Wednesday, August 28, 2024

The "La Momia Azteca (The Aztec Mummy)" Film Series

In 1957, horror movie lovers in the United Kingdom were enjoying the first meeting of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in "Curse of Frankenstein". Along with director Jacques Tourneur's, "Night of the Demon", aka:, "Curse of the Demon", starring Dana Andrews and Niall MacGinnis. While Barbara Shelley, was the "Cat Girl", the unofficial remake of producer Val Lewton's, 1942, "Cat People"

In the United States, many 1957 motion pictures seemed to have been inspired by the story of "Bridey Murphy", see my section, "The Basic Screenplay", under La Momia Azteca". Peggy Castle was in the "Bridey Murphy" inspired 1957 movie, "Back from the Dead", co-starring Arthur Franz. Director Roger Corman, made his version of the "Bridey Murphy""The Undead", co-starring Allison Hayes and Pamela Duncan. While, one of the few other United States horror movies that year, was the seldom seen, story of a man that becomes a living mummy from experiencing the "Pharaoh's Curse" . 

In Italy, 1957 Italian horror fans enjoyed "I Vampiri", co-directed by Mario Bava.

In Mexico, screenplay writer, director, and producer Alfredo Salazar, who had been writing mainly comedy screenplays since 1948, was, in 1957, frankly, bored, and looking for another genre. His latest film had been the 1957 musical comedy, "Los chiflados del rock and roll (The Rock and Roll Stooges)". 

According to several horror film historians, and reviewers of "The Aztec Mummy Trilogy". Alfredo Salazar, found that new film genre in the five "Mummy" feature films, made and released by "Universal Pictures", between 1932 and 1944. 

For my readers interested in that first, 1932, "The Mummy". My article is "The Mummy (1932) vs The Mummy (1959) vs The Mummy (1999) vs The Mummy (2017)" unwrapped at:

http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2022/12/the-mummy-1932-vs-mummy-1959-vs-mummy.html

The article contains both the story about how, 1932's, "The Mummy" came about, and looks at the motion picture itself. Although, I believe, it wasn't really that important to Alfredo Salazar. 

The section of that article about the 1959, "The Mummy", speaks to the British, "Hammer Film Production", that used the 1940's character of "Kharis", and was released one-year after the final film of the Mexican trilogy. A trilogy that seemed to use the style of a "Cliff-Hanger", rather than the self-contained, but related storylines of the "Universal Pictures""Kharis" films. Which seems to be the one's Alfredo Salazar might have been inspired by.

"B" cowboy star, Tom Tyler, had first portrayed "Kharis", in 1940's "The Mummy's Hand". My article is "Tom Tyler: The 'B' Cowboy Star Who Became a Mummy, Captan Marvel, and a Classic John Wayne Bad Guy" found at:

http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2017/01/tom-tyler-b-cowboy-star-who-became.html

He was followed in the role, by the better known, Lon Chaney, for the last three features, starting in 1942 with "The Mummy's Tomb" and not ending until December of 1944, with the "Mummy's Curse". My article is "LON CHANEY, JR: 'OF MICE AND WEREWOLVES" at:

http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/05/lon-chaney-jr-of-mice-and-werewolves.html

1944's, "The Mummy's Ghost", was the second time that Lon Chaney portrayed "Kharis", seen below, as the one-time Egyptian high priest, who loved the "Princess Ananka". "Ananka" had became sick and died young, and "Kharis" was mummified alive, for attempting to use the sacred "Tana-leaves" to bring her back to him. While, Boris Karloff's, 1932, "Im-ho-tep", attempted to bring his love "Anck-es-en-Amon" back, by reading from the "Scroll of Thoth". Neither "Tana-leaves", or the "Scroll of Thoth" were used by Alfredo Salazar.


Actually, from a screenplay point of view, the four-films with "Kharis", are actually two separate continuous stories, the last three in the same United States small town. 

