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Quad movie poster for
The Mummy, a 1959 British horror film produced by Hammer Film Productions. It stars the iconic horror duo Christopher Lee as the Mummy (Kharis) and Peter Cushing as archaeologist John Banning, alongside Yvonne Furneaux as Isobel Banning/Princess Ananka.
Key Film Details
Director: Terence Fisher.
Writer: Jimmy Sangster.
Release Date: September 25, 1959 (UK).
Format: Filmed in "Terrifying Technicolor," which was a hallmark of Hammer’s vivid horror style.
Plot Summary
The story begins in 1895 Egypt, where a team of British archaeologists—John Banning, his father Stephen, and uncle Joseph—discover the tomb of Princess Ananka. Despite warnings from an Egyptian named Mehemet Bey, they open the tomb. Inside, Stephen finds and reads from the "Scroll of Life," which accidentally awakens the Mummy, Kharis, the high priest and former lover of the princess who had been entombed alive to guard her.
Three years later in England, Mehemet Bey uses the scroll to control the Mummy and seek revenge on the archaeologists for desecrating the tomb. The film reaches a climax when the Mummy attacks John Banning but is stopped by John's wife, Isobel, who bears a striking resemblance to Princess Ananka. In the end, the Mummy kills Mehemet Bey when ordered to harm Isobel and ultimately sinks into a swamp while carrying the Scroll of Life.
Trivia
While titled The Mummy, its plot is primarily derived from later Universal sequels: The Mummy's Hand (1940), The Mummy's Tomb (1942), and The Mummy's Ghost (1944).
Christopher Lee's portrayal is often compared to a "Terminator-type" relentless force due to his imposing physicality and lack of dialogue. |
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