansion on a stormy night to be told by an eccentric millionaire that they would all be given a million dollars that night. The rich guy's long lost granddaughter shows up and the offer is withdrawn. Then another babe shows up claiming to be the missing heir and the first woman is found murdered. So now we have a killer on the loose. Flying knives, blow darts, poison, secret passages and a villain in a hideous mask is what we're treated to in this 63-minute mystery with an abundance of comedy relief and a pretty good script. The picture and sound quality on the cheap Alpha DVD is VHS standard. The image could have been a little sharper and some of the dark scenes are a little murky, but overall.... not bad! One of the best of the genre. Fans of creaky old flicks will recognize some of the cast, Lucien Littlefield, Hedda Hopper, Regis Toomey, Wallace Ford, etc. Some nice twists and turns in the plot and all that is missing is a maniacal gorilla on the loose. Check it out! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

...AND PHYLLIS DILLER?
The image and sound quality is not great(or even good) for any of the movies, but based on Mart's review, this version of Maniac is probably the best you'll find. For the money...why not. I'll just add to what Mart wrote.

Maniac: Nudity, women in lingerie and eyeball eating. In the credits Phyllis Diller is listed.
A World Gone Mad: Good acting and a funny phone call scene involing diminishing returns.
A Shriek...: Ginger Rogers-pretty and young. Falling bodies.

GINGER ROGERS, MURDERERS AND LUNATICS
Not a bad buy, not at all. The most important thing: you'll get a decent copy of the unforgettably trashy The Maniac, which is garbage of the highest rating and provides many a good laughs for the one who dares watch it. The copy here is much better than on some other releases. The other two movies: The World Gone Mad is definitely no horror, more like a political corruption/murder tale. There are some quite good actors, the copy is quite good too, but nevertheless this is an entirely missable flick. A Shriek In The Night is a witty little murder mystery as well (fancy having these items on a horror collection), the copy passable, the story plausibly constructed, and by bits it can evoke some interest and even stir some moderate excitement. The main attraction however is the very young Ginger Rogers in probably her first starring role - and completely straight (meaning no singing-dancing involved). She doesn't yet look as lovely as she became a few years later, but it's fun to see how the studio obviously was uncertain what kind of material she should be used in - perhaps they deemed her another Fay Wray (who by that time - 1933 - had probably screamed her loudest screams). Miss Rogers gives a perfectly wonderful performance, though even she doesn't feel comfortable playing against the comic relief, elderly nutty housemaid. If you're a fan of hers, you won't regret buying this DVD just to watch her ACT and be convinced of her huge talent, although I trust you knew that already. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Bela Lugosi Double Feature
As of late there have been many Lugosi movies released on DVD. This double feature is among the best. The Devil Bat (1940) is Lugosi's only movie for Producer's Releasing Corporation, one of Hollywood's many infamous Poverty Row studios. Bela plays Dr. Carruthers, a mad scientist out for revenge against the partners he felt double-crossed him. His instrument of revenge is an electronically enlarged bat, attracted to its intended victims by the odor of a strange perfume Bela has concocted for just this purpose. With a plot such as this, the movie could be simply flat and unwatchable. If not for Bela, that is. Faced with such a prospect and being the dedicated actor he was, Bela plays it up beautifully. Instead of merely being hammy and letting it go at that, he brings certain nuances to his role, using double entendres at times. (Inducing a potential victim to try his shaving lotion, he declares that the victim "will never use anything else.") In fact, he ends up winning our sympathy in a scene with one of his "partners" where it becomes somewhat apparent that poor old Bela was swindled into an inferior deal. No wonder he's mad. Assisting Bela in this wonderful nonsense is Dave O'Brien (Reefer Madness) as the hero, Donald Kerr as the hero's sidekick, and Suzanne Kaaren as the ingénue. Look for Arthur Q. Bryan, more famous as the voice of Elmer Fudd, as O'Brien and Kerr's boss.

Scared to Death is Lugosi's only color film, and as such, is a must for Lugosi fans and collectors. It is a tepid story narrated by a recently deceased woman from her slab in the morgue as to how she got that way. Billy Wilder later used a variation of this in Sunset Boulevard, but, of course, he did it much better. Given the almost total lack of any action in this film a more appropriate title might have been Bored to Death. Nat Pendleton and George Zucco offer whatever support they can to the proceedings. A note of interest is that while suffering from a form of dementia in a psychiatric hospital, George Zucco was said to have scared himself to death with visions of ghosts and demons coming after him. It certainly couldn't have been from watching this film.

Excellent quality of video transfer and easy to use menus make this a bargain for the price.

How I ordered 'Devil Bat' but got a 'White Zombie'
What a pleasant suprise I got one Sunday when I put my Bela Lugosi Collection Vol.1 in to watch Devil Bat and it turns out my DVD isn't what I expected. No Devil Bat or Scared to Death. What you get and it is a FAR FAR Superior DVD is 'The Apeman'(Monkey scientist hokum set during WW2, so all the male actors are draft dodgers or something),Bela Lugosi meets the Brooklyn Gorilla(More monkey scientist shenanigans - only watch on a wet Sunday it is of a time that humour forgot) and Halperin Brothers finest nay THE Finest Gothic Fairy Tale EVER "WHITE ZOMBIE". All I can add to the vitriol of comments said about this film is IT IS THAT GOOD...unlike Tod Brownings Dracula for example. Buy it cry a little and tremble with fear at Bela in his finest role. Not bad for a phonetic actor

For any fan of Bela Lugosi, this is a must have disk!
Bela Lugosi made both good movies (Dracula)and, what some would consider, bad movies (Bride of the Monster). I consider the movies on this disk, somewhere in between. The Devil Bat is a lot of fun to watch. It's definitely the better movie of the two. Scared to Death was Lugosi's only color film, so if for no other reason, it's worth a look. The video and sound quality for both of these movies are surprisingly good. For any fan of Bela Lugosi, this is a must have disk.

Bad movies that never looked so good!
I'm like a lot of old horror movie buffs that have purchased 2nd rate copies of the rare classics because that's all that was available. And it wasn't the poor duplication process, it was the poor surviving master tapes that gave us an often fuzzy vision. You could call it horrific for the "Devil Bat" until the Roan group took charge. What you will get is a fantasically remastered version of a Bela "must have". I was taken aback by the quality of the newly mastered version on this DVD. Kudos also for the "Scared to Death" remaster that shows Bela in his colored glory. Although it's not in as good a shape as "Devil Bat", it's not bad and considering the lack of attention to early film preservation. Highly recommended. ... Read more