Classic Horror
On this date in classic horror history, The Mummy’s Tomb, starring Lon Chaney Jr., shambled its way into theaters on October 23, 1942, courtesy of Universal Pictures.
It wasn’t a blockbuster, not by box office standards, and certainly not by critical reaction received at the time. Reviews were, to put it kindly, mummified.
The New York Times groaned:
“No wonder the Mummy lasted for 3,000 years. In that tandem fashion, he may go on for another 3,000 — heaven forbid!”
Even Harrison’s Reports called it “routine,” with “nothing that will surprise horror fans.”
So while The Mummy’s Tomb carried on Universal’s undead legacy, it didn’t exactly unwrap any new thrills.
In classic horror history: The Mummy’s Tomb — more of a wash than a monument to terror.
