My Mummy's Arms

Vitaphone was a division of Warner Brothers and it specialized in making short films. Many people know about the early sound shorts they made featuring a wide variety of musical acts, but they also made a bunch of comedies during the 1930s. Some were pretty funny...most were really NOT. The main problem was the writing...the films really could have used better jokes. The comics they hired also often left a lot be desired and a lot of mostly no- name talent were used. One of the exceptions was Shemp Howard who later went on to become famous as one of the Three Stooges*--after the departure of Curly, for health reasons.

This film co-stars Shemp and top billing went to Harry Gribbon...and you do wonder now what Vitaphone saw in the guy. The chemistry between the two is not especially good and the picture is chock full of VERY bad jokes...jokes which are so bad you might actually find yourself laughing. In addition, a bunch of camera tricks are used and the laughs are there...just not in abundance.

The plot involves archaeologists finding a mummy and Shemp dressing up like the mummy in order to be close to the pretty young lady in the group. Harry later discovers this and the pair fight over who gets to be the mummy...for reasons you can learn if you watch the film...or not.

Like I said, the jokes are pretty bad in this one and this is a dopey sort of comedy...but it was pleasant, if uninspired.

Great non-Stooges short co-starring Shemp! I watched two of these Shemp Howard/Harry Gribbon shorts today and I enjoyed them both. Harry Gribbon has some great faces, its too bad he wasn't in more films past the 30s because he lived into the 1960s. In both films (the other being Corn on the Cop), Shemp has most of the material so if you came here to watch Shemp you wont be disappointed. Is it as good as the Stooges 1939 film We Want Our Mummy? No of course not, but it has its moments. Also starring Russell Hicks (The con man in The Bank Dick), Sheldon Leonard in his first film role (!) and an uncredited Donald MacBride (in many comedy films as well) as an Egyptian! A must watch for any Three Stooges fan! 7 of 10.