Deux nigauds et la momie

"How stupid can you get?" "How stupid do you want me to be?"

I thought this movie was better than I anticipated. It's a gentle comedy of 2 buffoons who stumble into an adventure in Egypt after one is mistaken for a murderer. It is relaxing and laid back but if you want funny Abbott and Costello then look else where. There's a cute scene which uses their poisoned drink routine where instead they use hamburgers and a cursed medallion. Again, Costello directed his comedy at the children by pulling faces and doing far too much talking at the camera. This was funny in some of their other films but not in this one. Another good scene is where Abbott and one of the bad guys dress up as the Mummy, this isn't laugh out loud comedy but one or two scenes should put a smile of any fan's face. Their last film for universal.

When the murder of an archaeologist puts a valuable medallion into their hands, Abbott and Costello waste little time in trying to sell it--only to find themselves pursued by police, a slinky adventuress, an Egyptian high priest, and the mummy himself. The concept is amusing, but the real charm of any Abbott and Costello film is the charismatic comic interplay between the stars. Unfortunately, the 1955 MEET THE MUMMY finds the two at a creative low ebb.

Featuring such notable character actors as Richard Deacon and Marie Windsor, the film is competently made and very easy to watch, but to say it lacks the inspiration of Abbott and Costello's best work would be a tremendous understatement. At most, MEET THE MUMMY is mildly amusing in a broadly slapstick sort of way, good for an occasional chuckle at best. It would be their last film at Universal and their next-to-last screen appearance together, so it might be best regarded as a fond farewell.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Abbott and Costello meet the Mummy is less of a movie then an episode of the Abbott and Costello show. Marjorie Windsor is a terrifically determined villainess and she helps to give the movie some drama and dark charisma but the movie is too unstructured otherwise. It's more on a final, undisciplined romp for Abbott and Costello. Even though their chemistry is long since gone, they are still brilliant comedians and they fake their way through the movie with a plethora of stand up bits. The good, clean comedy is a nice breath of fresh air. The opening slapstick gets the movie off on a good foot and the stage act (three women and one man) that performs is INCREDIBLE. The cult of Klaris is a major bore, ranging from the incredibly non-Egyptian "Egyptian" Richard Deacon to the cult, itself, that features a man who is clearly either Tibetan or Chinese. The routine that Costello does with the lady is hilarious and high spirted and the bit with the amulet is well timed. The plot point of Costello eating the amulet (in pieces) and then it appearing intact in his stomach is meaningless here as the whole movie is not for purists. The mummy is a major disappointment as the "bandages" look like a pajama outfit with a bandage pattern. Abbott gets into mummy's "wraps" for pretty much no reason other then to have three mummy's running around at one point. As if sensing that this is their last big blowout together, Costello is very natural with his criticisms of Abbott and Abbott seems almost too real with his abuse of Costello. Whatever dysfunction they had in their later years, they do their best here to slug it out. Costello acts like a man ready to jump off ship and he seems to be lightening his load for his journey. He gives a very light and a very funny performance. Abbott is sharper then he has been in years. Abbott was so sharp in his younger days that he looks bad in comparison here but his worst is still better then most people's best. The plot is pretty much garbage and unenthralling and the mummy is completely impotent but the performances of Abbott and Costello and Marie Windsor help move the show.

One of the final entries in the Abbott and Costello film series, "...Meet the Mummy" is far from prime A & C, but it's still lively and reasonably funny if you're into this sort of humour. Obviously their routines were no longer fresh, but they're still in fine form, and they're assisted by a good supporting cast. Some of the slapstick is still amusing, as well as the wordplay associated with A & C. Add to that secret passageways, and a conniving villainess (ever foxy Marie Windsor), and you have an entertaining comedy.

Bud is Pete Patterson and Lou is Freddie Franklin, two schmucks in Egypt who get the bright idea to accompany a mummy named Klaris (stuntman Eddie Parker) back to the States. But they end up accused of murder, and trying to dodge the enticing Windsor and her henchmen (Michael Ansara, Dan Seymour), while a cult leader (notable character actor Richard Deacon), who commands the followers of Klaris, has his own agenda.

While the comedy here may not be inspired, for this viewer it still elicited some modest chuckles. Lou terminally has bad luck when it comes to "snake charming", Bud does the "climbing the rope" routine, and you get a shell game (admittedly one that goes on too long) as both Bud and Lou try to avoid being in possession of a cursed amulet. Granted, some material was still pointless - a lady named Peggy King belts out one number that sort of stops the movie cold, and the business with the French entertainer goes nowhere.

The last A & C feature for Universal, and their penultimate vehicle overall, "...Meet the Mummy" can be funny at times, but it's more for undemanding viewers rather than their die hard fans.

Six out of 10.

Considering how late in their career this came, and how lame some of its predecessors were, this one is not too bad. And it's a joy to see some of the wordplay they were famous for make a welcome return amidst the routine slapstick. Sure, "Take your pick" "The shovel is my pick" is not on the same level as "Who's On First?", but it's still amusing enough, and it's fun to see them deal with one last Universal monster. 6/10