Starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Dick Foran, John Hubbard, Elyse Knox, George Zucco
Directed by Harold Young
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An Egyptian high priest is tasked with transporting the still-living Kharis the mummy to America, so he can bring death to the surviving members of the Banning expedition that violated his princess' tomb.
In this sequel to The Mummy's Hand, set thirty years in the future, despite the prior film having been released just two years earlier, Chaney takes over the role of Kharis the mummy, and the heroes of the last installment become Kharis' victims this time around. This was disappointing to me, as I found Foran and Wallace Ford and the rest very likable characters, and even George Zucco, so entertaining as the villain of the last film, is forced to turn over the reins to a younger high priest. Nevertheless, Chaney is a strong upgrade as the Mummy, with his stocky frame and lone staring eye beneath the makeup making for a more fearsome monster. Chaney's presence, along with Universal's production values and fine music cues, make this another fun monster movie, although not exactly what I was hoping for.
Showing posts with label John Hubbard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Hubbard. Show all posts
Monday, January 20, 2014
Saturday, November 9, 2013
One Million B.C. (1940)
Starring Victor Mature, Carole Landis, Lon Chaney, Jr., Conrad Nagel, John Hubbard
Directed by Hal Roach & Hal Roach, Jr.
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A caveman from a hostile tribe journeys to another tribe's territory, where he meets a beautiful woman who teaches him the gentler ways of her people.
I was surprised to find how entertaining this film is, as for me, caveman movies often get bogged down by their lack of dialogue, and as a consequence are sometimes difficult to follow. That's not the case here, with the filmmakers embracing a simple story and not calling on anything too complex for their actors to portray besides basic emotions. The movie has almost a light-hearted tone, accompanied by a whimsical music score, despite some violent scenes. The special effects combine men in dinosaur suits along with giant rear projections of lizards and elephants in wooly mammoth coverings to provide the prehistoric creatures of the film. Although scientifically inaccurate, these are well-done effects that according to IMDB earned the film an Academy Award nomination, and were borrowed by numerous films well into the 1960s.
Directed by Hal Roach & Hal Roach, Jr.
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A caveman from a hostile tribe journeys to another tribe's territory, where he meets a beautiful woman who teaches him the gentler ways of her people.
I was surprised to find how entertaining this film is, as for me, caveman movies often get bogged down by their lack of dialogue, and as a consequence are sometimes difficult to follow. That's not the case here, with the filmmakers embracing a simple story and not calling on anything too complex for their actors to portray besides basic emotions. The movie has almost a light-hearted tone, accompanied by a whimsical music score, despite some violent scenes. The special effects combine men in dinosaur suits along with giant rear projections of lizards and elephants in wooly mammoth coverings to provide the prehistoric creatures of the film. Although scientifically inaccurate, these are well-done effects that according to IMDB earned the film an Academy Award nomination, and were borrowed by numerous films well into the 1960s.
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