Caçando Múmias no Egito

Bud and Lou are two down and out adventurers in Egypt struggling to get some quick cash for a trip back home. They learn that a certain Dr. Zoomer has recently unearthed the mummy known as Klaris, "the Prince of Evil", and requires two good men to help him transport it back to the states. But before they can volunteer their services, Zoomer is murdered by two devoted followers of Klaris. Abbott and Costello then become absorbed in a three-way tug of war to secure the mummy and possess a sacred medallion which could lead to the discovery of the tomb of Princess Ara and her treasure in the bargain. Also competing for the prize is the dangerous Madame Rontru (played by sultry Marie Windsor) and her two henchmen (one played by Michael Ansara). But the Cult of Klaris (headed by Richard Deacon, who seems bland and awkward in this role) is determined to intervene and reclaim the mummy and the medallion of Princess Ara for themselves and preserve the legend.

This was the next-to-final film for the aging Abbott and Costello, but yet it works decently considering this late period. The crazy plot helps to create some humorous shenanigans including a classic routine where Lou accidentally eats the sacred medallion hidden inside his hamburger, and another where he gets frustrated telling Abbott to "take his pick", yet Bud keeps choosing to dig with a shovel. The murder of Dr. Zoomer and the attempt by the killers to hide the corpse allows Costello another chance to go through his "disappearing bodies" shtick, though it's better done here with less repetition than it was in ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET THE KILLER. Both comedians are in great form throughout this comedy, and they're given some funny lines steadily throughout the picture (BUD: "How stupid can you get?" LOU: "How stupid do you want me to be"?)

For monster movie fans, it's something of a letdown. The mummy Klaris (one wonders if this name was intentional or an error by the writers if they really meant him to be the same "Kharis" as in the 1940s mummy series) does not appear very often, and he's pretty poor looking; his bandaged carcass looks more like an over-sized pair of white pajamas, and his mushy face resembles a left-over egg roll. Klaris is played by Edwin Parker, a stuntman from back in the heyday of the classic Universal monster films who used to stand in as Frankenstein's monster, the Wolf Man and even "Kharis" himself.

**1/2 out of ****

"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.

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

This was the boys last picture for Universal. Actually it is better than some of the prior ones.

It has a better supporting cast than some with Marie Windsor & Richard Deacon. It has a better drawn story line than others too, as the script almost gets the idea right.

For the first time in many pictures, it has some of Abbott & Costellos better comic dialog which had been missing for several films. It includes the crisp "take your pick" routine and it is a breath of fresh air for the first time in a while.

There is a clever sequence where A & C pull a clever escape using some stunts that are cleverly done. There is a little music but it is not as obtrusive as some previous films. Overall, this is just slightly below their best films, much better than their worst ones.

This was the last feature for Universal that the two box office champs of the 40s did. Having met Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolfman, Dr. Jekyll, Mr Hyde, and the Invisible Man...Universal paired the two comedians with their mummy for one last go-round. The effort is not entirely satisfying, yet all together bad either. Bud and Lou seek their fortunes in Egypt when brought into a circle of intrigue, murder, and a curse of a mummy. The rest of the film centers around their bumbling, situational comedy, and a couple of dance hall numbers. The sets are pretty good, but the make-up for the mummy is definitely sub-par for the studio that brought us The Mummy in 1932. Richard Deacon stands out in a supporting role. Some pleasant scenes involve Bud and Lou playing hide-go-seek with a dead body(much like was done in A&C Meet the Killer), a trio of mummies treading through a hidden fortress, and a routine of Bud and Lou playing revolving hamburgers. Not their best to be sure, but sure to bring a smile to you.