Curses of Pharaohs and the Mummy unleashed on archeological infidels who "rob and plunder the ancient tombs of Egypt" would be revived by Hammer like Dracula and Frankenstein were. There were several mummy movies, and I decided on Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964) as the first of those for October. It is also my first Hammer movie of the month. Typically I start with Horror of Dracula (1958), but I think I'll save that one for later this year.
The critique on the film's inauthentic Egyptian relic props which look fresh out of the workman's shop department and the dredging up of the same mummy body count revenge plot might have merit, but for whatever reason I don't have as much difficulty watching these as I do the Chaney Kharis Universal series. Despite the props looking too freshly cut and painted to be ancient relics, I am actually fond of Roy Ashton's mummy makeup work. I don't consider it Pierce Karloff caliber, but when Michael Carreras' camera captures it at its most menacing, the unkempt, age-beaten bandages that hug tightly to Ramses' mummified corpse, as he silently goes about his business doing in members of the expedition who unearthed him, I could dig the monster. Interesting conclusion has the Mummy's "relative" revealed to be heavily involved and that twist of who it is will be no surprise...it is tailored rather obviously when he first appears. Just emerging on a cruise ship to help the damsel in need of rescue before some assassin could bury his dagger in her, the hero conveniently asks her and archeologist beau (Jeanne Roland & Ronald Howard) to stay at his mansion in England. The film has a huckster (Fred Clark, perfectly cast as a jovial showman with not a nary of regret in exploiting whatever he can to make a buck) and the respected, aging archeologist (Jack Gwillim) on the death list, Clark because he decided to parade Ra-Antef out there as an exhibition for audiences as if a sideshow attraction and Gwillim because he headed the expedition that led to the Mummy's discovery. Add Egyptian Hashmi (George Pastell) who helped the Londoners raid his people's land for treasures of the past who realizes his error, being head crushed on bended knee to Ra-Antef, and there's victims aplenty for the Mummy to target. Terence Morgan as aristocrat who befriends Howard, with eyes for Roland, rounds out the cast. You'll have to look fast for perennial Hammer vet, Michael Ripper, in a small forgettable role as an Egyptian with a taste for "Turkish delights".
The critique on the film's inauthentic Egyptian relic props which look fresh out of the workman's shop department and the dredging up of the same mummy body count revenge plot might have merit, but for whatever reason I don't have as much difficulty watching these as I do the Chaney Kharis Universal series. Despite the props looking too freshly cut and painted to be ancient relics, I am actually fond of Roy Ashton's mummy makeup work. I don't consider it Pierce Karloff caliber, but when Michael Carreras' camera captures it at its most menacing, the unkempt, age-beaten bandages that hug tightly to Ramses' mummified corpse, as he silently goes about his business doing in members of the expedition who unearthed him, I could dig the monster. Interesting conclusion has the Mummy's "relative" revealed to be heavily involved and that twist of who it is will be no surprise...it is tailored rather obviously when he first appears. Just emerging on a cruise ship to help the damsel in need of rescue before some assassin could bury his dagger in her, the hero conveniently asks her and archeologist beau (Jeanne Roland & Ronald Howard) to stay at his mansion in England. The film has a huckster (Fred Clark, perfectly cast as a jovial showman with not a nary of regret in exploiting whatever he can to make a buck) and the respected, aging archeologist (Jack Gwillim) on the death list, Clark because he decided to parade Ra-Antef out there as an exhibition for audiences as if a sideshow attraction and Gwillim because he headed the expedition that led to the Mummy's discovery. Add Egyptian Hashmi (George Pastell) who helped the Londoners raid his people's land for treasures of the past who realizes his error, being head crushed on bended knee to Ra-Antef, and there's victims aplenty for the Mummy to target. Terence Morgan as aristocrat who befriends Howard, with eyes for Roland, rounds out the cast. You'll have to look fast for perennial Hammer vet, Michael Ripper, in a small forgettable role as an Egyptian with a taste for "Turkish delights".
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