The Mummy (1932) Film Locations

Do you fancy yourself a modern day Indiana Jones, maybe a hobby archeologist, maybe a tomb raider, who am I to judge. If you are one of these daring breed, I suggest a visit to the tomb of Imhotep. You will not need to travel and spend the money to go to Egypt. His tomb is just north of Los Angeles. So gear up, brush up on your hieroglyphics, and head out to Red Rock Canyon.

I love Red Rock Canyon. Me, the wifey and kiddoes make an annual trek up to Ridgecrest. A hike at Hagen Canyon is always on the agenda. If you’re not familiar with Red Rock Canyon State Park. The Park is about 2-3 hours from Los Angeles depending on the route. I’ve made the drive in less than 2 hours without the kiddoes for an early morning hike in Iron Canyon and Scenic Canyon. The Parks sits between Ridgecrest and Mojave.

The Park has been an early Hollywood filming location. Hollywood filmed many Westerns in the area. But, the Park has also attracted horror movies to sci-fi movies and serials. I’ll do some later posts on these.

In Universal’s The Mummy, Sir Joseph Whemple (Arthur Byron) finds the mummy of Imhotep (Boris Karloff). Mistakenly, Sir Joseph’s assistant reads the Scroll of Thoth aloud and wakes Imohetep. Imohetep is on a mission to resurrect his forbidden love princess Ankh-es-en-Amon. He comes across Helen Grovenor (Zita Johann) and believes her to be the reincarnation of Ankh. I won’t go on any further watch the movies. It is a classic.

I recommend that you find yourself a copy of A Filed Guide to Motion Picture Location at Red Rock Canyon, Mojave Desert, California by Richard J Schmidt. Or, Monsters from the Vault #23 which has an article by Richard title The Mummy of Red Rock Canyon.

Film Location Comparison Shots:

Notes:

1. A Field Guide to Motion Picture Locations at Red Rock Canyon Mojave Desert, California by Richard J. Schmidt is an excellent source for filming locations in the area.
2. Monsters from the Vault #23, The Mummy of Red Rock Canyon by Richard J. Schmidt is another great source by the above author.
3. Hollywood Escapes by Harry Medved and Bruce Akiyama has a chapter on Red Rock Canyon.