Mummy’s the word
As a new mummy movie hits the big screen, MARION McMULLEN looks at the undead Egyptians who have been terrifying film fans for decades
TOM CRUISE’S new movie The Mummy is offering a fresh look at the classic horror tale, but in 1932 it was Boris Karloff causing the screaming.
His film version of The Mummy saw him back from the dead as Imhotep and stalking a woman he was convinced was the reincarnation of his old lover. “Save me from that mummy! It’s dead!” she screamed as she was faced with the bandaged apparition.
It took eight hours to apply the mummy make-up to transform Karloff for the film and the look was based on the appearance of Ramses III. Publicity for the movie proclaimed: “Stranger than Dracula ... More fantastic than Frankenstein ... More mysterious than The Invisible Man.”
OVER MY DEAD BODY
THE posters for Hammer Horror’s 1967 film The Mummy’s Shroud warned: “Beware of the beat of the cloth-wrapped feet!”
It followed the misfortunes of archaeological explorers who ignore a curse and disturb the tomb of an Egyptian child prince. The mummified remains of his servant promptly come to life to seek vengeance.
The script for the movie was written in just five days and the mummy’s mask was based on the design of an authentic one at the British Museum in London.
YUMMY MUMMY
BRITISH actress Valerie Leon played a dual role in Hammer Horror’s 1971 film Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb appearing as both Margaret Fuchs and the evil mummy of Egyptian Queen Tera who possesses her.
Valerie is best known for the Carry On movies and the TV adverts for Hai Karate aftershave in the 1970s, but traded laughs for screams in the movie which was loosely based on Bram Stoker’s novel The Jewel of Seven Stars.
MUMMY’S THE WORD
CHRISTOPHER LEE was almost unrecognisable playing Kharis in The Mummy in 1959. Peter Cushing also appeared in the Hammer offering about archaeologists in 1895 who accidently bring the mummified body of an Egyptian high priest back to life.
Cinema audiences were warned: “Its evil look brings MADNESS! Its evil spell ENSLAVES! Its evil touch KILLS KILLS KILLS!”
A TOMB WITH A VIEW
EGYPTIAN prince Ra-Antef returned from the dead to cause havoc in 1964 Hammer movie The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb.The film posters promised: “Half bone, half bandage... all blood-curdling terror!”
Dickie Owen appeared as the mummy with Fred Clark and Ronald Howard among those trying to stop the killing spree.
IT AIN’T HALF HOT, MUMMY
ABBOTT and Costello Meet The Mummy, in 1955, saw American comedy favourites Bud Abbott and Lou Costello playing it for laughs.
The film’s publicity announced: “They’re back– in their mummy’s arms.”
Stuntman Eddie Parker playedlayed their not particularly scary mummy stalker Klaris.
Parker was no stranger too being all wrapped up in bandagess as he had already doubled for horror veteran Lon Chaneyy Jr as Kharis in Universal’s earlierr Mummy films.
TOMB RAIDERS
DISTURBING the 3,000year-old tomb of ancient Egyptian princess Ananka leads to her mummy bodyguard returning from the dead to seek vengeance in 1940 film The Mummy. American actor Tom Tyler, who was over 6ft tall, played the title role and the inside of his mouth and around his eyes were painted black for the close-up film shots.
ANOTHER PYRAMID SCHEME
THE horror genre was given a fresh look in 1999 action movie The Mummy.
The first film in the franchise saw Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz and John Hannah’s characters battle legions of Egyptian dead when they unwittingly unleash the mummy of Imhotep after centuries buried under the sand.
Actor Arnold Vosloo had to spend four hours wrapped in bandages to film Imhotep’s mummification scene.