Part One:

The 1940 and 1942 films, speak to the story of the "Banning Family". The 1940 feature is about the finding of the Egyptian tomb of the "Princess Ananka", by "Steve Banning", and the first appearance of the living mummy, "Kharis". The 1942 film takes place, supposedly, 30-years later, and mentions the taking of "Ananka's" mummy and treasure to the "Scripps Museum," in Mapleton, Massachusetts. Which leads to the "Priests of Karnak's" revenge upon the "Banning" family in the United States through "Kharis"

PartTwo:

The two 1944 movies speak to the reincarnation of the "Princess Ananka", in the body of "Amina Mansori", in Mapleton, Massachusetts. Over the two films, she will physically change into the 3,000 years old, "Princess Ananka". A couple of characters, carry over from the previous movie. "Kharis", is still walking in Mapleton, and the now called, "Priests of Arkham", have the task of bringing her body back to Egypt by using the mummy.

I take a close look at Lon Chaney's, 1942, "The Mummy's Tomb", and its related feature film 1944, "The Mummy's Ghost", in my article "Frank Reicher: B4 'King Kong' 2 TV's 'Superman" at:

http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2024/08/frank-reicher-b4-king-kong-2-tvs.html


A piece of trivia about Lon Chaney, in early 1959, he filmed a Mexican horror film, "La casa del terror".  However, the picture was not released until March 24, 1960. In it, Lon Chaney again portrayed a mummy, but with the ability to turn into a werewolf. His "Kharis" weirdly meeting his "Larry Talbot"?













LA MOMIA AZTECA (THE AZTEC MUMMY) released in Mexico on November 13, 1957



As I mentioned the story came from Alfredo Salazar, who received on-screen credit for adapting the American mummy movies, and co-writing the screenplay. 

His co-writer was Guillermo Calderón, who only had writing credits, but 110-producer credits, including this feature film and the two others of the trilogy. Calderón, would produce a series of Spanish language motion pictures that included one I saw in France, dubbed into English, with French subtitles. It was shown under the English title of "Superman Against the Vampire Women", and starred the luchadoro wrestler, "El Santo". My article is "El Santo Enmascardo de Playa: A Look at Rodolfo Guzman Huerta" found at:

http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/07/el-santo-enmascardo-de-playa-look-at.html

The Four Main Roles Plus Two, Appearing in All Three Films:

Ramon Garcia Gay portrays "Dr. Eduardo Almada". Mexico City born, Gay, entered the "Mexican Film Industry" in 1946. His film work is credited as going into 1965, but he had been murdered in 1960 in a dispute with another man over actress Gloria Evangelina Elizondo López-Llera. 

An explanation of Gay's 1963 and 1965 motion picture appearances. There was a very low-budget American producer, screenplay writer, and director named Gerald Lee "Jerry" Warren, who made such classics (?) as 1959's, "Teenage Zombies", and 1959's, "The Incredible Petrified World", co-starring actors looking for any work, John Carradine, Robert Clarke, and Phyllis Coates. What Jerry Warren did was to acquire the rights to two Mexican horror films. One was "La Momia Azteca", he removed major portions of the original motion picture and replaced them with American actors following his own screenplay. He would release his horror movie as 1963's, "Attack of the Mayan Mummy". Warren's second Mexican film acquisition was Lon Chaney's, "La casa del terror". Jerry Warren selected scenes from that feature, mixed them with scenes from "La Momia Azteca", and created his 1965, "Face of the Screaming Werewolf". Jerry Warren gave Ramon Gay full starring credit for his two "New" horror movies.










Rosita Arenas portrayed the dual roles of "Flor Sepulveda" and "Xochitl". The Caracas, Venezuela, born actress had portrayed "Paloma Dominguez" in 1957's, "Los chiflados del rock and roll (The Rock and Roll Stooges)". 











Crox Alvarado portrayed "Pinacate". The San Jose, Costa Rica, actor had just been in the science fiction-horror movie, 1957's, "Ladrón de cadáveres (Body Snatcher)", later in his career, he would be seen in "El Santo's", 1968, "The Witches Attack", and the same years, "La mujer murcielago (The Bat Women)", think "D. C.'s Bat Girl" grown up with super powers.




