Each October, the Unsung Horrors podcast does a month of themed movies. This year, they will once again be setting up a fundraiser to benefit Best Friends, which works to save the lives of cats and dogs across America, giving pets second chances and happy homes.

Today’s theme: Lon Chaney (Jr. or Sr.)

I do love a mummy movie. I really love Lon Chaney Jr. as Kharis, the Mummy. But Chaney went through a lot to play this role, telling Frederick C. Othman that “I sweat” and I can’t wick away. I itch and I can’t scratch.” He took out his anger by choking actor Frank Reicher out, according to director Reginald Le Borg.

Andoheb, a High Priest of Arkam, has summoned Yousef Bey (John Carradine) to the Temple of Arkam to pass on his duties. Meanwhile, Professor Matthew Norman (Frank Reicher) is trying to convince his students that the mummy Kharis is a real thing. One of his students, Tom Hervey (played by Robert Lowery, the second actor to portray Batman), barely listens. After all, he has a hot Egyptian girl, Amina Mansori (Ramsay Ames, actually Spanish; she got the role when “Venezuela Volcano” Acquanetta fell during a dizzy spell and landed head-first on rocks painted white that she assumed were fake). But when anyone even mentions Egypt, Amina starts to feel uneasy.

Yousef Bey starts brewing the nine tea leaves, Kharis returns, the professor gets choked and Amina somehow has a new birthmark after seeing the mummy. Kharis starts leaving mold all over his victims, and the body of Ananka falls into dust, as she’s reincarnated into Amina, as you probably already figured.

The actual problem arises when Bey decides that she’s so gorgeous that he wants him for herself. Kharis reacts by shoving him out a window and narrowly avoiding a mob, only to sink back into the swamp as both he and his bride age. Too bad for Tom, who was about to elope.

When you see Kharis tearing up the museum, know that that’s what it is. They didn’t put the necessary items into the set on time, and Chaney cut himself. That blood is all real! Hardway blood, as they say in wrestling.

Hayes Code be damned, the female heroine doesn’t survive and you can see her, well, nipples in one scene. I guess they snuck this one in!

As I mentioned earlier, I love all mommy movies. At least the Universal ones are somewhat tied together. Too bad Lon hated the wrap so much.

Bill Fleck’s Horror Behind the Scenes writes, “According to Christopher Lock, makeup master Jack P. Pierce’s current biographer, the Mummy’s make-up is by now a rubber mask fashioned by propman Ellis Berman. But before the mask is applied, Chaney is wrapped by John Bonner and Pierce in what studio publicity claims is “400 yards of gauze tape.”

Pierce then takes Chaney out into the California sunshine when possible, and applies dark paint to the wrappings in order to suggest the scorching the creature has lived through in previous films. Pierce then wraps up Chaney’s hand, so as to give the illusion that the Mummy’s fingers have been burned off — and puts that arm in what looks like a sling.

Finally, the rubber mask, blocking out Chaney’s eye is glued to the actor’s face —presumably by Fuller’s Mud — and this is also raked through his hair, and Pierce then applies cotton, spirit gum, liquid latex, and tissue on the mask to form a more realistic look. Lastly, greasepaint and powder are added.

It’s by far Chaney’s least favorite makeup.”

The good news is that his dog, Moose, got to visit the set. Moose was Bela Lugosi in werewolf form in The Wolf Man and became Chaney’s beloved pet.

You can download this from the Internet Archive.