THE MUMMY'S TOMB

THE MUMMY'S TOMB (1942). Director: Harold Young.

A generation after the events of The Mummy's Hand, Steve Banning (Dick Foran) is a widower and senior citizen telling his sister (Mary Gordon), son John (John Hubbard), and John's girl, Isobel (Elyse Knox) about his adventures in Egypt as recounted in the previous film. Little does he know that both the mummy, Kharis and his High Priest Andohep (George Zucco) are somehow still alive and up to mischief. Andohep sends Mehmet (Turhan Bey) and Kharis to the small town of Mapleton, Massachusetts where Banning lives in order to wipe out all members of the family of the man who dared to desecrate Kharis' tomb. Shuffling, creepy Kharis manages to cause a lot of mischief in this one. An older and more serious "Babe" (Wallace Ford) also shows up (with a new last name). Lon Chaney Jr. plays the mummy and is completely unrecognizable. He shuffles around as well as anyone. Followed by The Mummy's Ghost.

Verdict: Somewhat creepy and lots of fun. ***.

THE FROZEN GHOST

THE FROZEN GHOST (1945). Director: Harold Young.

Okay Inner Sanctum mystery stars -- who else? -- Lon Chaney (Jr.) as a mentalist who's convinced that he's psychically responsible for a heckler (Arthur Hohl) dropping dead during his act, even though the man was a heavy drinker with a heart condition. To recover, he breaks off his engagement to Evelyn Ankers and retreats to a wax museum owned by Valerie Monet (Tala Birell). There he also encounters Monet's niece Nina (Elena Verdugo) and a sinister assistant played by Martin Kosleck. When Valerie disappears, Inspector Brant (Douglass Dumbrille) investigates while Chaney's friend George (Milburn Stone) tries to lend sensible support. This mystery has some interesting elements to it, even if it doesn't always jell. Chaney's whispering is kept to a minimum, and his performance is adequate. Kosleck pretty much steals the picture. There is no ghost in the movie -- the title refers to suspended animation.

Verdict: Acceptable time waster, nothing more. **1/2.

SPY TRAIN

SPY TRAIN (1943). Director: Harold Young. 

In an attempt to blow up a case containing papers that can expose them, a German spy gang winds up inadvertently planting a time bomb on a train. This sounds exciting, and it might have been with some decent direction and a lively script, but this dull programmer has virtually nothing going for it, aside from a few seconds of minor suspense practically at the very end. Richard Travis, who had starred with Bette Davis in The Man Who Came to Dinner two years previously, demonstrates some charm in this, and Chick Chandler is his usual bouncy self as his buddy. Catherine Craig is the unexceptional heroine of the piece. Travis also starred in Missile to the Moon, which is a lot more fun, and Chick Chandler was in The Lost Continent (1951); ditto. 

Verdict: Pretty much the waste of an hour. *.