Review: The Mummy’s Shroud

Arrogant 1920s tycoon John Phillips organises an expedition to Egypt to find the lost tomb of a Pharaoh. On the expedition are archaeologist Andre Morell, ancient linguist Maggie Kimberly, Phillips’ son David Buck, and a photographer played by Tim Barrett. Once they uncover the tomb, they are warned by local Roger Delgado to leave well enough alone. However, Phillips insists on bringing ‘his’ find back to Britain to put on public display, even going so far as to have Morell committed to an asylum so as to take full credit. Eventually the mummy (played by Christopher Lee’s stunt double Eddie Powell) is awakened and goes on the usual rampage. Elizabeth Sellars plays Phillips’ wife, and Michael Ripper turns up as an obsequious personal assistant.

 

Bottom-tier Hammer film from 1967 directed by the usually reliable John Gilling (“The Gorgon”, “The Reptile”) who co-wrote with Anthony Hinds (“Captain Clegg”, “Taste the Blood of Dracula”). It’s mostly well-acted by far too talky and slow. The title creature only turns up after 45 minutes and looks cheap and stupid. There’s a nice bit where the mummy drops a bottle of acid on a poor bloke who then has to suffer a subsequent fire burning to go with the acid burns he’s already suffering from. We also get an absolutely brilliant bit near the end where the mummy literally crumbles and decays. If there was a lot more of that and much sooner, this might’ve gotten off the ground.

 

It’s a shame because most of the performances are good here, with perhaps Michael Ripper’s best showcase in a Hammer film. He’s terrific and his final scene is both brutal and sad. John Phillips’ loud, pompous turn is a definite scene-stealer and we get a terrific, creepy turn by Catherine Lacey as a fortune teller. Roger Delgado is always good value and one of the easier actors to take in a role different to their own ethnicity/skin colour. Andre Morell doesn’t deserve his top-billing as he’s absent for most of the second half, but when he’s around he’s a perfectly suitable Peter Cushing substitute. But then, the talents of the very lovely Elizabeth Sellars end up rather wasted, too. The one clear dud in the cast is South African-born Maggie Kimberly, who didn’t have a long acting career and it’s obvious why. Girl can’t act a lick. The cinematography by Arthur Grant (“Tomb of Ligeia”, “The Devil Rides Out”, “Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb”) is typically tops, and the score by Don Banks (“Captain Clegg”, “Rasputin – The Mad Monk”) is quite possibly the man’s best-ever work. Shame it doesn’t go to a greater film.

 

Handsomely-mounted, but slow, dull, and forgettable. It’s a real back-half of a double-bill stuff and lousy even by that standard. This film is lucky that “Terror of the Tongs” is even worse.

 

Rating: C-

 

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