What we flagged
View all categoriesOur take
This is a short black-and-white Universal horror from the 1940s, built on atmosphere more than shocks. A silent mummy stalks and strangles people across a small town, always in shadow, so there is menace but no blood, swearing, or sex. The scares come from the creeping monster, a night-time kidnapping, and a torch-lit finale. It plays tame for teens who like old monster movies, and it works for curious kids around 10 and up with a parent nearby.
Uplifting themes
Neighbours and family pull together once they realise what is hunting the town, and ordinary people find courage to face it. The uplift is thin but present in how the community stands up The younger generation steps up to protect their family and town when the danger becomes clear. Role models are simple and dated, but there is some decency and bravery to point to
Story (may spoil tone)
A high priest of Karnak travels to America with the living mummy Kharis (Lon Chaney Jr.) to kill all those who had desecrated the tomb of the Egyptian princess Ananka thirty years earlier.
Details
Violence Kharis the mummy stalks and strangles his victims one by one, and the t…
Kharis the mummy stalks and strangles his victims one by one, and the town talks about a string of killings. The attacks happen in shadow with no blood or wounds shown. A torch-carrying mob and a burning house close things out
Drugs / alcohol A character casually asks for a beer, and adults drink socially in a sc…
A character casually asks for a beer, and adults drink socially in a scene or two. It stays background, with no drunkenness or focus on it
Frightening A bandaged, silent monster shuffles through dark houses and graveyards,…
A bandaged, silent monster shuffles through dark houses and graveyards, grabbing people from the shadows. Younger kids may find the stalking, the kidnapping, and the eerie night scenes genuinely unsettling. The dread builds slowly across the hour
Gore / death / weapons People show up dead and a body or two is discovered, but the camera sta…
People show up dead and a body or two is discovered, but the camera stays away from injury detail. There is no blood, and the killings play out through shadow and suggestion
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
Family watch notes
What other parents think.
Be the first family to leave a watch note.
Talk after watching
- The townspeople take the law into their own hands at the end. When is a mob a good idea or a dangerous one?
- Old horror relies on shadows and sound instead of gore. Did that make the mummy more or less scary for you?
Ask ClearAge
The Mummy's Tomb
Ask about this guide, or name another film to open its ClearAge page.
