The Aztec Mummy (Spanish: La Momia Azteca, also known in the USA as simply La Momia) is a 1957 Mexican horror film produced by Guillermo Calderon from his own story idea, scripted by Alfredo Salazar, and directed by Rafael Portillo.
It was the first in a trilogy of Mexican mummy films, all featuring Popoca the Aztec Mummy. The other two films were The Curse of the Aztec Mummy and The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy. The three films were all shot in 1957, one after another without a break in the production schedule.
Plot[]
In ancient times, Aztec warrior Popoca (Ángel di Stefani) is buried alive after being caught having an affair with the temple maiden Xochitl (Rosita Arenas), who is put to death for her sin. Popoca must forever guard the tomb within the Great Pyramid of Yucatán where his lover's remains and the treasures of the Aztec are kept.
In the present day, Dr. Eduardo Almada (Ramon Gay) decides to experiment with hypnotic regression on his fiancé, Flor Sepúlveda (Rosita Arenas in a dual role). Through hypnosis, Eduardo discovers that Flor is in fact a reincarnation of Xochitl, and uses her past memories to find the Aztec tomb of Popoca.
The explorers steal a gold breastplate from the tomb, awakening the sleeping mummy, who pursues them endlessly trying to reclaim the stolen artifacts. The group flees to Mexico City with Popoca in pursuit. Meanwhile, Dr. Krupp (Luis Aceves Castañeda), one of Almada's colleagues who is also a master criminal known as the Bat, discovers the existence of the treasure and sends his thugs after Dr. Almada and Flor in order to retrieve the golden breastplate, which contains a key to the great Aztec treasure. Krupp's men converge on Flor's house in order to retrieve the treasure and run afoul of the mummy.
The mummy retrieves his stolen items and returns with them to his tomb, taking Flor (who he believes is his beloved Xochitl) with him as a prisoner. Dr. Krupp is captured by the police and taken to prison. In the end, the scientists return to the pyramid and battle the mummy, holding him at bay with a crucifix. The leader of the expedition, Dr. Sepulveda (Jorge Mondragón), sacrifices his life to destroy the mummy with dynamite, collapsing the tomb onto both of them. Flor is then released from the hold her past held on her.
Cast[]
- Ramón Gay as Dr. Eduardo Almada
- Rosa Arenas as Flor Sepúlveda/Xochitl
- Crox Alvarado as Pinacate
- Luis Aceves Castañeda as Dr. Krupp (a.k.a. El Murciélago/the Bat)
- Jaime Gonzalez Quinones as Pepe Almada
- Unidentified Child Actress as Anita Almada
- Jorge Mondragón as Dr. Sepúlveda
- Ángel di Stefani as Popoca the Aztec Mummy
- Arturo Martínez as Henchman Tierno
- Stella Indo as the Aztecan Chanteuse
- Emma Roldan as Maria, Dr. Almada's housekeeper
Production[]
Development for The Aztec Mummy began in early 1957. At this point in Mexican cinema, there was a wide range of films being released that were similar in plots to the old Universal Pictures horror movies, but differed enough to avoid a lawsuit from Universal. Variations of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and other classic monsters were especially popular with Mexican audiences. So, it is not surprising that Guillermo Calderon and Alfredo Salazar chose a topic similar to Universal's films The Mummy and The Mummy's Hand and its sequels The Mummy's Tomb, The Mummy's Ghost and The Mummy's Curse.
The Aztec Mummy was filmed in Mexico City, Mexico in 1957 in Estudios CLASA studio and shot back-to-back with its two sequels.
Release[]
The first film in the trilogy was released theatrically in Mexico on November 13, 1957 by Peliculas Nacionales. The film was released on DVD by BCI on December 26, 2006 as a part of the 3-disc box set The Aztec Mummy Collection. It was later released by VCI Entertainment on December 9, 2014.
Reception[]
The Aztec Mummy was not widely reviewed by mainstream critics. Reviews that exist on the film have been mostly negative.
On his website Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings, Dave Sindelar called it the strongest in the series, while noting that those unfamiliar with the series might have a harder time with it. TV Guide awarded the film no stars out of 4, calling the film "Completely bizarre and cheaply made," but further stated that the film was engaging and worth taking a look at. David Maine from PopMatters gave the film a mixed 5/10 stars. Maine concluded his review by stating that the film was "Dull in spots, but quirky and moody enough to be worth a look." Regardless, both the film and its sequels have gained a cult following over the years and it is now considered a cult classic.
External links[]
The Aztec Mummy (1957) at the Internet Movie Database- The Aztec Mummy (1957) at AllMovie
- The Aztec Mummy (1957) at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Aztec Mummy at Wikipedia
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