Luis Aceves Castañeda portrayed "Dr. Krupp". The Aguascalientes, Mexico born actor was in the Mexican, 1954, production of British authoress Emily Bronte's, "Wuthering Heights" with her character's names changed to Spanish ones. He was also in 1963's, "Santo and the Diabolical Brain".





Angel Di Stefani billed as Angelo De Steffani portrayed "Popoco, La Momia Azteca". The Italian actor had a little name confusion when he portrayed "Captain Rivera", in 1955's, "Seven Cities of Gold", starring Richard Egan, Anthony Quinn, Michael Rennie, Jeffrey Hunter and Rita Moreno. The name mix-up came, when the official cast listing shows both Angel Di Stefani and Angelo De Stiffney in the same role. Question, did he get paid twice? In 1957, he was a "Military Man" in stop-motion-animator Willis O'Brien's, "The Black Scorpion", and in 1969, Di Stefani, was in "Santo vs Capulina"













The mummy's make-up was by make-up artist Carmen Palomino.

Jesús Murciélago Velázquez portrayed one of "The Bat's" henchman in all three films, but he was  a famous luchador, also known as "El Murcielago (The Bat)". Perhaps initially hired to throw the audience off as to who the movie's, "The Bat", might be. The Hidalgo, Mexico, born wrestler would act in 20-motion pictures, and write 33-screenplays.
















The Basic Screenplay:

In 1957, Alfredo Salazar was concerned about possible copyright lawsuits from "Universal International Pictures". Later, in 1959, British "Hammer Studios" would face such a problem, with  revising the screenplay for 1932's, "The Mummy", see my above article about that film. Salazar's solution was to make his story about the Aztec civilization and not the Egyptian. 

However, it is very obvious from his completed screenplay, that Alfredo Salazar was familiar with the popular, worldwide, 1952 story of "Bridey Murphy", and Pueblo, Colorado, housewife, Virginia Tighe's alleged hypnotic regression into the 1798-1864, Irish woman. Whose story, like the two American movies I have already mentioned for 1957, was reworked into both 1956's, "The She Creature", and 1957's, "I Was a Teenage Werewolf".

So, I ask my reader to consider, was Alfredo Salazar actually thinking of Egyptian reincarnation as seen in the 1932 through 1944, "Universal Pictures", and repeatedly mentioned by film historians and reviewers, or Virginia Tighe in 1952?

Salazar's story opens with the return to Mexico  City of "Dr. Eduardo Almada". "Almada" has been attending  a meeting held in Prague, Poland, of the "First International Congress of Neuro-Psychiatric Research". He explains, to a small gathering of scientist's, his theory of a person having hidden memories of past lives they once lived, but "Dr. Eduardo Almada", is met with obvious skepticism. When he further states that through hypnotism, he can regress a subject to one of their past lives. The gathered scientists, including one "Dr. Krupp, come close to laughing at what they see as a preposterous theory and leave.

"Dr. Almada" needs a subject for his experiment, but who? He thinks of his mentor, "Dr. Jose Sepulveda", portrayed by Jorge Mondragon, the father of his fiancee, "Flor", but his age is a major factor and he's disregarded. His assistant, "Pinacate" is next considered, but he is too mild mannered and is not considered. "Flor" comes to "Eduardo" and volunteers, but he's not completely sure of how this might affect someone and is very reluctant. However, there is no one else and "Dr. Eduardo Almada" agrees to attempt to regress his fiancee, "Flor Sepulveda", into one of her past lives with the help of "Flor's" father.





What the doctors don't realize is that a master criminal known only as "The Bat" is watching.
















As "The Bat" watches, "Flor" is regressed into a past life as an Aztec woman named "Xochitl".















"Xochitl" was to be the virgin sacrifice to the Aztec God, "Tezcatlipoca". Who is described as the "God of  providence, the invisible and darkness, lord of the Night, ruler of the North". He is one of the four sons of the two main deities in the Aztec religion, "Ometechutli" and Omecihuatl".

