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The Mummy (1959)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1959
Running Times: 84 mins 9 sec (UK - video)     85 mins 36 sec (UK - theatrical)
Format: Eastmancolour     35mm
Ratio: 1.66:1
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Hammer Films
Producer: Michael Carreras
Associate Producer: Anthony Nelson-Keys
Production Manager: Don Weeks

SCRIPT
Script: Jimmy Sangster

DIRECTION
Director: Terence Fisher
Assistant Director: John Peverall

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Jack Asher
Camera Operator: Len Harris
Labs: Technicolor

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Supervising Editor: James Needs
Editor: Alfred Cox

MUSIC
Musical Supervisor: John Hollingsworth
Music: Frank Reizenstein

SOUND
Sound Recording: Jock May
Sound Editor: Roy Hyde
Sound System: RCA Sound Recording

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Roy Ashton
Hair: Henry Montsash
Wardrobe Mistress: Molly Arbuthnot
Egyptian Mask Maker: Margaret Robinson (uncredited)

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Bill Warrington

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Bernard Robinson

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Marjorie Lavelly
Technical Advisor: Andrew Low

LOCATIONS
Locations: Bray Studios, Berkshire, England, UK

STUNTS
Stunts: Eddie Powell

CAST
Peter Cushing (John Banning)
Christopher Lee (the mummy / Kharis)
Yvonne Furneaux (Isobel / Ananka)
Eddie Byrne (Inspector Mulrooney)
Felix Aylmer (Stephen Banning)
Raymond Huntley (Joseph Whemple)
George Pastell (Mehemet Bey)
Michael Ripper (poacher)
George Woodbridge (police constable)
Harold Goodwin (Pat)
Denis Shaw (Mike)
Gerald Lawson (Irish customer)
Willoughby Gray (Dr Reilly)
John Stuart (coroner)
David Browning (police sergeant)
Frank Sieman (Bill)
Stanley Meadows (attendant)
Frank Singuineau (head porter)
James Clarke (uncredited)
John Harrison (uncredited)
Frederick Rawlings (uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

In 1895, archaeologist Stephen Banning and his son John lead an expedition that uncovers the tomb of the Princess Ananka. Stephen is driven mad by something he encounters in the tomb and, three years later, is still recuperating in England and warning John that what he saw in the tomb, a living mummy, will come looking for him. And sure enough, thanks to the machinations of a high priest, the mummy is in England and is soon working its way through the survivors of the ill-fated expedition.

CAPSULE REVIEW

The mummy has never been the most exciting of screen monsters but in the imposing shape of Christopher Lee at least Hammer's bandaged avenger carries a real sense of menace. The film is beautifully shot, as all of the early Hammers were, but it amounts to little more than a series of violent set-pieces enlivened by the usual top-notch performances from Cushing and Lee.

UK
Video Distributor: Warner Home Video (S036161)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Universal-International
Laserdisc Distributor: Warner Home Video (11199)

Finland
Rating: banned in 1960

Germany
Rating: 16

UK
Rating: X (1959 - uncut); PG (1997 - uncut)

USA
Rating: unrated

TIMELINE

1959
June
17: UK - rated X by the BBFC (for theatrical release)

September
25: UK - theatrical release

November
2: Sweden - theatrical release

December
Day Unknown: USA - theatrical release
31: West Germany - theatrical release

1992
June
15: USA - laserdisc release (Warner Home Video (11199))

1997
February
20: UK - rated PG by the BBFC (for video release)

1996
August
6: UK - shown at the Barbican, London as part of the Hammer at the Barbican season

2000
May
1: UK - video release (Warner Home Video (S036161))

POSTER TAGS

Fear Will Freeze You When You Face...

Its evil look brings MADNESS! Its evil spell ENSLAVES! Its evil touch KILLS KILLS KILLS!

Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee star as an ancient evil is unleashed on the world.

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

La malédiction des pharaons - French title
La momia - Spanish title
Mumia - Polish title
A múmia - Portugese title
Mumiens hämnd - Swedish title
La mummia - Italian title
Die Rache der Pharaonen - German title
Terror of the Mummy - working title

LINKS

SEQUELS
The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964)
The Mummy's Shroud (1967)

REMAKE OF
The Mummy's Hand (1940)

SEE ALSO
Chicken Park (1994)
Gorgo (1961)
The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)
The Mummy (1932)
The Mummy Lives (1993)
The Tomb (1985)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
100 Years of Horror (1996)
The Many Faces of Christopher Lee (1996)
Peter Cushing: A One-Way Ticket to Hollywood (1989)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Cinefantastique vol.31 no.6 (June 1999) pp.40-45 (USA)
illustrated article

Daily Cinema no.8188 (7 August 1959) p.7 (UK)
review

Film Daily vol.116 no.2 (2 July 1959) p.10 (USA)
review

Filmfax no.80 (August / September 2000) pp.30. 32 (USA)
illustrated article

Hollywood Reporter vol.155 no.43 (9 July 1959) p.3 (USA)
review

The House That Hammer Built no.2 (April 1997) pp.101-106
illustrated credits, synopsis, review

The House That Hammer Built no.10 (October 1998) p.98 (UK)
note

The House That Hammer Built no.11 (February 1999) pp.137-176
illustrated interview, article, filmography

Kine Weekly 13 August 1959 p.24 (UK)
review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.26 n.308 (September 1959) p.124 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

Motion Picture Herald vol.216 no.2 (11 July 1959) p.332 (USA)
review

Variety 15 July 1959 (USA)
review

KEYWORDS

egypt; egyptology; mummies; revenge; swamps; tombs; remakes; buried alive

Last Updated: 11 April, 2010