Karloff Deserves Your Rapt (or Wrapped) Attention as "The Mummy"- Tonight!

Tonight on MeTV- as the weather turns colder, it seems like a good time to get wrapped up-and join one of Universal’s iconic monsters as he goes "for a little walk"... and begins a marathon of evil and death, thanks to a curse from ancient Egypt that brings danger to all who come into contact with- "The Mummy"!

It's been a while since we showed you this original 1932 classic- that capitalized on Boris Karloff’s success as the Frankenstein Monster- casting him as the mummy of an ancient Egyptian priest who, in the name of love, defied the laws of the gods and received a horrible punishment.

The story begins in Egypt 1921-with the discovery of a tomb containing the mummified remains of someone who appears to have been interred alive, possibly due to some sort of indiscretion. The expedition, headed by Sir Joseph Whemple, also finds a box with a mysterious scroll- known as the Scroll of Thoth, supposedly a vehicle for giving life. The members of the exploring party argue about whether it is fitting to even continue with the examination of the discovery, perhaps deferring to ancient codes and laws –but, while they debate the issue, Ralph, a foolish young associate, studies the scroll, translating its words and reading them out loud. Unfortunately, his brash recitation of the text is an incantation which brings the Mummy back to life! As the young man watches, driven to hysteric laughter by the unbelievable spectacle of the living Mummy, the bandaged creature claims the scroll and shambles out of the tomb, leaving the poor fellow with his mind broken.

Needless to say, the expedition is abandoned- until ten years later, when Frank, the son of original explorer Sir Joseph, returns to continue his father’s search for the lost tomb of the Princess Ankh-es-en-amon. A mysterious weathered Egyptian named Ardath Bey arrives unexpectedly-and he inexplicably reveals the location where they will need to dig to find the Princess' tomb. His guidance is indeed correct- they find the tomb, and her mummified body and many artifacts are recovered, and sent to the Cairo Museum.

By doing so, they are actually aiding Ardath Bey in his own agenda- for he is, in reality, the mummified high priest Imhotep, who seeks to find a way to revive his lost love the Princess using the Scroll of Thoth that he purloined ten years ago! Imhotep is determined not let any man get in his way-and is confident that none can withstand his power. When he crosses paths with Helen Grosvenor, a lovely young woman of Egyptian heritage, whom he senses is the reincarnation of Ankh-es-en-amon, he is determined to help her remember her past- then restore her to his side by killing her and then using the scroll to bring her back as the Princess of her previous life- to serve as his bride! Will the Mummy claim more lives- including that of the innocent woman he would have as his mate?

This is a true classic Universal monster flick- and, though some feel it is slow-going at times, it is a wonderfully atmospheric story with Karloff's character both tragic and terrifying. We get Edward van Sloan – who played Van Helsing in the original “Dracula”- again playing a wise doctor out to defeat a supernatural foe. We'll give you background on the production and cast- and- again visit with a familiar figure of power who might make you a deal you can’t refuse; as well as a visit from Nostalgiaferatoo; you’ll see both the kids and adults costume contests from 2019’s Flashback Weekend, along with a song and some vintage Sven mummy mayhem and –watch for some 45th anniversary greetings and a cameo appearance from someone you’ve seen in a somewhat more recent Mummy movie!

"The Mummy" comes to life tonight on MeTV at 8 pm eastern/pacific,7 central, or check local listings and/or visit www.metv.com for time and channel where you are. MeTV again invites you to live -Tweet during the show on Twitter- using the hashtag #svengoolie – with the scores of other fans who keep us trending nationally each week! Chicago area fans get another look at the 1950s classic "Invaders from Mars" on WCIU, the U, at 11 am!

Last weekend, we had a great time visiting with our fans and friends in our annual visit to the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, IL- and this year, our Halloween season tour expands into November! I’m proud to be doing a meet and greet- and introducing Francis Ford Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” at Chicago’s famed Auditorium Theatre on November 9th- and helping Ed Debevic’s fun diner celebrate its 40th birthday on November 16th! You’ll find more information under the “appearances” tab here on our website. And, no doubt, you’ve seen us teasing a new 45th anniversary Svengoolie song by Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon- it will be premiering soon on our show, and you may be surprised to see some of the participants!

We have again gotten an amazing response from our Sven fans on our anniversary box now on sale in our store ( I have a …? Well, you know)- please check it out- there are some incredible items included that you will not find anywhere else!

We are happy that you enjoyed our Sven Squad providing the second half of a couple of our October double features- we could see more of Gwengoolie, the imp, and Nosty hosting in the future!

Tonight on MeTV, though, we kick off November with the uncanny Karloff stepping out of the tomb to bring is adversaries doom!