These Aztecs lived in the city of "Tenochtitlan", upon an island on "Lake Texcoco", which is now part of the historic center of Mexico City. 












Above a drawing of what the city looked like, and below the first European drawn map in 1524, of the Aztec capital of "Tenochtitlan".


























However, "Xochitl" was caught with her virginity lost by the warrior "Popoca". "Popoca" will be entombed, alive, and cursed to guard throughout eternity, a golden breastplate and arm band. Those two Aztec items are said to lead the finder to a vast treasure. "Xochitl" is still sacrificed to "Tezcatlipoca", as a knife penetrates her heart, and her body, is then placed in the same tomb as her lover. 










































At the exact second that "Xochitl's" heart stops beating, so does "Flor's", and "Eduardo" and "Flor's" father rush to save her with oxygen. The regression of "Flor Sepulveda" has worked far better than even "Dr. Eduardo Almada" could have imagined.



















Realizing proving "Flor's" story would support his theory, "Dr. Almada" decides to find the tomb of "Xochitl". "The Bat", meanwhile, has his men, headed by "Tierno", portrayed by Arturo Martínez,   plant hearing devices in "Almada's" house. 














"Eduardo" is surprised that along with one of the male servants, a descendant of the Aztec's, "Flor" warns him against finding the burial tomb. They both fear the curse placed upon "Popoca", but proving his theory over rides any caution even his fiancee could express to "Almada".

"Dr. Eduardo Almada" puts together a team of scientists, including "Pinacate" and "Dr. Sepulveda", to accompany him and "Flor" to find the Aztec tomb described by "Xochitl", assuming she really existed.

"Flor Sepulveda" following the information of her other life, "Xochitl", leads the group to the entrance of the tomb. 

















A door is found, after some time, it is able to be opened and "Popoca" is found. "Dr. Almada's" group enters, and searching they find "Xochitl's" bones, the mummified body of "Popoca", and the golden breastplate.



































Above left to right, are, Jorge Mondragón portraying "Dr. Sepulveda", Rosita Arenas portraying "Flor Sepulveda", Jaime González Quiñones portraying "Educardo's kid brother, Pepe Almada", and Crox Alvarado portraying "Pinacate". 

The group starts to leave the tomb, not noticing that "Popoca" has been reanimated and is following them.

























Returning to his home, "Dr. Almada"shows the breastplate to the same group of scientists that laughed at his hypnotic regression concept. "Dr. Krupp" still remains the most skeptical. On the golden breastplate are etched Aztec hieroglyphics and "Eduardo Almada", and "Dr. Sepulveda" start to decipher them. 

The hieroclphs speak to a a treasure, but the location can only be found by using the arm band. A decision to return to the tomb is made, but suddenly "Popoca" appears and attacks the group. They manage to escape the "Aztec Mummy" and make it to "Flor's" house.

















As before, "The Bat" has been spying in the group and watched the attack by "Popoca". Now he sends some of his henchmen to "Flor Sepulveda's" home to retrieve the golden breastplate. The henchmen don't get the breastplate, because "Popoca arrives and slaughters them with the exception of "Tierno", takes the breastplate and kidnap's "Flor". Whom he sees as his beloved "Xochitl" and heads back to the tomb, being followed by "Eduardo" and "Dr. Sepulveda".

In the tomb, "Popoca" prepares to sacrifice "Flor/Xochitl" to his God, "Tezcatlipoca", and free himself of the curse. 












"Eduardo" and "Flor's" father arrive,  and "Eduardo Almada" confronts "Popoca". The mummy still has the sacrificial knife in his hands, but "Eduardo" uses a crucifix to hold off the "Aztec Mummy".

















Which presents a possible dating problem in the story. After the conquest of Mexico in 1521, the Catholic Church forced the Catholic Religion on the Aztec's. We see "Popoca" reacting to a Catholic crucifix in fear, but "Xochitl's" virgin sacrifice and the rituals in the film pre-date the Spanish conquest. So, the question is raised why is "Popoca" reacting to a religious item he should not be familiar with and against his own God? The answer is this is a horror movie made in a Catholic country and the writers did not want to bypass the church in fighting evil. 

