The Mummy

Archaeologist defile the tomb of an Egyptian princess and face the wrath of her protector, an undead mummy.

The Mummy marked a change for Hammer Film. After the success of their previous efforts, The Curse of Frankenstein, and Dracula, Hammer Film struck a deal with Universal Pictures to remake Universal’s classic horror films from the 30s and 40s.

The Mummy was the first result of this deal. In their previous films, Hammer had to avoid any likeness with the Universal pictures, this resulted in their unique designs for both Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster, but with The Mummy, they were free to emulate the classic style.

Even though Hammer’s mummy character, as played by Christopher Lee, may look like Karloff’s, he’s still uniquely Hammer. Instead of a slow, shuffling creeper, Lee’s mummy is a faster, super-human psychotic that eerily foreshadows the Jason’s and Michael Myer’s of the 80s.

Hammer mainstay Terrance Fisher does a fabulous job with what was likely the largest budget so far for a Hammer production, although if Peter Cushing’s foyer looks familiar it’s because you’ve seen it in The Curse of Frankenstein. Special note should be given to his framing of the shots of Christopher Lee ambling down the darkened road, which would inspire many a horror film to come.

Speaking of Christopher Lee, he and Peter Cushing to a fantastic job yet again, with Lee commanding a strong physical presence while Cushing carries the narrative along.

The Mummy’s only weak point comes toward the middle, where a series of flashbacks slow the pacing and feature Christopher Lee in a ridiculous blue hat that totally destroys any suspension of disbelief.