A "tough, old bird" may not be an apt enough description of George Zucco's high priest character in the Mummy series. Somehow, still alive and shaking, he passes on the priesthood of what is now referred to as "Arkham" to Yousef Bey (John Carradine) & once again feels the need to recap the mummy's life history, which has been altered since "Mummy's Tomb". Now the story goes that the once exalted Princess Ananka died an accursed death and that Kharis was buried with her. Now it's the task of Yousef to go to Mapleton and bring the royal dead of Egypt back to their homeland.
Meanwhile, the wafting scent of tana leaves in the air attracts Kharis to the home of one Professor Norman. As Kharis shambles his way towards the cup of life, a young dish named Amina Mansouri (Ramsay Ames) gets a chance to show off her talents in filling out a nightgown as she sleepwalks her way to the very same house. Anyone else notice that black cat that ran in front of Ames during this scene? I believe that's called foreshadowing.
The reincarnation angle from the original Karloff "Mummy" gets dusted off. The spirit of Ananka has left its mummified shell & taken residence in the body of Amina. Now Kharis must go about what must be for him a pleasant task of carrying off yet another woman clad in white (it's the only activity that gets his "dead" arm to work) and hope that another high priest won't succumb to any lascivious thoughts lurking in the back of his mind.
But, that's not how things work out, for the life of an undead character stuck in repetitious sequels penned by unimaginative story writers is a hard one. The only merciful thing to do would've been to let Kharis & his Princess drown in eternal bliss, but the call of the box-office demanded one more sequel (Amon-Ra help us).
