Horror Classics: The Mummy's Shroud (1967)

Okay, so the first two mummy films that Hammer had made were pretty good, and I really enjoyed them. Now, there's a saying about how the second film in series is the only good sequel. I don't usually agree with that, but I kind of have to agree this time around.

Let's discuss as we look at Hammer's third Mummy film - The Mummy's Shroud.

Some Background

Much like the other two Mummy films, there wasn't much background information that I could find, but here's what I DID find.

The Mummy's Shroud was the third in Hammer's Mummy series. It was released in 1967 and was met with a largely negative reception:

"Although macabre sequences create some tension and splash a lot of gore, dialog, characterizations, and plot have little to recommend them." - Variety

Yeah, ouch. Most, if not all the reviews I saw were very similar. The film was also the last production at Bray Studios before the company moved to Elstree Studios.

The Story is the Same Setup as Before...

Egypt, 1920, a team of archaeologists uncovers the tomb of a child Pharaoh named Kah-To-Bey. The artefacts are moved to the Cairo museum, and things get nasty real quick. A Bedouin named Hasmid uses a chant to resurrect the mummy of Kah-To-Bey's manservant Prem.

Prem subsequently goes on a rampage, killing off everyone who'd had anything to do with the opening of the tomb in increasingly gruesome ways.

So, What Works in The Mummy's Shroud?

So, what works in the film? Is there anything that works?

• The music is quite nice.
• The costumes are fairly well done. They're bright and vibrant, and they don't look like stage play costumes - which was, unfortunately, a frequent thing with Hammer's later films, with costumes looking like cheap Halloween junk.
• The sets are designed nicely, and they work really well.
• Tonally, the film is much darker. There's a very grim feeling to the whole affair, which works surprisingly well and stays consistent throughout.
• The flashback sequence to the kid Pharaoh and his manservant is fantastic.

What Doesn't Work in The Mummy's Shroud?

Okay, now, it's time for me to level with you guys. I wasn't really a huge fan of this one. As indicated by the previous section, there are things to like about the film, but it is so, so SLOW!

Tonally, as I said, the film is consistent, which is good, but the pace...to say it moves at a snail's pace would be generous. Additionally, while it was nice to see the mummy being creative with his kills, they seemed to be the main focus of those sequences and not the overall story. If your film is relying on gore over story, there's a problem.

Sadly, that latter point extends to the characters as well. You don't care about them. The performances are good, but nobody leaves a real impact when they die. It's just like:

"Oh, well...anyways..."

The chanting to the shroud also makes little to no sense to me. Maybe I missed the explanation in the film, but surely you'd have to chant to the mummy? You know, the thing you're trying to revive?

Final Thoughts: Kind of 'Meh'

Overall, The Mummy's Shroud isn't really a bad film, but it's also not really a good one. The plot is pretty much the same as the previous two films, which isn't a bad thing but it kills any enthusiasm for watching it as part of the series.

It could've been better, but hey, we've still got one more Mummy film from Hammer to review so the series still has a shot at redemption. I'll see you all again next time for Blood from the Mummy's Tomb. Until then, feel free to share your experiences/thoughts on The Mummy's Shroud in the comment section.