Film 9: The Mummy (1959)

Terence Fisher’s direction brings atmosphere and excitement to this Hammer refresh of the mummy myth.

The Mummy (1959)

UK 1959

Directed by Terence Fisher

Production Company Hammer

Running time 88 min

Certificate PG

The Mummy is much more than a straight remake of the classic Boris Karloff version of 1932 – this film in fact bears more of a resemblance to Universal’s 1940 sequel The Mummy’s Hand, in which a mummy is revived to kill off the members of an archaeological expedition. The script was also influenced by the celebrated 1923 Tutankhamen expedition led by Lord Caenarvon and Howard Carter, which ended with Caenarvon’s own mysterious death.

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