While, the above is occurring, "Flor" is rescued by another member of "Dr. Almada's" party, and finding dynamite in the tomb (?), "Dr. Sepulveda" blows the roof of the tomb up and it buries him with "Popoca, the Aztec Mummy". 

Freed from "Xochitl", "Flor Sepulveda" and "Dr. Eduardo Almada" expose "Dr. Krupp" as "The Bat" and he is arrested. 



El Fin


Looks like we have a few loose ends? Not to worry, here comes:


LA MALDICION DE LA MOMIA AZTECA (THE CURSE OF THE AZTEC MUMMY) released in Mexico on December 11, 1957



Same writers, same main actors, and same mummy.

 Ramon Gay is back as "Dr. Eduardo Almada".

Rosita Arenas is back as "Flor Sepulveda" and "Xochitl".

Crox Alvarado is back as "Pinacate".

Luis Aceves Castaneda is back as "Dr. Krupp" aka: "The Bat".

Jorge Mondragon is back as "Flor's father, Dr. Sepulveda", but only in flashbacks to "The Aztec Mummy".

Arturo Martínez is back as "Tierno".

Jaime González Quiñones is back as "Eduardo's Kid Brother, Pepe". 

Angelo De Steffani is back as "Popoca, the Aztec Mummy".

"Anita, the very young daughter of Dr. Almada from a previous marriage", no name of the young girl portraying the role and a different young girl, completely without mentioning the role in the credit, was in the first movie.

Added is "El Lobo Negro (The Black Wolf)", portrayed by Guillermo Hernández, see photo below.

Also added, is the mysterious luchador crime fighter "El Angel (The Angel)".


The Very, Very, Very Basic Screenplay:

First, "La Momia Azteca" had a running time of 80-minutes, this film has a running time of only 65-miniutes, keep that in mind. Are there any "Bruce Wayne" fans reading this, if so, keep that in mind.

"Tierno" was able to escape the attack by "La Momia Azteca" at the end of the first motion picture. He meets another gangster named "El Lobo Negro" and the two plot the rescue of "The Bat".

















Meanwhile, after finishing giving his description of "The Bat's" missing henchmen to the local police, "Dr. Eduardo Almada" returns home. He tells "Flor", "Pinacate", "Pepe", and "Maria, the housekeeper", she was also in the first film, portrayed by Emma Roldan:

We're finally going to get some peace!

However, "Flor" reminds him of the "Curse of the Aztec Gods" that resulted in the death of his father in "Xochitl" and "Popoca's" tomb and the death of her father's children, herself. However, "Eduardo" counters that they had returned the golden breastplate and armband to the tomb. Therefore, in his mind, the curse has been lifted and there's nothing for "Flor" to be afraid about.

Meanwhile, the police have turned "Dr. Krupp" over to armed security guards with an armored transport vehicle. The guards are leaving the city toward the prison on a back road and are attacked by "Tierno", "Black Wolf" and the now reconstituted gang. As the last of the security guards are killed, a Lucha all dressed in white drives up and joins the fight.






 


 





















Above, a look at the luchador, "El Angel", in his all white Roll Royce convertible to go with his all white outfit. Below, "El Angel" seems to be getting "The Bat's" gang in line.
















However, "Dr. Krupp's" men do overpower "El Angel" and before they kill him, "Krupp" stops them. Telling his henchmen he will kill "El Angel", later, in his own way. Excuse me? They all leave, and "El Angel" visits "Dr. Almada" and his fiancee, "Flor". There, he tells them the two are in danger, but give them a radio watch that the two can contact him when needed.
















Meanwhile, the audience, who had seen the first motion picture and had been watching this feature to the point, listens to "Dr. Krupp" going over the entire first movie to his gang, in a five-minute-plus flashback. 

