The Mummy (1932) [Blu-ray] Rated:  G  Starring: Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners, Arthur Byron, Edward Van Sloan, Bramwell Fletcher, Noble Johnson, Kathryn Byron, Leonard Mudie, James Crane, Henry Victor. Director: Karl Freund Genre: Drama | Fantasy | Horror DVD Release Date: 10/02/2012 Part of (Universal) Classic Monsters: Essential Collection 9-Movie Blu-ray Boxed Set   Tagline: It comes to life! Storyline: In 1921 a field expedition in Egypt discovers the mummy of ancient Egyptian prince Im-Ho-Tep, who was condemned and buried alive for sacrilege. Also found in the tomb is the Scroll of Thoth, which can bring the dead back to life. One night a young member of the expedition reads the Scroll out loud, and then goes insane, realizing that he has brought Im-Ho-Tep back to life. Ten years later, disguised as a modern Egyptian, the mummy attempts to reunite with his lost love, an ancient princess who has been reincarnated into a beautiful young woman. Written by Jeremy Lunt Editor's Note: Genre king Boris Karloff elevated Frankenstein to another level. Just one year later, he did it again, this time in director Karl Freund's The Mummy, starring Karloff as cursed immortal Imhotep, Zita Johann as the woman who bears a striking resemblance to the long-dead lover he hopes to resurrect, Edward Van Sloan as wizened archaeologist Sir Joseph Whemple, and David Manners as his son, who muscles his way in to protect the damsel from the undead Egyptian priest. Johann isn't the only one who bears a striking resemblance to a specter of the past. The Mummy lifts more than a few plot points from Dracula, and does so rather brazenly. And why did producer Carl Laemmle Jr. anoint Freund to helm the project? In 1931, Freund was the cinematographer on, you guessed it, Dracula. Still, the newly promoted director wasn't oblivious to the similarities, nor was screenwriter John L. Balderston, who managed to further separate Imhotep from the Count. The Mummy doesn't simply sit on screen either, waiting for Karloff to do his thing (which he does anyway, brilliantly I might add, with grim gravitas and disarming ease). The dark romance at the heart of the tale both resonates and agitates, the creature itself is a more subtle but no less provocative marriage of man and monster than Frankenstein's hulking giant, and Imhotep's piercing eyes, weary countenance and disquieting patience makes for a more menacing adversary. And then there's Jack P. Pierce's ragged mummy, which only appears on screen for a few minutes but remains one of the legendary makeup artist's most iconic creations. Trivia: The name "Ardeth Bay" is an anagram of "death by Ra". Boris Karloff's mummy makeup is based on the appearance of Ramses III; makeup artist Jack P. Pierce spent eight hours a day applying Karloff's makeup. Boris Karloff was virtually unknown when he appeared as the creature in Frankenstein. He created such a sensation that when this was made, only a year later, Universal only had to advertise "KARLOFF....'The Mummy'." This is the only Universal monster of the time without a fictional antecedent. Large segments of the movie are scene-by-scene parallels of the movie Dracula. An ankh symbol (the ancient Egyptian glyph for "life") is substituted for the crucifix of the earlier movie. Even Edward Van Sloan's character, Dr. Muller, is quite analogous to his Dr. Van Helsing from the vampire film. The discovery of King Tutankahmen's tomb and the alleged curse it contained inspired Universal to make this film. The character name "Imhotep" was taken from an actual ancient Egyptian, but the real Imhotep was the architect who designed the pyramids and - far from being executed in disgrace - was the only Egyptian, other than the pharoahs, who was made a god after his death. Unlike Frankenstein and Dracula, and other, later Universal horror films, this film had no sequels, but rather several semi-remakes in the 1940's, but these focus on the mummy Kharis. ------------ Cast Notes: Boris Karloff (Imhotep), Zita Johann (Helen Grosvenor), David Manners (Frank Whemple), Arthur Byron (Sir Joseph Whemple), Edward Van Sloan (Dr. Muller), Bramwell Fletcher (Ralph Norton), Noble Johnson (The Nubian), Kathryn Byron (Frau Muller), Leonard Mudie (Prof. Pearson), James Crane (The Pharaoh), Henry Victor (The Saxon Warrior [scenes deleted]). IMDb Rating (01/16/13): 7.2/10 from 9,651 users Additional information Copyright:  1932,  Universal Studios Features:  Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed (SD, 30 minutes): Another Horror Classic documentary, ported from the previously released Mummy DVD. This one looks at the then-timely appeal of the film, its unique spin on the monster movie, its production and reception, and Boris Karloff's performance as a more sympathetic creature than audiences were used to. He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce (SD, 25 minutes): Oft-overlooked makeup master Jack Pierce was responsible for creating the look of Universal's early lineup of monsters; characters whose appearances would go on to become as iconic as the films in which they were featured. Audio Commentaries: Two commentaries are available. Celebrated makeup artist Rick Baker, filmmaker Scott Essman, screenwriter and film historian Steve Haberman, collector Bob Burns and sculpture studio owner Brent Armstrong sit down together for the first, with Haberman dominating the discussion (and providing the most information about the production) and Baker showing up later in the track. The second is a solo track with film historian Paul M. Jensen, who reads prepared notes that amount to a dense Mummy essay. 100 Years of Universal: The Carl Laemmle Era (HD, 9 minutes): Universal founder Carl Laemmle and his vision for the future of cinema. A century later, that vision still resonates. Unraveling the Legacy of The Mummy (SD, 8 minutes): Meet the men who gave the Mummy life. The Mummy Archives (SD, 10 minutes): Movie posters, campaign art, production stills and other images. Trailer Gallery (SD, 6 minutes): The Mummy, The Mummy's Hand, The Mummy's Tomb, The Mummy's Ghost and The Mummy's Curse. Subtitles:  English SDH, Spanish Video:  Widescreen 1.35:1 B&W Screen Resolution: 1080p Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1 Audio:  ENGLISH: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono FRENCH: DTS Mono Time:  1:13 DVD:  # Discs: 1 -- # Shows: 1 UPC:  025192152269 Coding:  [V5.0-A4.0] MPEG-4 AVC D-Box:  No Other:  Producers: Carl Laemmle, Jr.; Directors: Karl Freund; Writers: Nina Wilcox Putnam, Richard Schayer, John L. Balderston; running time of 73 minutes; Packaging: Custom Case.