The Mummy
Egypt 1895. An Egyptian archaeology expedition finds an ancient badge in the sand. Archaeologists Stephen Banning [Felix Aylmer] and Joseph Whemple [Raymond Huntley] take it to show to Stephen's son J…
The Mummy
Egypt 1895. An Egyptian archaeology expedition finds an ancient badge in the sand. Archaeologists Stephen Banning [Felix Aylmer] and Joseph Whemple [Raymond Huntley] take it to show to Stephen's son John [Peter Cushing] who is resting in a nearby tent because he has a broken leg. They believe the badge indicates they are close to finding the concealed tomb of Princess Ananka on the basis that the badge may have come from one of her soldiers. Despite their excitement they are also concerned about the implications of John's leg having not been treated and therefore not healing properly. At the entrance to the tomb, they are stopped by an Egyptian man Mehemet Bey [George Pastell] who implores them not to open the tomb for fear of the consequences but Stephen and Joseph ignore him and enter. Inside they find the sarcophagus of the Princess. Joseph goes back outside to tell John of their discovery. Stephen remains inside and finds a scroll of life but as he picks it up a door in the wall of the tomb opens behind him. Outside, Joseph and John hear Stephen scream and Joseph re-enters the tomb to find Stephen comatose. Several months later and Joseph and John are removing the last of the relics from the tomb. They discuss Stephen, who has been in a mental hospital ever since and may never be cured. After everything has been removed, one of their Egyptian servants re-seals the tomb with explosives. Nearby, Mehemet Bey offers a prayer for vengeance against those who have desecrated the tomb. He has the scroll of life with him. England 1898. After three years at the mental hospital, Stephen has improved and John goes to visit him. Stephen does not remember John's broken leg but he remembers that when he read the scroll of life in Princess Ananka's tomb, he brought a mummy back to life and he becomes agitated. John does not believe him but Stephen warns him that someone has the scroll and the mummy will be released again. Two drunk men leave a nearby pub to transport a wooden crate on their horse and cart. At the nursing home, Stephen becomes agitated about the mummy again and smashes the window just as the horse and cart pass. The crate on the cart starts bouncing about so the men panic and increase their speed, but the crate becomes loose and falls off the cart into a watery bog. The police and men search for the crate but are unable to find it. Mehemet Bey appears and tells the police the men were transporting the crate to him at a nearby large house and that it contained ancient relics. At the nursing home, the doctor [Willoughby Gray] explains to John that Stephen has had to be restrained but they do not really understand the reasons for his agitation. At the bog, Mehemet Bey reads the scroll of life to resurrect the mummy [Christopher Lee]. Bey instructs the mummy to seek out those who desecrated the tomb and take vengeance against them. The mummy goes to the mental hospital, breaks through the bars of the window to Stephen's room and strangles him. At the subsequent inquest the conclusion is forced entry and murder by person or persons unknown. Joseph and John return home to look through Stephen's papers in an attempt to discover who may have wished Stephen harm. They discuss the discovery of Princess Ananka's tomb and the point when Stephen lost his mind. John reads the story of Princess Ananka's death from illness on a pilgrimage. In a flashback the body of Princess Ananka [Yvonne Furneaux] is anointed in a ceremony overseen by her high priest Kharis [Christopher Lee]. Her body is taken in a long procession by Kharis to be entombed along with various symbolic relics and statues. Her body is laid to rest in a tomb in the side of a mountain a thousand miles from her home. In various ceremonies over the following days slaves and maidens are sacrificed to ensure the location of the tomb remains a secret. Finally Kharis returns to the tomb alone with the scroll of life. He had secretly been in love with Ananka, which was forbidden for a priest, and tries to bring her back to life by reading the scroll. However, he is caught in the act and sentenced to have his tongue cut out and to remain on guard for eternity at the tomb. He is wrapped in bandages and buried alive in a secret chamber next to Ananka in the tomb. Joseph and John think that Stephen possibly lost his mind over the myths in the story of Ananka and Kharis. At his house Bey offer a prayer to his Egyptian god and instructs the mummy of Kharis to destroy the second of the tomb's desecrators. As the mummy walks through the woods it is seen by a poacher [Michael Ripper] who flees to a nearby pub. The mummy bursts through the door of Joseph and John's house and strangles Joseph. John is unable to stop the mummy so runs to get a gun. He fires several shots, hitting the mummy a few times as it leaves but to no effect. Inspector Mulrooney [Eddie Byrne] arrives at the house and John explains that he believes it was a mummy that murdered Joseph, because of Stephen and Joseph's discovery of Princess Ananka's tomb. In a flashback, Stephen is shown reading the scroll of life in the tomb and the mummified Kharis coming back to life. As Stephen screams, Bey enters the tomb and orders the mummy back into its burial chamber. Bey leaves with the scroll. Mulrooney does not believe John's story about the mummy killing Joseph, saying he wants facts. John warns Mulrooney that he may be next to be killed. At the police station, the poacher is brought in and describes to Mulrooney the figure he saw in the woods. Mulrooney also interviews one of the men who transported the