"The Bat's, or Dr. Krupp's" gang now attack the household of "Dr. Eduardo Almada", frighten the housekeeper, badly beat-up both "Eduardo" and "Pinacate", and kidnap both "Flor" and "Anita".

















At "The Bat's, or Dr. Krupp's" headquarters. "Anita" is locked in a room and the doctor administers a drug to "Flor" to make her more susceptible to hypnosis, because he wants to regress her into "Xochitl"  to learn the location of her tomb.































While, using his captives as bait to lure "Dr. Eduardo Almada" to him. Of course "Eduardo" does exactly as "The Bat" wants and for this, he is beaten up once again and listen to "Dr. Krupp", once more, give a flashback to the first motion picture. 













Above, left to right, Luis Aceves Castaneda portraying "Dr. Krupp, the Bat", seated Ramón Gay portraying "Dr. Eduardo Almada", his left is Guillermo Hernández portraying "El Lobo Negro", and far right is Arturo Martínez portraying "Tierno".

"Pepe" now gets into action, gets the radio watch, calls "The Angel" and gives him the location of "Dr. Krupp's" headquarters and the luchador heads for "The Bat's" lair. Arriving at it, he gets into another fight with the henchmen, is beaten up and finds himself in what is apparently a room used by the doctor as a mortuary.































I ask my reader not to think too much about what comes next, but the floor starts opening. Revealing deadly snakes, "El Angel" makes a jump and is able to grab onto the overhead light fixture. Next, hanging there, he is able to use his wrist radio to contact "Pepe" to come and rescue him.

Back in "Dr. Krupp's" laboratory, "The Bat" is attempting to force "Dr. Almada" to translate the breastplate once they find it. So he can locate the tomb, find the armband, and find the treasure. Leaving the beaten "Almada" tied up with seven of his men guarding him. "The Bat" takes the hypnotized and regressed to "Xochitl", "Flor Sepulveda", and goes to the tomb. With her information, the tomb is entered by "Dr. Krupp" and his men. Meanwhile, "Pepe" has entered part of the lair and following instructions over the wrist radio, locates "El Angel", is able to open the mortuary room and free its prisoner.

The two now enter the room with "Pepe's" tied up brother, "Pepe" frees him, while "El Angel" is fighting all the others. Both brother's now join in the fight and defeat the bad guys and put them in the room "Anita" was locked in. "Eduardo" has "Pepe" take "Anita" home and armed, both "El Angel" and "Dr. Almada" go to the tomb.

In the tomb, the hypnotized "Flor" just stands staring into space as "Dr. Krupp's" men search the darkened tomb. Both the breastplate and the arm band are found. "Popoca, La Momia Azteca" is first seen as an apparent dead body, just a few seconds past 50-minutes into the 65-minute movie. He is uncovered from the parts of the roof that had collapsed upon him at the end of the first movie by "Krupp''s" men. Just then, "Dr. Almada" and "El Angel" enter the tomb with pistols out to order the others to put their hands up. 


















As "Dr. Krupp's" and his men start to follow the orders of the two men, "Popoca" has reanimated and starts to attack causing confusion. Everyone runs from the slow moving "Aztec Mummy" and outside of the tomb, both "Dr. Almada" and "El Angel" are now recaptured. Cut to "The Bat's Lair", where "Flor" is bound, but not under hypnosis and "Eduardo" and "El Angel" are also tired to chairs. 

It's reveal time, as "Dr. Krupp" pulls "El Angel's" mask off and surprise, it's "Pinacate". Just then, "Popoca", who has been slowly following breaks down the door and attacks, or slaughters, "The Bat's" henchmen with "Tierno" getting acid in his face. Next, he goes for "Dr. Krupp" and throws him into the now open snake floor. Turns, picks up the breastplate and arm band and walks away into the night.


This is a trilogy and here comes:

LA MOMIA AZTECA CONTRA EL ROBOT HUMANO (THE AZTEC MUMMY AGAINST THE HUMAN ROBOT) aka: THE ROBOT VS THE AZTEC MUMMY released in Mexico on July 17, 1958



This is the final installment in the original "La Momia Azteca" series. There would be a non-related return in 1964's, "Las luchadoras contra la momia (The fighters against the mummy)" aka: "Wrestling Women vs the Aztec Mummy". 










