Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (4K UHD Review)
Director
Charles LamontRelease Date(s)
1955 (November 25, 2025)Studio(s)
Universal-International (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)- Film/Program Grade: C+
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: A
- Extras Grade: C-
Review
The professional relationship between Bud Abbott and Lou Costello was dying on the vine in the mid 1950s, but so was their contract with Universal Pictures, still known at that time as Universal-International. But before they left the Universal lot for good and did one more film before they split up entirely, they made their final film for the studio, 1955’s Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy. It was also the sixth film in Universal’s The Mummy series and Bud and Lou’s 28th for the studio overall. Having had success seven years prior with Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and four years prior with Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man, it seemed only fitting that they would close out their careers with one last Universal horror movie monster.
This time around, Bud and Lou are stranded in Cairo with a mysterious medallion that can lead them to an ancient mummy and possible treasure. This also attracts the attention of the followers of Klaris, the guardian of the Tomb of Princess Ara, including Semu (Richard Deacon), Madame Rontru (Marie Windsor), Iben (Mel Welles), and Hetsut (Richard Karlan). Everyone makes their way into the ancient tomb to look for the mummy and the hidden treasure, but Semu and his men make things difficult for Bud and Lou, as does the mummy when it gets up from its sarcophagus. Also in the cast are Michael Ansara, Dan Seymour, Kurt Katch, George Khoury, Peggy King, the Mazzone-Abbott Dancers, Chandra Kaly and His Dancers, and Eddie Parker as Klaris, the Mummy.
The trappings of Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy, meaning the sets and even some of the musical numbers, are the strongest aspects of the film. Unfortunately, the comedy just isn’t what it used to be, and it mostly falls flat. The chemistry is off and, perhaps even knowing where things are headed outside of the film, it’s clear that everything is coming to an end soon. Bud and Lou aren’t doing their best work here, and there are only sporadic moments of laughter to be had. Obviously that’s an objective opinion, of course, but one that’s shared by many, unless you were young at the time of the film’s release and likely got much more out of it. Their classics routines feel hollow, and as a result, tend to come off more as them repeating themselves.
Klaris, the Mummy, is also not the most convincing portrayal of a movie monster. Perhaps comparing it to Boris Karloff’s and even Christopher Lee’s portrayals isn’t fair, but it’s difficult not to, especially since it’s the sixth entry in a long-running series. Matters aren’t helped that some of the other characters dress up as mummies to scare Bud and Lou, and they don’t look much different than the titular mummy. A bright spot is Marie Windsor, contrasted by Richard Deacon’s deadpan performance, which works better for a television audience, in my opinion.
Despite Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy being the least of their movie monster mash-ups, more Abbott and Costello is better than none at all, even if it does wind up being more tedious than entertaining. It’s also sad that their careers ended on such a whimper. The idea of Bud and Lou up against an ancient mummy is comedy gold, especially since acts like The Three Stooges had already done it, and more effectively. But, their Universal series comes to a close on one of their lesser works. Monster movie fans may eat it up, but even they have to admit that it’s over.
Cinematographer George Robinson shot Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy on 35mm black-and-white film with spherical lenses. The results were processed photochemically, and framed theatrically at the aspect ratio of 1:85:1. Kino Lorber Studio Classics debuts the film on Ultra HD with a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, which has been graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and encoded to a triple-layered BD-100 disc. It’s a gorgeous black-and-white image with a light layer of photochemical grain and a fairly stable bitrate that sits almost exclusively at or around 75Mbps. Detail is so much richer and tighter than previous incarnations, even opticals blend better than they have in the past. The HDR wrings out the detail in the shadows with super deep blacks, perfect grayscale, and excellent contrast all around. It’s also a clean and stable presentation, where only minor speckling and scratches are visible. It’s definitely on par with the UHD release of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
Audio is included in English 2.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. It’s a clean and satisfying monaural source with discernible dialogue and ample support for sound effects, the score, and the music selection. Only a light natural hiss is audible.
The Kino Lorber Studio Classics 4K Ultra HD release of Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy sits in a black Amaray case along with an inner sleeve and slipcover featuring artwork from the original theatrical poster. The following extras are included on the disc:
- Audio Commentary with C. Courtney Joyner and Phoef Sutton
- Audio Commentary with Toby Roan
- Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:05)
The first audio commentary features film historians C. Courtney Joyner and Phoef Sutton. It’s not the best pairing or the most informative track as the two more or less spend much of their time on conjecture and appreciation than facts about the actual production, although some information does still manage get through. The second track with Toby Roan is perhaps more frustrating as it has a constant stop-and-start quality as Roan says a sentence or two before the film’s audio kicks back in, and then back again. Information about the film and it’s cast and crew is present, but the dropping in and out is so annoying that it’s difficult to enjoy it. Also included is the film’s trailer.
Not included from previous releases is the classic DVD documentary Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters, various image galleries, and production notes. The 2019 Shout! Factory Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection Blu-ray release also includes an audio commentary with Troy Howarth. There’s also the matter of the Castle Films 8mm and Super 8mm digest versions that could have been unearthed and utilized, as well as a fine Trailers from Hell commentary featuring Joe Dante.
While the additional commentaries are appreciated, there’s much, much more you could do with an extras package for Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy. The film itself is not one of the best in the Bud and Lou/Universal monster team-ups, but it’s harmless enough that long-time fans mostly give it a pass. Even without lavish treatment, this 4K UHD release features a terrific presentation of the film that will be the preferred viewing option for many for quite some time. Caveats aside, it’s an easily recommendable disc.
- Tim Salmons
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