The Mummy's Hand

First of four '40s revivals for Universal's dreariest monster, who could do little but lurch around swathed in bandages, arms outstretched for another bout of mayhem. Western star Tom Tyler, dragging one useless leg behind him, at least brought a certain baleful menace to the role, whereas Lon Chaney Jr, taking over for The Mummy's Tomb (1942), The Mummy's Ghost (1944) and The Mummy's Curse (1944), merely looked incongruously overweight. The sense of déjà vu is not helped by the cost-cutting habit of incorporating the famous flashback sequence from Freund's 1932 film explaining the historical circumstances of the mummy's fate (The Mummy's Tomb also includes a flashback to its predecessor, plus stock footage of torch-brandishing villagers from Frankenstein!). The Mummy's Hand and The Mummy's Ghost are the best in an uninspiring quartet.