[7]
What can I say? I really like mummies. And unlike Universal’s boring 1932 film, this Hammer Films production actually features its creepy title character in many scenes, instead of hiding it. Peter Cushing stars as a member of an archaeological dig that unearths the Egyptian tomb of the princess Ananka and her mummified lover, played by a mute Christopher Lee. A dedicated protector of the tomb (George Pastell) vows revenge against Cushing and his team. He brings Lee’s mummy to England and resurrects him to kill off every member of the excavation team. As his colleagues perish around him, Cushing’s only chance for survival lies in his young wife (Yvonne Furneaux), who has an uncanny resemblance to the mummy’s beloved Ananka.
Hammer’s gothic horror movies are all generally of the same good quality, but The Mummy moves at a nice, slightly faster pace than usual and takes advantage of some neat exterior sets, including a swamp the mummy carries Furneaux into for the climax. The mummy design is a grittier, muddier one than we usually get, and I think it makes the character look more ‘lived-in’ and scary. Lee animates the mummy well, Cushing is terrific as usual, and Franz Reisenstein’s romantic score adds a cozy, added touch. I could do without the lengthy flashback revealing the mummy and Ananka’s backstory in ancient Egypt, but it hardly diminishes the spooky appeal of another well-made film from the fine folks at Hammer.
Directed by Terence Fisher. With Eddie Byrne, Felix Aylmer, and Raymond Huntley.