How stupid can your get? How stupid do you want me to be?
Bud and Lou are stuck in Egypt. They overhear Dr. Gustav Zoomer discussing the mummy Klaris, guardian to the tomb of Princess Ara. He needs someone to take it back to the states. They smell an opportunity to return to the states. The mummy is supposed to have a sacred medallion that shows where the treasure of Princess Ara can be found. The followers of Klaris led by Semu (Richard Deacon) overhear the conversation along with Madame Rontru (Marie Windsor). She wants the Princess Ara’s treasure. He wants to resurrect the mummy.
Bud and Lou go to Dr. Zoomer’s house to apply for the job to accompany the mummy back to America. Before they get there two of Semu’s men kill Dr. Zoomer and steal the mummy. The medallion, however, has been left behind and Bud and Lou find it. Looking for traveling money they want to sell it. Rontru offers to buy it. She tells them to meet her at the Cairo Café. Bud and Lou find out that the medallion is cursed. Semu is after them Rontru is after them and soon the mummy will be after them.
Released in 1955 and directed by Charles Lamont, Abbott and Costello’s “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy” is the fourth and last of what is considered Bud and Lou’s monster movies. Eddie Parker plays the mummy. He also played Mr. Hyde in “Abbott and Costello meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” as well as playing Lon Chaney’s double in Universal’s mummy films.
Unfortunately Abbott and Costello don’t actually meet the mummy until the end of the film. I waited a long time to see it. There are a lot of sight gags and pratfalls. A bunch of small routines. Lots of little bits. More of a bunch of burlesque routines than a movie. Of course the little dance routine is more bollyesque.
Although the characters names in the credits are Freddie Franklin and Peter Patterson they refer to each other as Lou and Bud in the movie. Some of the music for the movie was done by Irving Gertz, Henry Mancini and Hans J. Salter. Being fond of mummies I was disappointed. I would only recommend it if you are an Abbott and Costello fan. In that case then absolutely, go for it. Or if you need that little something to complete your mummy collection. As for horror movie fare, it’s not really there. More slapstick and such. After all Abbott and Costello’s names are in front of the mummy’s. Of course for comedy it’s great. The routines are there. They’re altered a little for the type of movie but it is your basic Abbott and Costello fun fest.
Someone on IMBD compared the mummy’s face to left over egg roll.