However, that movie is part of another series that even included 1969's, "Las lunchasdoras vs el robot asinine (Female wrestlers vs killer robot)".

Everyone of the main characters returns, including "Dr. Sepulveda", once more in the flashback sequence, but there are three character changes. "Flor Sepulveda" is now "Flor Almada", but somehow is still under the hypnotic influence of "Dr. Krupp". "El Angel" has totally disappeared, or mentioned, as if the character never was in the previous film, and "Tierno" is back, but with a very scarred face.


The Actually Very, Very, Very, Very Short New Material Screenplay:

The running time of this feature is 65-minutes, but just over the first 25-minutes is nothing more than recapping of both previous film's plots and leaving 40-minutes to tell the new story.

As my reader must have expected, "Dr. Krupp" escaped the snake pit, apparently without one snake bite, and is still after the treasure. However, he is afraid of "Popoca" coming back and now, as a "Classic Illustrated", "Readers Digest" version of "Dr. Bat Frankenstein",  builds a robot with a human head and brain on it to fight "The Aztec Mummy".

















Personally, I'd take the look of the 1936, "Republic Pictures", robots from "The Undersea Kingdom", first picture below, to "The Bat's", 1958, creation in the second picture.






























Above, that is Adolfo Rojas portraying the "Human Robot".

















As with the previous film, I ask my reader to just go with it. "Dr. Krupp" isn't sure where "Popoca" is, because his tomb has been completely destroyed now. So, he calls to "Flor", who is asleep in her bed, to come to him. In a trance, she gets up and meets both "Krupp" and "Tierno" and is told to find pick up the "Waves" coming off of "Popoca" and take the two men to him. This leads into an ancient grave yard and the tomb of one of the "Aztec Mummy's" last living descendants, where he sleeps holding the breast plate.












































The following morning, "Flor" wakes up in bed without any memory of the night. However, her shoes are covered in mud, and her dress has cobwebs on it. Additionally, "Anita" had observed her sleep walking in the house. "Eduardo" and "Pinacate" will study the mud for a clue as to where she went.

I know, two questions are raised by this screenplay. First, if "The Aztec Mummy" gives off "Waves", whatever these are, and "Flor" can receive them as "Xochitl". Why weren't they used in the previous two motion pictures to track "Popoca"? Two, how can "Popoca" have descendants, IF he was executed by mummification and "Xochital", who he had sex with, sacrificed?

That night, "Dr. Krupp" and "Tierno", using a radio control devise, bring the "Human Robot" with them to the tomb they visited with "Flor". "Popoca" is peacefully sleeping, and "Tierno", being really stupid, almost as much as "The Bat", removes the breastplate from "The Aztec Mummy's" body. Need I say more? 

The reanimated mummy goes for "Tierno", but is stopped by the "Human Robot".

















Hey, wait a minute! Above, open door from graveyard to tomb, check!  Ten steps down to the floor, check! Aztec Mummy, check! Human Robot, check! Knees on the Human Robot

So, how did Human Robot get down the steps? Answer, don't ask!

The big battle takes place, with the "Human Robot" generating burning electrical shocks from his hands to the grabbing hands of the "Aztec Mummy". It looks as if the "Aztec Mummy" is going down for the count, but seemingly out of nowhere, "Dr. Eduardo Almada", knocks the remote control out of the hands  of "Dr, Krupp". "Popoca" just starts ripping the "Human Robot" apart, with pieces all over the tomb's floor, "The Aztec Mummy" does the same to "Tierno" and the "Bat's" men, and next, he goes for "Dr. Krupp".

















The film ends with "Dr. Almada" giving "Popoca" his breastplate and arm band. "The Aztec Mummy" turns, walks out of the tomb, and if this was a "B" Western, would be John Wayne riding off into the sunset. In any case, no one, bad, or good, ever found the treasure. 



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