4. The Mummy’s Ghost (1944)
Lon Chaney Jr.’s second turn at playing Kharis is easily his best. He seems livelier in his performance as the titular fiend here than in his other two entries, giving the role both a ferocity and a sense of sadness not seen in his other appearances. Throw in John Carradine as the requisite death order-giving high priest and Ramsay Ames as the capable, but utterly doomed female protagonist? Well, you’ve got a recipe strong enough to make Kharis dance a jig. Another stand-out aspect of this production is that it carries a proto-AIP feel too it. Substitute in Michael Landon as the male lead and Whit Bissell as the high priest and you have yourself a companion film to I Was A Teenage Werewolf in terms of style and tone. This is a good thing and The Mummy’s Ghost is a good sequel.
