AMERICAN MUTUAL FUND, INC.
                             333 South Hope Street
                         Los Angeles, California 90071
                                 (213) 486-9200


                                  CERTIFICATION


I, James K. Dunton, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of American Mutual Fund, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to make the statements
made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such statements were made, not
misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial information included in this report, and
the financial  statements on which the financial  information  is based,  fairly
present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations,
changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial  statements are required
to include a statement  of cash  flows) of the  registrant  as of, and for,  the
periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
rule 30a-2(c) under the Investment Company Act) for the registrant and have:

a) designed  such  disclosure  controls and  procedures  to ensure that material
information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries,
is made known to us by others  within those  entities,  particularly  during the
period in which this report is being prepared;

b) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and
procedures as of a date within 90
days prior to the filing date of this report (the "Evaluation Date"); and

c) presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the
disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of the Evaluation
Date;

5. The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed,
based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and the audit
committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the
equivalent functions):

a) all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls
which could adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process,
summarize, and report financial data and have identified for the registrant's
auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and

b) any  fraud,  whether  or not  material,  that  involves  management  or other
employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal controls; and

6. The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer(s) and I have indicated in this
report whether or not there were significant  changes in internal controls or in
other factors that could  significantly  affect internal controls  subsequent to
the date of our most recent  evaluation,  including any corrective  actions with
regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.


Date: July 7, 2003


/s/ James K. Dunton
James K. Dunton, Chairman and
Principal Executive Officer
American Mutual Fund, Inc.



                           AMERICAN MUTUAL FUND, INC.
                             333 South Hope Street
                         Los Angeles, California 90071
                                 (213) 486-9200


                                  CERTIFICATION


I, Sheryl F. Johnson, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of American Mutual Fund, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not
misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial information included in this report, and
the financial  statements on which the financial  information  is based,  fairly
present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations,
changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial  statements are required
to include a statement  of cash  flows) of the  registrant  as of, and for,  the
periods presented in this report;

4. The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer(s)  and I are  responsible  for
establishing and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as defined in
rule 30a-2(c) under the Investment Company Act) for the registrant and have:

a) designed  such  disclosure  controls and  procedures  to ensure that material
information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries,
is made known to us by others  within those  entities,  particularly  during the
period in which this report is being prepared;

b) evaluated  the  effectiveness  of the  registrant's  disclosure  controls and
procedures  as of a date  within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report
(the "Evaluation  Date");  and

c) presented in this report our conclusions about
the  effectiveness  of the  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  based  on our
evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;

5. The registrant's other certifying  officer(s) and I have disclosed,  based on
our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee
of the  registrant's  board of directors (or persons  performing  the equivalent
functions):

a) all significant  deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls
which  could  adversely  affect the  registrant's  ability  to record,  process,
summarize,  and report  financial data and have identified for the  registrant's
auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and

b) any  fraud,  whether  or not  material,  that  involves  management  or other
employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal controls; and

6. The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer(s) and I have indicated in this
report whether or not there were significant  changes in internal controls or in
other factors that could  significantly  affect internal controls  subsequent to
the date of our most recent  evaluation,  including any corrective  actions with
regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

Date: July 7, 2003


/s/ Sheryl F. Johnson
Sheryl F. Johnson Treasurer,
American Mutual Fund, Inc.