Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy was the comedy duo’s last movie for Universal, their second-to-last together, and their ninth and last directed by Charles Lamont. Like their meeting with the Invisible Man, although they are meeting a classic Universal monster, it’s not so much a horror movie but feels more like another genre. This time the movie has more in common with an international spy thriller where the Mummy could be switched for a roll of microfilm and little would be changed until the climax.
Buy Abbott and Costello Meet the MummySet in Cairo, Egypt, Dr. Gustav Zoomer (Kurt Katch) has found the mummy Klaris (Eddie Parker, who the boys met when he played Mr. Hyde), guardian of the Tomb of Princess Ara, and plans to transport it to America. Legend has it, the mummy holds a medallion that reveals the location of Ara’s treasure. The followers of Klaris are interested in the mummy to return him to his resting place. Madame Rontru (Marie Windsor) is interested in obtaining the treasure.
Even though the credits give other character names, Bud and Lou hope to get hired as security to transport Klaris. However, Zoomer is murdered and Bud is mistaken for the killer. The followers take Klaris while Bud and Lou find the medallion, which they try and sell because it looks expensive. Hearing that the medallion is cursed, there’s a funny scene where Bud and Lou try to pass it to one another during a meal, leading to Lou eating it. There’s a running gag of Lou playing a flute causing a cobra to rise from a basket, and their trademark wordplay occurs when Bud takes his pick of items to dig but doesn’t pick a pick.
At the pyramid, Bud and Lou get caught between the factions. They deal with shifting walls, effects-created animals, and comic confusion as Rontru’s henchman and Bud dress up like mummies, setting up an explosive finale.
An all-new HDR/Dolby Vision Master was created from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative and is displayed at the film’s original aspect ratio of 1.85:1.Blacks are inky but some crush occurs in the shadows. Whites are brights and a good variety of grays.Texture details are apparent as is film grain and the phoniness of the background paintings. Image has a sharp focus and looks free from dirt or defect.
The audio is available in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.The dialogue sounds clear, with Costello’s highs and lows demonstrating the track’s dynamic range as do the score and effects. The track sounds free of hiss and damage. The Special Features are two audio commentaries: one by Kim Newman and Stephen Jones, one by film historians Tom Weaver and Richard Scrivani.
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy offers laughs and thrills, although longtime fans will find the proceedings familiar. The new 4K scan has led to pleasing video and the audio is complements it well.
