Balderston had contributed to Dracula and Frankenstein, and had covered the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb for the New York World when he was a journalist so he was more than familiar with the well publicised tomb unearthing. Pleased with the Cagliostro concept, Laemmle hired John L. The story, set in San Francisco, was about a 3,000-year-old magician who survives by injecting nitrates. Schayer and writer Nina Wilcox Putnam learned about Alessandro Cagliostro and wrote a nine-page treatment entitled Cagliostro.

Schayer found none, although the plot bears a strong resemblance to a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle entitled 'The Ring of Thoth'. commissioned story editor Richard Schayer to find a novel to form a basis for an Egyptian-themed horror film, just as the novels Dracula and Frankenstein inspired their 1931 films Dracula and Frankenstein. Inspired by the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 and the Curse of the Pharaohs, producer Carl Laemmle Jr. Muller, Frank calls Helen back to the world of the living while the Scroll of Thoth continues to burn.Д¬oncept art for Cagliostro, a film project based on the historical occultist Alessandro Cagliostro, which served as the basis for what became The Mummy. This breaks the spell that had given Imhotep his immortality, causing him to crumble to dust. The statue of Isis raises its arm and emits a flash that sets the Scroll of Thoth on fire. Helen is rescued when she remembers her ancestral past life and prays to the goddess Isis to come to her aid. Believing her to be Ankh-esen-amun's reincarnation, he attempts to kill her, with the intention of mummifying her, resurrecting her, and finally making her his immortal bride. He reveals to her that his horrific death was punishment for sacrilege: attempting to resurrect his forbidden lover, Princess Ankh-esen-amun. After locating the tomb, the archaeologists present its treasures to the Cairo Museum, and Ardeth Bey disappears.ДЄrdeth soon encounters Helen Grosvenor ( Zita Johann), a half-Egyptian woman bearing a striking resemblance to the princess. He calls upon Sir Joseph's son Frank ( David Manners) and Professor Pearson ( Leonard Mudie) and shows them where to dig to find the tomb of the princess Ankh-esen-amun. Ten years later, Imhotep has assimilated into a mysterious Egyptian historian named Ardeth Bey. Imhotep rises, the sight of which snaps Norton's mind and causes him to laugh hysterically as the Mummy shuffles off with the scroll. He translates the symbols and then reads the words aloud. Despite Muller's warning, Sir Joseph's assistant Ralph Norton ( Bramwell Fletcher) opens it and finds an ancient life-giving scroll, the 'Scroll of Thoth'. Also buried with Imhotep is a casket with a curse on it. Muller ( Edward Van Sloan) reveals that the viscera were not removed, and from the signs of struggling Muller deduces that although Imhotep had been wrapped like a traditional mummy, he had been buried alive. An inspection of the mummy by Whemple's friend Dr.

In 1921, an archaeological expedition led by Sir Joseph Whemple ( Arthur Byron) finds the mummy of an ancient Egyptian high priest named Imhotep ( Boris Karloff).

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