Curse of the Mummy's Tomb

Curse of the Mummy's Tomb

The first sequel in Hammer's Mummy series, Curse of the Mummy's Tomb is definitely a mixed bag. Certainly, the basic plot line is almost exactly like the first - an Egyptian tomb is found, the Mummy is brought to life by a bad guy and goes on a rampage, killing those who disturbed his eternal slumber. In this case, our potential victims are American showman Alexander King (Fred Clark), Egyptian government official Hashemi Bey (George Pastell), and archeologists Sir Giles (Jack Gwillim), John Bray (Ronald Howard) and Annette Dubois (Jeanne Roland). Helping our heroes out, while also wooing Annette away from her fiance, is amateur Egyptologist Adam Beauchamp (Terence Morgan).

While the plot isn't the most original, there is a lot of good stuff in here. Alexander King's role is an interesting addition to the Mummy story. Instead of wanting to put the Mummy in a museum, Alexander King wants to tour the artifacts around the world in a tacky Barnum and Bailey-like sideshow attraction - much to the horror of esteemed archeologist Sir Giles and the Egyptian official Hashemi Bey. Such conflicts within the group initially make it unclear who the villains and heroes in the film are - though it is obvious who is the lead bad guy. Even then, the twist of the bad guy's real identity is an interesting angle on the well-known mummy movie curses. I thought it was actually quite creative.

The acting is all quite good (with two notable exceptions) and the cinematography is beautiful. Carreras knows his way around a creepy shot, and the first appearance of the Mummy in the London fog is fantastic. This film had a horribly small budget, and what Carreras does with his sets and camera is surprising, giving the film a more more expensive look.

Unfortunately, the film's flaws are also many, and like several Hammer films, the last 15 minutes are a bit of a mess. The big problem is that our female lead Annette is so thoroughly unlikable. Her character is a bit of a turd, spending most of the movie flirting with Adam and cheating on her fiance. Maybe we are supposed to feel sympathy for Annette and her heart being torn between two men, but if that is the case, actress Jeanne Roland is just not up to the challenge. With all the fun characters the Mummy kills in this movie, I kind of wish he had just gone after her. A bigger problem is the Mummy itself - I was foolish in thinking that you didn't need a real actor in this type of role. But you really do. Christopher Lee brought menace and pathos in the original Mummy, while this lumbering creature just waddles around, a bit like a Penguin, and he has a beer belly. I repeat - this Mummy has a beer belly!

I also think the police are handled really weirdly in this movie. Upon first hearing that a Mummy is running around killing people, they're all just, "oh, okay" as if this were a regular event in turn-of-the-century London. And there is an inexplicable scene near the end where the police set a trap for the Mummy. When the traps goes wrong, they all literally just stand in the room and watch while the creature kills one of the main characters and then walks away. Do they try and stop it? Nope. Is it because they are afraid? Nope. I would have accepted that. I have no idea why they just stand there. And why does the Mummy even leave? If he is supposed to kill all our heroes as part of the curse, why does he just kill one and leave when his other would-be victims are right in front of him? Clearly the police weren't going to stop him. This scene is frustratingly stupid and coming near the end of the film, it helps put a nail in the coffin for a movie that started so well.

Like most Hammer Films, Curse of the Mummy's Tomb is still worth checking out for the good moments, but be prepared to be very disappointed by the second half.

MVP: Jack Gwillim (Clash of the Titans) as the old archeologist Sir Giles. Sir Giles is an interesting character, and given an emotional struggle that is more interesting to me than our leads' romantic issues. As the leader of the expedition, he is blamed by the Egyptian government when the artifacts don't end up in a Museum and become part of the sideshow act instead. He is banned from ever entering Egypt again. For an esteemed scientist who has devoted his life to Egypt, its like his life has been taken away. What's a man to do? Drink heavily, I suppose. You really feel for Sir Giles in this movie, and Gwillim puts in a magnificent performance - the sadness in his eyes, the slump of his shoulders - the line deliveries are a beautiful mixture of depression and shame that he couldn't stop King. It's very good work. It doesn't hurt that Sir Giles gets the best confrontation with the Mummy in the film. Gwillim plays the part right, with a mix of terror and resolve as he whips out a pistol and gets ready to go down fighting. His acting makes up for the fact that the Mummy's pot belly kept making me laugh. It ends up being a pretty good scene - and mostly because of Gwillim.

BEST LINE: Alexander King to an Egyptian belly dancer: "You ever learn to do that in ragtime, we'll make a fortune!"

TRIVIA: Michael Carrera's pseudonym as screenwriter, Henry Younger, was an inside joke since his fellow Hammer writer/producer Anthony Hinds' pseudonym was John Elder.