crate, and the policeman who searched for the crate in the bog and spoke to Bey. Bey offers another prayer to his god and instructs the mummy to destroy the last of the tomb's desecrators. At his home John notices that his wife Isobel [Yvonne Furneaux] bears a striking resemblance to a picture of Princess Ananka. John mentions his fears about being attacked by the mummy to Isobel and asks her to remain upstairs where she will be safe. John gets a shotgun ready as the mummy makes its way towards his house. The mummy breaks in through the windows and John shoots it but to no avail. He then impales the mummy with a spear but the mummy still attacks and starts to strangle him. Isobel runs downstairs and when the mummy sees her he stops strangling John. The mummy approaches Isobel calmly because of her resemblance to Princess Ananka, then leaves the house quietly. Mulrooney returns to the house now believing John's story and asks John about the Egyptian man living in the house near the nursing home. After Mulrooney leaves, John heads towards Bey's house. Inside the house Bey believes the mummy has killed all three desecrators and orders the mummy to rest before they return home. John arrives at Bey's house and they exchange courtesies. Bey wonders why archaeologists like John desecrate Egyptian tombs which were meant to be sealed for all time and John explains it is so they can understand history and civilisation. John expresses his opinion that the ancient Egyptians lacked intelligence because they believed in a worthless god and sacrificed people violently. Bey disagrees as it is part of Egyptian culture and suggests John should be punished for his views. John apologises and in the process of leaving notices Bey has the seal to Ananka's tomb on a table. Bey returns to pray to his god to apologise for his failure and promises that he will ensure the last desecrator will be dead before sunrise. John returns home and he, Isobel and Mulrooney prepare for the arrival of the mummy with loaded guns. Isobel and Mulrooney and a policeman hide in the woods around the house. Bey and the mummy approach through the woods and attack first the poacher, then the policeman, then knock Mulrooney unconscious before entering the house. The mummy attacks John and he fires twice before the mummy starts to strangle him. Isobel runs in and tells the mummy to stop. At first the mummy ignores her, until John instructs her to let her hair down so she more closely resembles Princess Ananka. Bey orders the mummy to kill her but when it refuses he tries to stab her himself. The mummy attacks Bey and Isobel faints. The mummy picks up Isobel and carries her to the bog followed by John, Mulrooney and several men. John calls to Isobel to wake her up and she instructs the mummy to put her down. Once she is free the men open fire and the mummy sinks into the bog water clutching the scroll of life.
The Mummy
Adventure,Horror
Film Details
Egypt 1895. An Egyptian archaeology expedition finds an ancient badge in the sand. Archaeologists Stephen Banning [Felix Aylmer] and Joseph Whemple [Raymond Huntley] take it to show to Stephen's son John [Peter Cushing] who is resting in a nearby tent because he has a broken leg.
They believe the badge indicates they are close to finding the concealed tomb of Princess Ananka on the basis that the badge may have come from one of her soldiers. Despite their excitement they are also concerned about the implications of John's leg having not been treated and therefore not healing properly. At the entrance to the tomb, they are stopped by an Egyptian man Mehemet Bey [George Pastell] who implores them not to open the tomb for fear of the consequences but Stephen and Joseph ignore him and enter.
Inside they find the sarcophagus of the Princess. Joseph goes back outside to tell John of their discovery. Stephen remains inside and finds a scroll of life but as he picks it up a door in the wall of the tomb opens behind him.
Outside, Joseph and John hear Stephen scream and Joseph re-enters the tomb to find Stephen comatose. Several months later and Joseph and John are removing the last of the relics from the tomb. They discuss Stephen, who has been in a mental hospital ever since and may never be cured.
After everything has been removed, one of their Egyptian servants re-seals the tomb with explosives. Nearby, Mehemet Bey offers a prayer for vengeance against those who have desecrated the tomb. He has the scroll of life with him.
England 1898. After three years at the mental hospital, Stephen has improved and John goes to visit him. Stephen does not remember John's broken leg but he remembers that when he read the scroll of life in Princess Ananka's tomb, he brought a mummy back to life and he becomes agitated.
John does not believe him but Stephen warns him that someone has the scroll and the mummy will be released again. Two drunk men leave a nearby pub to transport a wooden crate on their horse and cart. At the nursing home, Stephen becomes agitated about the mummy again and smashes the window just as the horse and cart pass.
The crate on the cart starts bouncing about so the men panic and increase their speed, but the crate becomes loose and falls off the cart into a watery bog. The police and men search for the crate but are unable to find it. Mehemet Bey appears and tells the police the men were transporting the crate to him at a nearby large house and that it contained ancient relics.
At the nursing home, the doctor [Willoughby Gray] explains to John that Stephen has had to be restrained but they do not really understand the reasons for his agitation. At the bog, Mehemet Bey reads the scroll of life to resurrect the mummy [Christopher Lee]. Bey instructs the mummy to seek out those who desecrated the tomb and take vengeance against them.
