The Mummy

Gloriously sumptuous and gloriously atmospheric, THE MUMMY (1958) has got to be among Hammer’s finest! For those who think Christopher Lee was truly scary portraying bloodsucker Count Dracula in several other Hammer Horror films, wait until you see him in action as the titular Egyptian mummy some years earlier.

To put it upfront, the title is somewhat misleading as it suggests a remake of the famous 1932 Universal Pictures horror flick, starring Boris Karloff as the mummy. In fact, Hammer’s The Mummy is not a remake of the Karloff vehicle but a mix of three other Universal films, namely The Mummy’s Hand (1940), The Mummy’s Tomb (1942) and for the climax scene, The Mummy’s Ghost (1944) which inspired Hammer stalwart scriptwriter Jimmy Sangster.

The action kicks off in Egypt (where else) in 1895, when archaeologist John Banning (Peter Cushing), his dad Stephen (Felix Aylmer) and uncle Joseph Whemple (Raymond Huntley) are sweating it out searching for the tomb of Princess Ananka, the high priestess of the (fictional) god Karnak. Luckily for John, he is unable to accompany his dad and uncle when they are about to enter, due to a broken leg. Prior to Stephen and Joseph entering the tomb, a local man by the name of Mehemet Bey (George Pastell) urges them to rethink again and not to enter,, unless they wish to bring the almighty wrath and the Pharaohs curse upon them. It goes without saying that neither of them listens, dismissing Mehemet’s warning as pure hocus pocus and thus they proceed as planned. A short time later, they discover Ananka’s sarcophagus and although not exactly popping that bottle of champagne to celebrate, uncle Joseph hurries to tell John the exciting news. In the meantime, dad Stephen stays behind in the tomb and discovers another treasure, the so-called Scroll of Life, a sacred text which he reads out aloud though soon wishes he hadn’t… All we (and the archaeological team outside the tomb) can hear are Stephen’s terrified screams.

The story then continues in Old Blighty three years later. Ever since the fateful events back in Egypt, Stephen has been in a catatonic state, unable to explain what happened back then. Looked after by staff at the ‘Engerfield Nursing Home for the Mentally Disordered’ (quite a mouthful, that), one day he snaps out of his catatonic state and asks for his son John. When he arrives, Stephen finally explains as to what happened back in the tomb three years ago while he recited from the Scroll of Life: by reading it aloud, he accidentally brought back Kharis (C. Lee), the mummified high priest of Karnak, to life. The film then goes into flashback mode and we learn how Kharis came to be mummified in the first place, that is to say, how he came to be mummified before his actual death. To give any more away would spoil things but rest assured, this flashback sequence is horrifying and gripping in equal measure!

Of course, Stephen doesn’t quite believe his dad and reckons the outrageous story is the result of his catatonic state but soon finds out the hard way that his old man was right, namely when Mehemet Bey, who happens to be a loyal worshipper of Karnak, arrives in England (under the name Mehemit Atkil) and resurrects… Kharis! Let’s just say this is a scene to behold and soon, it’s not only the Banning household including John’s glamorous wife Isobel (Yvonne Furneaux), who by the way bears an uncanny resemblance to the dead Princess Ananka, who find themselves under threat but Mehemet and Kharis will stop at nothing to exact revenge on those who blasphemed…

Hammer regular Michael Ripper provides a little comic relief playing a seemingly permanent drunken poacher with an ott ‘ruddy cheek’ make-up to match, while Christopher Lee’s Mummy make-up is nothing short of excellent - you can smell the decay from the screen!
Once again, Lee and Cushing are the ideal pairing playing on-screen enemies while the rest of the cast are equally convincing, though Furneaux’ acting skills are perhaps a little underused here. The entire production smacks of a very high standard (even though it probably wasn’t a massively big budget affair), with lavish sets and lavish costumes.

THE MUMMY has just been released restored on standard Blu-ray format with a host of special features, including new and archive audio commentaries / an appreciation of The Mummy by David Huckvale / the music of The Mummy / Unwrapping The Mummy / Memories of Bray Studios and Hammer Rep Company / original promo reel / gallery.