Watch The Mummy's Curse

In 1944, Universal Pictures released "The Mummy's Curse", the fifth installment in their Mummy franchise. The movie starred Lon Chaney Jr. as the titular mummy, Kharis, and was directed by Leslie Goodwins. The plot revolves around the discovery of Princess Ananka's tomb in a Louisiana swamp, and the subsequent resurrection of Kharis to protect her.

The story begins with Dr. Ilzor Zandaab (Peter Coe), a mysterious Egyptian, arriving in Louisiana to oversee the transportation of Princess Ananka's body back to Egypt. However, the arrival of Zandaab and his assistant Ragheb (Martin Kosleck) coincides with the awakening of Kharis, who had been buried in the swamp by the previous film's events. As the mummy rises from the murky depths, the local townspeople become increasingly paranoid and superstitious.

Meanwhile, archaeologist Dr. James Halsey (Dennis Moore) arrives in town to investigate the recent discovery of Ananka's tomb. Halsey is accompanied by Betty Walsh (Kay Harding), who takes an immediate interest in the handsome doctor. Together, Halsey and Walsh attempt to solve the mystery of Ananka's disappearance and the strange occurrences happening around town.

As with most Mummy films, the action hinges on a love triangle involving the mummy, Ananka, and a living woman. In this case, it is Walsh who becomes the object of Kharis' affection. The scenes between the two are the most memorable of the film, with Chaney Jr. effectively conveying the mummy's tragic longing for his lost love.

The film's climax takes place in an ancient temple, where Zandaab has designs on bringing Ananka back to life using the sacred tana leaves that give Kharis his supernatural powers. Kharis, reluctant to give up his only remaining link to Ananka, engages in a showdown with Zandaab and his followers. This results in a fiery, action-packed finale that is typical of the Mummy franchise.

Overall, "The Mummy's Curse" is a decent entry in the Universal horror canon. While it lacks the atmospheric visuals of earlier films like "The Mummy" (1932) and "The Mummy's Hand" (1940), it makes up for it in sheer action and spectacle. Lon Chaney Jr. is effective as Kharis, conveying a sense of tragic heroism that is crucial to the film's success. While not the best of the Mummy movies, "The Mummy's Curse" is still an entertaining and enjoyable horror flick.

The Mummy's Curse is a 1944 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 1 minute. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.4.