Bud Abbott and Lou Costello make their final Universal Monster movie with Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy. I’m not sure if I think this one is better, worse or equal to Meet the Invisible Man. I do know that Meet Frankenstein is their best.

This time out, the pair are a couple of would-be adventurers in Egypt looking for a way home. Sounds familiar, as I think this was the plot of an earlier Mummy film. Overhearing a possible job opportunity in the Cafe Baghdad the pair find themselves accused of murder and on the hunt for a treasure guarded by an undead mummy, Klaris (Eddie Parker) – not Kharis.

With a number of fourth wall breaks from Costello, the pair are caught up the chase, and the hunt, and initially, as always, Costello is the only one who encounters the Mummy. Course, by the end of the film, everyone has seen it, and some including Abbott have impersonated it.

Like their other films, a lot of the story seems to be created to center some comedic banter and business between the two iconic comedy legends, and for the most part it works. I was constantly engaged and entertained. There’s a musical/dance number that opens the picture that is designed to look like a fight and it’s wonderfully done.

Having said that, there’s a couple of musical numbers in this film, which doesn’t even run an hour and a half, perhaps not the best use of the narrative and screen time, especially as neither have anything to do with the story itself.

It’s also funny that both Abbott and Costello refer to one another by their names as opposed to their characters, this is something that is done throughout the film.

I’ll say this, I didn’t care for the makeup and monster design for the Mummy this time out, the bandages looked like a baggy suit instead of a wrapped body.

The film features a couple of baddies, but I was absolutely delighted to see the wonderful Michael Ansara cast as one of the supporting villains, Charlie. His voice and presence are instantly recognizable, and I loved seeing him opposite Lou.

This one was funny, had some fun moments, and absolutely no scares, even for the time this one must have played fairly broad. Perhaps the Universal Monsters were becoming passe at that time. That’s ok, they’ll endure.

I have one more foray with the Monsters as next time I explore The Creature Walks Among Us!