The Mummy (1932) - Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror Collection – Universal Pictures (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1932
Director: Karl Freund
Cast: Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners, Arthur Byron, Edward Van Sloan, Bramwell Fletcher, Noble Johnson, Kathryn Byron, Leonard Mudie, James Crane

Release Date: October 11th, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 73 Minutes 8 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono French, DTS-HD Mono German, DTS-HD Mono Italian
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $79.99 (Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror Collection)

"The Egyptian, Imhotep, who is accidentally revived by a team of archaeologists after 3,700 years. It is revealed in a flashback that he was a high priest, embalmed alive for trying to revive the vestal virgin whom he loved, after she had been sacrificed. Alive again, he sets out on an obsessiveand deadlyquest to find his lost love." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

The Mummy (1932) comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD. 

Disc Size: 60.1 GB

Feature: 43.5 GB

When Universal Pictures released The Mummy (1932) on Blu-ray in 2014, the source used for that transfer looked fantastic. For this new release, Universal uses that transfer as its source.

For a ninety year old film, The Mummy (1932), the source used for this transfer looks exceptionally good. Contrast, black levels, and image clarity look solid throughout. I did not see any compression related issues, and there were no issues related to noise reduction. This transfer retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with four audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English; a DTS-HD mono mix in French; a DTS-HD mono mix in German; and a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian. For this review, I listened to the DTS-HD mono English track. There are no issues with distortion or background hiss; dialog always comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced; and ambient sounds and the score are well-represented. That said, for a film that’s ninety years old, this audio track sounds excellent. Removable English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for The Mummy (1932) include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background titled Production Photographs (posters/lobby cards/stills), a trailer gallery: The Mummy 1932 (1 minute 34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian subtitles), The Mummy’s Shroud (1 minute 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian subtitles), The Mummy’s Tomb (1 minute 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian subtitles), The Mummy’s Ghost (1 minute 7 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian subtitles), and The Mummy’s Curse (1 minute 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian subtitles), a featurette titled 100 Years of Universal: The Carl Laemmle Era (8 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian subtitles), a featurette titled Unraveling the Legacy of The Mummy (8 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian subtitles), a featurette titled He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce (25 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian subtitles), a featurette titled Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed (30 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian subtitles), an audio commentary with Rick Baker, Scott Essman, Steve Haberman, Bob Burns, and Brent Armstrong, and an audio commentary with film historian Paul M. Jensen.

Included with this release is a Blu-ray that has all the extras that are on the 4K UHD. Also, the Blu-ray only comes with two audio options: DTS-HD mono English and DTS-HD mono French. There are only two subtitle options: English SDH and Spanish.

Also, the Blu-ray is the same as Universal’s 2014 Blu-ray.

The Mummy (1932) is part of Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror Collection, a box set that also has The Bride of Frankenstein, Phantom of the Opera (1943) and Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Summary:

The thing that stands out most about Universal’s classic monster films is how each film that introduces a new monster is tonally different. Universal's monster movies would become more homogenized with each new sequel. These later films would be a shift more towards humor.

Just like the first two Universal monster films, Dracula (1931) and Frankenstein (1931), which were adapted from literary sources. The Mummy (1932) would emerge from a literary source. The main difference between The Mummy (1932) and the two Universal monster films that came before it is that the first two were straight-up horror films, whereas The Mummy (1932) is a fantasy/horror hybrid with a dash of adventure thrown in for good measure.

Karl Freund directed The Mummy (1932), and though he is most remembered for his work as a cinematographer, notable films he worked on as a cinematographer are Varieté, Metropolis, Dracula (1931), and Key Largo. He did direct a handful of films, most notably Mad Love (1935).

Choosing Karl Freund to direct The Mummy (1932) is a great choice since the Universal monster films that preceded it rely heavily on visuals. And his background as one of cinema’s most gifted cinematographers makes him a perfect choice for The Mummy (1932). Needless to say, there are many visually striking moments in The Mummy (1932).

As good as the performances are across the board, the main attraction of The Mummy (1932) is Boris Karloff’s (The Bride of Frankenstein), in the role of a mummy named Imhotep who is brought back to life. He delivers another forbidding performance that is in line with his best work as an actor. Another performance of note is Zita Johann (The Sin of Nora Moran) in the role of Helen Grosvenor, a woman who looks like Imhotep’s lost love.

From its opening moments, it is easy to see why The Mummy (1932) is a film that entrances an audience. It is a very satisfying blend of adventure, horror, and fantasy. Its deliberate-paced narrative does a fantastic job of building tension, and a solid finale wraps everything up nicely. Another strength is how well the special effects hold up. Ultimately, The Mummy (1932) is a timeless tale that still shines brighter than all of the sequels and remakes that followed it.

The Mummy (1932) gets a solid 4K upgrade, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer