April Phools and Pharaohs- “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy” Tonight!

It seems like an appropriate way for us to celebrate April Fool’s Day is with the most famous fools to ever encounter the Universal monsters! It’s fools and fright when a certain dim-witted duo runs into an embalmed entity, as well as murderers, thieves, and an ancient cult- when "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy"!

In what was actually their final film for Universal Studios, we find Bud and Lou stuck in Cairo, Egypt, and hoping to find a way to get back to the states. They stumble upon the perfect way to get home- by overhearing archaeologist Dr. Gustav Zoomer discussing his latest find- a mummy - that he is sending to America. Since he needs some couriers to accompany his find, Bud and Lou decide to apply for the job- but they are not the only ones interested in the mummy, named Klaris in this film, rather than Kharis, as he has been called in the previous sequels beginning with “The Mummy’s Hand”.

Legend has it that supposedly the mummy has a medallion hidden somewhere which reveals the location of the tomb of Princess Ara, which contains untold riches. This has come to the attention of criminal femme fatale Madame Rontru and her henchmen, who want to steal Ara's treasure. As if that wasn’t enough, members of the cult of Klaris, protector of the Princess’ tomb for centuries, cannot allow this desecration and removal their bandaged brother from their care!

The boys arrive at Zoomer's house- unaware that the cult members have killed the doctor and made off with the mummy! Even worse- Madame Rontu and her cronies show up to complicate things. Through the ensuing mayhem- guess who ends up finding the medallion?

The cash-strapped boys attempt to sell the medallion, and unwittingly make a sort of deal with Madame Rontu to sell it to her. They plan to meet her in a café to work out the purchase- which is where they finally learn that the medallion is cursed! Bud and Lou try to stick each other with the medallion- which finally ends up with Lou- thanks to his hunger for a hamburger! ( You’ll understand when you watch…) Rontru and her thugs need help to interpret what the medallion means- and are offered help by a gentleman who says he can lead them to the tomb. Unfortunately, he is the leader of the cult- and has a nasty future planned for all parties concerned -not to mention that the cult followers have used the traditional methods to restore life to the Mummy! Bud and Lou are caught between the Rontu gang, the cult, and the unstoppable Klaris who will use his deadly power to protect the ancient secrets and the treasure of Ara!

This1955 monster-meet-up was Bud and Lou’s final run-in with the Universal monsters-and, it's loaded not only with the duo's typical gags, but also with a lot of familiar actors-whom we'll fill you in on- as well as a cameo by Lou's daughter, Carole, who was 16 years old at the time. We also have a Sahara- sized helping of Sven mummy segments for you to enjoy!

"Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy" comes to you tonight on MeTV- 8pm eastern/pacific, 7 central time, and, if you are unsure of the time and channel where you are, check your local listings or under “where to watch” at www.metv.com . Twitter remains abuzz every Saturday night during our show where viewers have been live-Tweeting in record numbers- you are invited to join in, using the hashtag #svengoolie in your posts! Local Chicago viewers can go back to school one more time with “Blood of Dracula” at 11 am on CW 26!

Thanks to everyone who showed up at the Zanies Comedy Club in Rosemont IL this week for my guest shot at the Nick Digilio podcast recording.We also want to thank all our friends who came to visit with us at the C2E2 comics and entertainment convention at Chicago’s McCormick Place yesterday! If you are in the area you can join us today- for a special “Svengoolie spotlight” panel discussion- celebrity photo ops- and personalized signing and photos in the autograph area! Check the schedule here on our website for actual times- and please remember- if you want an autograph, get in line early, since they will have to cut the line off so we’ll end on time. If you want an autograph or to take a photo with me, the autograph sessions are the place to get it- unfortunately, when we’re out working on the floor, or running from place to place to do interviews, it isn’t often possible to accommodate those requests.

Join us tonight for the wrap-up of Bud and Lou’s Universal movie careers-with an undying monster ready to take the wrap for- oh, you’ll get enough of this kind of stuff tonight!