This is a rather forgotten horror film from Hammer . It's much better than the 1932 version from Universial Studios which was static , stilted and suffered from a cast who were either totally wooden or ridiculously over the top . It's also better than most of the films in Hammer's franchise featuring Dracula or Frankenstien
It's obvious this version of THE MUMMY whether it be set in the deserts of Egypt or the fenland's of England were all filmed on a studio backlot but this isn't necessarily a criticism because it adds to its atmosphere . It's certainly a charming little film devoid of any gore that Hammer horror films were quickly gaining a reputation for . Of course the bar for " gore " has been raised highly over the past decades but atmosphere of whatever decade still remains intact to a degree and one wishes film makers would remember this
One thing an audience might like to remember nowadays is the historical context that THE MUMMY was made in . Three years previously in 1956 an Anglo- French invasion of Egypt to secure the Suez Canal led to a political debacle for both nations with America forcing both countries to withdraw . It's easy to see the political subtext in the final third of the film as English gentleman John Banning visits the home of Mehemet Bey in a scene that almost screams " You can't trust these Egyptian types at all . They'll stab you in the back " which is what Bey literally does in a later scene . It's not so much racism , just a case of sour grapes that the Brits have lost an empire
No one was expected to win any Oscars appearing in this movie but everyone manages professional performances . Peter Cushing was always excellent at playing mild mannered , affable gentlemen and he continues this type of role as John Banning . The underrated George Pastell as Bey is a striking contrast to Banning and that's deliberate but he never becomes a cartoonish villain . Christopher Lee unlike many of his Hammer roles gets a chance to do some acting and doesn't disappoint whilst the supporting cast do a fairly good job in thankless walk on roles
This is certainly Hammer at their most restrained and ( Sorry to use the word again ) atmospheric . It's certainly one of their most enjoyable films and that the fact that it's so forgotten might have a lot to do with the historical context from when it was made
It's obvious this version of THE MUMMY whether it be set in the deserts of Egypt or the fenland's of England were all filmed on a studio backlot but this isn't necessarily a criticism because it adds to its atmosphere . It's certainly a charming little film devoid of any gore that Hammer horror films were quickly gaining a reputation for . Of course the bar for " gore " has been raised highly over the past decades but atmosphere of whatever decade still remains intact to a degree and one wishes film makers would remember this
One thing an audience might like to remember nowadays is the historical context that THE MUMMY was made in . Three years previously in 1956 an Anglo- French invasion of Egypt to secure the Suez Canal led to a political debacle for both nations with America forcing both countries to withdraw . It's easy to see the political subtext in the final third of the film as English gentleman John Banning visits the home of Mehemet Bey in a scene that almost screams " You can't trust these Egyptian types at all . They'll stab you in the back " which is what Bey literally does in a later scene . It's not so much racism , just a case of sour grapes that the Brits have lost an empire
No one was expected to win any Oscars appearing in this movie but everyone manages professional performances . Peter Cushing was always excellent at playing mild mannered , affable gentlemen and he continues this type of role as John Banning . The underrated George Pastell as Bey is a striking contrast to Banning and that's deliberate but he never becomes a cartoonish villain . Christopher Lee unlike many of his Hammer roles gets a chance to do some acting and doesn't disappoint whilst the supporting cast do a fairly good job in thankless walk on roles
This is certainly Hammer at their most restrained and ( Sorry to use the word again ) atmospheric . It's certainly one of their most enjoyable films and that the fact that it's so forgotten might have a lot to do with the historical context from when it was made