The mummy goes to the mental hospital, breaks through the bars of the window to Stephen's room and strangles him. At the subsequent inquest the conclusion is forced entry and murder by person or persons unknown. Joseph and John return home to look through Stephen's papers in an attempt to discover who may have wished Stephen harm.
They discuss the discovery of Princess Ananka's tomb and the point when Stephen lost his mind. John reads the story of Princess Ananka's death from illness on a pilgrimage. In a flashback the body of Princess Ananka [Yvonne Furneaux] is anointed in a ceremony overseen by her high priest Kharis [Christopher Lee].
Her body is taken in a long procession by Kharis to be entombed along with various symbolic relics and statues. Her body is laid to rest in a tomb in the side of a mountain a thousand miles from her home. In various ceremonies over the following days slaves and maidens are sacrificed to ensure the location of the tomb remains a secret.
Finally Kharis returns to the tomb alone with the scroll of life. He had secretly been in love with Ananka, which was forbidden for a priest, and tries to bring her back to life by reading the scroll. However, he is caught in the act and sentenced to have his tongue cut out and to remain on guard for eternity at the tomb.
He is wrapped in bandages and buried alive in a secret chamber next to Ananka in the tomb. Joseph and John think that Stephen possibly lost his mind over the myths in the story of Ananka and Kharis. At his house Bey offer a prayer to his Egyptian god and instructs the mummy of Kharis to destroy the second of the tomb's desecrators.
As the mummy walks through the woods it is seen by a poacher [Michael Ripper] who flees to a nearby pub. The mummy bursts through the door of Joseph and John's house and strangles Joseph. John is unable to stop the mummy so runs to get a gun.
He fires several shots, hitting the mummy a few times as it leaves but to no effect. Inspector Mulrooney [Eddie Byrne] arrives at the house and John explains that he believes it was a mummy that murdered Joseph, because of Stephen and Joseph's discovery of Princess Ananka's tomb. In a flashback, Stephen is shown reading the scroll of life in the tomb and the mummified Kharis coming back to life.
As Stephen screams, Bey enters the tomb and orders the mummy back into its burial chamber. Bey leaves with the scroll. Mulrooney does not believe John's story about the mummy killing Joseph, saying he wants facts.
John warns Mulrooney that he may be next to be killed. At the police station, the poacher is brought in and describes to Mulrooney the figure he saw in the woods. Mulrooney also interviews one of the men who transported the crate, and the policeman who searched for the crate in the bog and spoke to Bey.
Bey offers another prayer to his god and instructs the mummy to destroy the last of the tomb's desecrators. At his home John notices that his wife Isobel [Yvonne Furneaux] bears a striking resemblance to a picture of Princess Ananka. John mentions his fears about being attacked by the mummy to Isobel and asks her to remain upstairs where she will be safe.
John gets a shotgun ready as the mummy makes its way towards his house. The mummy breaks in through the windows and John shoots it but to no avail. He then impales the mummy with a spear but the mummy still attacks and starts to strangle him.
Isobel runs downstairs and when the mummy sees her he stops strangling John. The mummy approaches Isobel calmly because of her resemblance to Princess Ananka, then leaves the house quietly. Mulrooney returns to the house now believing John's story and asks John about the Egyptian man living in the house near the nursing home.
After Mulrooney leaves, John heads towards Bey's house. Inside the house Bey believes the mummy has killed all three desecrators and orders the mummy to rest before they return home. John arrives at Bey's house and they exchange courtesies.
Bey wonders why archaeologists like John desecrate Egyptian tombs which were meant to be sealed for all time and John explains it is so they can understand history and civilisation. John expresses his opinion that the ancient Egyptians lacked intelligence because they believed in a worthless god and sacrificed people violently. Bey disagrees as it is part of Egyptian culture and suggests John should be punished for his views.
John apologises and in the process of leaving notices Bey has the seal to Ananka's tomb on a table. Bey returns to pray to his god to apologise for his failure and promises that he will ensure the last desecrator will be dead before sunrise. John returns home and he, Isobel and Mulrooney prepare for the arrival of the mummy with loaded guns.
Isobel and Mulrooney and a policeman hide in the woods around the house. Bey and the mummy approach through the woods and attack first the poacher, then the policeman, then knock Mulrooney unconscious before entering the house. The mummy attacks John and he fires twice before the mummy starts to strangle him.
Isobel runs in and tells the mummy to stop. At first the mummy ignores her, until John instructs her to let her hair down so she more closely resembles Princess Ananka. Bey orders the mummy to kill her but when it refuses he tries to stab her himself.
The mummy attacks Bey and Isobel faints. The mummy picks up Isobel and carries her to the bog followed by John, Mulrooney and several men. John calls to Isobel to wake her up and she instructs the mummy to put her down.
Once she is free the men open fire and the mummy sinks into the bog water clutching the scroll of life..