Review

In ancient Egypt, a priest of the god Karnak attempts to use the rare and potent tana leaves to restore life to the deceased Princess Ananka. He is caught and for this unforgivable sacrilege, he is buried alive and forced to serve as the guardian of her well-hidden tomb.

Fast forward to the twentieth century. The priests of Karnak are still around and are dedicated to protecting Ananka's tomb. The most recent high priest, Andoheb (Zucco), also works at the Cairo Museum, giving him an excellent means of knowing what archaeologists are up to.

Archaeologist Steve Banning (Foran) and his companion Babe Jenson (Ford) come across evidence that might lead them to Ananka's tomb, but lack funding. They turn to a stage magician named Solvani (Kellaway) who backs their expedition and even joins them, bringing along his daughter, Marta (Moran). Also accompanying them is Dr. Petrie (Trowbridge), a respected archaeologist. The expedition must face the dangers of the Egyptian wilderness, the threat posed by Andoheb, and the mummy Kharis (Tyler).

"The Mummy's Hand" is not a sequel to "The Mummy" (1932) with Boris Karloff though there are a few superficial similarities and connections. It is instead the first (and best) of four Universal Studios mummy films that were produced in the 1940s. Set entirely in Egypt, the film is a combination of light hearted humor and horror and is a well-presented work. The very welcome presence of veteran actors Cecil Kellaway and George Zucco makes this film even better and it is certainly required viewing for fans of Universal horror. Though the 1940s mummy films got weaker and weaker as time went on, "The Mummy's Hand" is genuinely good. Its sequel, "The Mummy's Tomb" (1942), brought back Foran and Ford in the same roles though the film was set in the United States some three decades later.

For those interested in seeing the entire 1940s Universal mummy series (all involving the mummy Kharis), they should be viewed in the following order: "The Mummy's Hand" (1940), "The Mummy's Tomb" (1942), "The Mummy's Ghost" (1944), and "The Mummy's Curse" (1944).

As a side note for those who are particular about their Egyptology, there was no god named Karnak though in Egypt there is a very famous temple of Karnak. Later in the series, the name of the god changes.