Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy is a 1955 American Horror Comedy, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. It also stars stuntman Eddie Parker, who had doubled for Lon Chaney Jr. in Universal's previous Mummy movies.
Abbott and Costello play two near-broke Americans in Modern Egypt who are looking for a way home. While at a restaurant, they overhear renowned Egyptologist Professor Zoomer talking about how he recently recovered the ancient mummy of Klaris, said to be the guardian of the tomb of Princess Ara. Zoomer believes Klaris' sarcophagus contains a clue to the location of the princess' tomb, and wants to take Klaris and the Sarcophagus back to United States for further study.
Meanwhile, Femme Fatale businesswoman Madame Rontru is interested in plundering the tomb for herself. Iben and Hetsut, two members of the Followers of Klaris, an organization led by High Priest Semu, who are dedicated to preserving the tomb and keeping Klaris in a state of undeath, retrieve Klaris and murder the professor. Abbott and Costello head to the professor's residence in Cairo to volunteer as assistants to take the mummy overseas, but find only his body, and discover the mummy is missing. Costello takes a picture of Abbott with the body, and accidentally sets the police on their trail. While searching his residence, they also retrieve an ancient medallion that Zoomer was studying. It seems the medallion has hieroglyphics on it that will lead whoever can read them to the tomb of Princess Ara. Rontru offers to buy it off them, but the Followers of Klaris are also interested in getting the medallion back for themselves, even if they have to send the The Undead Klaris himself after their targets.
The film was the End of an Era for Abbott and Costello; it was the last film they made produced by Universal-International (and the second-last the team did at all), the last comedy-horror film they did, and consequently, their last run-in with Universal Studio's roster of classic movie monsters. Their brand had been flagging for some time, and while the movie still turned a profit, it's widely seen as easily the weakest of their Universal Monsters crossovers, and one of their worst films in general. After failing to renegotiate their contract for Universal, they left the studio after 14 years.
This film provides examples of:
- Ancient Egypt: Although it's set in (then-)modern times, the film calls pretty heavily on this trope.
- Ancient Order of Protectors: The Followers of Klaris, who are dedicated to keeping the Tomb of Princess Ara and its treasures safe for eternity, and keeping Klaris alive to guard them. Right up until Klaris dies, at which point the group apparently decides it isn't worth it anymore.
- Ancient Tomb: Princess Ara's tomb is hidden within some ancient ruins in the desert. Klaris and his followers have also made it their home.
- Barrier-Busting Blow: Costello does this twice: first he smashes his way out of a wooden wardrobe after realizing he's hidden inside with the body of Professor Zoomer. Much later, he realizes he's shut himself into a chamber with a giant lizard, and smashes right through a stone wall in terror!
- Captain Ersatz: Klaris and Princess Ara are clear stand-ins for Kharis and Princess Ananka from the classic Universal "Mummy" movies.
- Chekhov's Gun: The dynamite that Rontru intended to use to dig up the treasure comes in handy in the climax, blowing up Klaris and exposing the treasure.
- Confronting Your Imposter: A rare villainous example. At one point, one of Rontru's men, Charlie, dresses up as Klaris to try and trick Semu. Abbott also dresses up as the Mummy with similar intentions. When all three "Mummies" are in the same place, Klaris proves to be the most dangerous by far, and scares the other two off.
- Dance Party Ending: The Tomb of Princess Ara is turned into a mummy-themed nightclub after Klaris dies, as a way of honoring his memory and making a profit at the same time. The novelty dance-fighting act from the beginning of the film is briefly visible in the club; they seem to have retooled their routine into a reenactment of the final confrontation.
- Dire Beast: A lizard the size of a crocodile lurks in Princess Ara's tomb, for some reason.
- Funny X-Ray: At one point, Rontru has to X-Ray Costello to read the hieroglyphics on the medallion he swallowed. They find all sorts of inedible junk in his stomach alongside it. After she shakes him up a bit to get a better look, some of it is rearranged to spell out "HELP".
- Femme Fatale: Rontru counts, being a beautiful, morally-dubious figure who wants to get rich with the treasure of Princess Ara. She can be quite sexy and seductive, but she is also extremely dangerous and short-tempered.
- Grenade Hot Potato: Between Costello and Klaris with some dynamite, in the climax. Costello wins.
- It Was Here, I Swear!: Happens several times in Zoomer's residence with the professor's body; Costello finds the body hidden somewhere unlikely, runs for Abbott, the killers hide it elsewhere, rinse and repeat. Finally, they stop trying to hide it and just put it in his chair for Abbott to find.
- Luck-Based Search Technique: Costello finds the ancient tomb's entrance by sitting on a particular stone that dumps him into a hallway.
- MacGuffin: A medallion accompanying the mummy of Klaris, that is said to bring death to whoever is in possession of it.
- A MacGuffin Full of Money: The treasure of Princess Ana. Slightly unusual in that Semu wants to keep it right where it is, hidden from mortal eyes, and not spend it himself.
- Mêlée à Trois: There are three sides in the whole film; Rontru and her employees want to take the treasure of Princess Ara and get rich. Semu and the Followers of Klaris want to keep it sealed away forever. Abbott and Costello just got caught up in the whole conflict through a series of accidents, and while they won't say no to any financial windfalls (or people pointing weapons at them), they really just want enough money to go home.
- Mummy: Yes indeed, Klaris is the shuffling, undead guardian of Princess Ara's tomb and ancient treasure.
- Nobody Here but Us Statues: Rontru hides in Zoomer's apartment by taking the place of a mannequin shaped like a reclining woman. Costello had earlier pondered spanking the mannequin and decided against it, but this time, he takes his hat and smacks Rontru. Rontru kicks him across the room and then snaps back into her pose so quickly that Costello has no idea what happened.
- Out-of-Context Eavesdropping: After Costello takes a few pictures of Professor Zoomer's body, a couple of Rontru's henchmen overhear Costello explain he "shot" Zoomer a few times. This leads to the police getting put on their trail.
- Peek-a-Boo Corpse: Dr. Zoomer's body is repeatedly moved around his apartment for Costello to find, a la Milford's body in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff.
- Poisoned Chalice Switcheroo: After learning that the medallion is cursed at the Baghdad Café, Lou hides it in his hamburger and switches with Abbott's. Then Abbott switches it back. It eventually ends up in the ketchup and back in Lou's burger, and he swallows it.
- Secret Passage: The Tomb of Princess Ara looks like a few ruined buildings from outside, but there are hidden underground passages all over.
- Snake Charmer: A Running Gag: Lou occasionally finds a mizmar and starts playing it, generally summoning a cobra from somewhere unlikely that startles him badly. He takes it even further at one point, apparently charming a rope that Abbott is hanging onto and sending it up in the air.
- Spot the Imposter: When Rontru is confronted by three "mummies" – one her disguised henchman, one an undead monster, and one a disguised Abbott – she shoots at them to determine which is which. Klaris is the only one who doesn't flee; it seems he's Immune to Bullets.
- Tap on the Head: Used a few times, generally with a shovel. Turns out even undead aren't immune to it.
- Undeath Always Ends: Klaris, a walking mummy thousands of years old, is ultimately blown to pieces by dynamite.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: We never find out what happens to Rontru and her henchmen. They were presumably arrested for attempted grave robbing
- Who's on First?: Not the Trope Namer routine, but there's a brief argument between Abbott and Costello digging a hole, and whether they want to pick a pick or a shovel to use.
- Zombie Gait: Klaris walks like this.
