Horror Classics: Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964)

The first of Hammer's Mummy films had gotten a somewhat mixed reception, but it was received well enough to receive three sequels.

While I enjoyed the first one, the series overall is a bit mixed. Still, getting three sequels isn't something to sneeze at. It wasn't like Hammer didn't do sequels, after all, they made a whopping nine Dracula films - yes, you read that correctly - NINE films. I reviewed eight of them; the last one, Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, was a martial arts crossover, which is why I left it out of my reviews.

Additionally, their Frankenstein series was seven films long. While the quality of the sequels wasn't always the best, they were made on shoestring budgets, which is why they were made in the first place. So, with all that in mind, why don't we discuss the second of Hammer's Mummy films?

Filming The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb

There wasn't a whole lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that I could find on Curse of the Mummy's Tomb. With that said, Hammer had a few casting habits that made things easier.

They cast Terence Morgan as Adam Beauchamp, Fred Clark as the American showman - King, and the lovely Jeanette Roland as the female love interest - Annette. Now, Morgan was already fairly well-known to British audiences at the time, and Fred Clark was a character actor from Hollywood.

Filming took place at Elstree Studios, and the film was released in 1964 as a double bill alongside The Gorgon - I haven't seen that one yet, but it sounds cool. Curse of the Mummy's Tomb had a somewhat mixed reception. Some critics liked the film, with one review calling it artistic:

"eerie but routine shocker thrills. But, hand it to Hammer, they've got this kind of scary hokum down to a grisly art" - Daily Cinema

Some reviews weren't as nice, however:

"One needs a crystal ball to sort out the reasons for some of the contrived goings on in the modest and rather slapdash horror pic." - Variety

Ouch! Still, I guess it could've been worse.

The Plot

In 1900, in Egypt, a team of archaeologists discovers and opens the tomb of an ancient prince named Ra'Antef. They obviously take the artefacts from Egypt to England. The group is being sponsored by an American showman who wants to put on lurid, exploitative shows involving the artefacts and the prince's mummy.

Of course, when they get back to the UK all hell breaks loose when the mummy comes to life and starts hunting down the archaeologists who entered his tomb.

What Works?

So, where does Curse of the Mummy's Tomb shine?

• Well, the music and set design are fantastic, the performances are on point - if a little stilted at times, and the costumes are very nice.
• The mummy's backstory is actually a bit more interesting; extreme sibling rivalry leading to murder. It's nothing we haven't really seen before, but the flashback sequence showing that part of the story is very well done. Combined with Jeanette Roland's narration, the visual storytelling here is a perfect demonstration of the 'show don't tell' rule of entertainment.
• Tonally, the film has a very grim, menacing feel that stays consistent throughout the film.
• The opening sequence with the camera panning around showcasing the artefacts in the tomb is great.

What Doesn't Work?

So, is there anything that DOESN'T work? Yeah, unfortunately.

• The plot twist involving Terence Morgan's character (Adam) is kind of obvious.
• The opening sequence with the murder of the lead archaeologist and later the assassin on the ship feel a bit out of place. There isn't a whole lot of exposition as to who they are or why they do what they do.

A Slower Story, but Still Good

Overall, the Curse of the Mummy's Tomb is much slower than its predecessor, but it's still a good movie. It's worth watching if you haven't seen it already.