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The Eyes of the Mummy (1918)
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Stars: Max Laurence, Emil Jannings, Pola Negri |
| Director: Ernst Lubitsch |
| Runtime: 65 Minutes |
| Language: English subtitles - Orchestra music score |
| Color: Tinted and Toned |
| Format: DVD-R (Review) |
| Extras: His Luckless Love with Tom Kennedy |
| Rating: NR |
| Price: $14.95 |
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THE EYES OF THE MUMMY (1918)
(Augen der Mumie Ma, Die)
Directed by
Ernst Lubitsch
Writing credits
Hanns Kräly and Emil Rameau
Cast:
Max Laurence .... Prince Hohenfels
Harry Liedtke .... Albert Wendland, a Painter
Emil Jannings .... Radu, an Arab
Pola Negri .... Ma
Margarete Kupfer
Pola is rescued from the madman who kidnapped her.
Included Short Subject
"His Luckless Love" with Tom Kennedy
75 Minutes
DVD-R
Orchestra Scored
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THE EYES OF
THE MUMMY (1918) (Review)
This film directed by the great Ernst Lubitsch is alleged
to be the first mummy horror film although, except for the title,
there is no mummy! The plot is wildly convoluted. An art student in
Egypt goes to an ancient tomb to find the Priestess Ma, played by Pola
Negri. Ma is being held as a slave by an
Arab (played by Emil Jannings) who is beaten up by the
student who then liberates Ma and takes her back to Germany. The
Arab nearly dies in the desert but is rescued by a wandering German
prince to whom he swears to serve for life. The Arab is then taken
to Germany where Ma has become a sensation as a hoochie koochie
dancer. The exotic dance (in the style of Theda Bara doing yoga) is
silly, but we get the idea. The Arab master discovers her and in a
fit of revenge kills her and then himself. And no mummy!
Negri and Jannings were major stars of European silent films, and
both came to the U.S. (as did Lubitsch) with great success. Negri
played exotic vamps until the coming of sound and then returned to
Europe. Jannings won the first Best Actor Oscar for The Last
Command and The Way of All Flesh but is best remembered
as the tragic professor in The Blue Angel with Marlene
Dietrich. Like Negri, Jannings soon returned to Europe with the
coming of sound.
Lubitsch would have great success in Hollywood, directing such
films as The Smiling Lieutenant, The Love Parade, Trouble in
Paradise, Ninotchka, and To Be or
Not To Be. Lubitsch is also credited with discovering Jeanette
MacDonald, who starred in several of his early talkies.
This DVD of The Eyes of the Mummy uses new title cards
with red backgrounds. The spelling errors are very odd, including
the credits that list Ma as being played by "Pola Negi."
The film boasts some good music and nice tints (very common in
silent films) in varying shades of sepia,
blue, and lavender.
Also on this quality DVD is a 1915 comedy short titled, His
Luckless Love, starring Tom Kennedy. It has some funny moments
as confusion surrounds the maid’s new beau. |
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