Brother Trouble in Hammer's Mummy Sequel

Eddie Powell as the mummified Ra.

Five years after Hammer Films' The Mummy did solid business at the box office, the studio mounted a sequel: the blandly-titled Curse of the Mummy's Tomb. Without Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, this new Mummy was relegated to the second half of a double bill with The Gorgon. It's a lesser Hammer production, to be sure, but still solid fare for the undiscerning horror film fan.

In 1900, a trio of British archaeologists discover and plunder the tomb of Egyptian prince Ra-Antef. An ambitious American entrepreneur (Fred Clark), who funded the expedition, transports the prince's mummified remains to London. However, his plans to display the mummy on a tour gets delayed when the revived creature murders him.

Jeanne Roland as Annette.

The motive behind the Mummy's actions can be traced to the legend of Ra-Antef, his evil brother Be, and a medallion with great power. Unsurprisingly, this medallion has attracted the interest of a wealthy, mysterious arts patron named Adam Beauchamp. Of course, that's not all Beauchamp is interested in--he seems intent on wooing away the almost-fiancée of one of the archaeologists. To be honest, Annette, the lady in question, doesn't require much wooing before agreeing to run away with Beauchamp.

Love triangle, brother rivalry, mummy murders--there's a lot going on in Curse's 81-minute running time. Unfortunately, there is not enough of the Mummy. Sure, he makes some dramatic entrances, even replicating the crashing-through-the-door scene from the 1959 film (though this time, the doors are made of glass). His big climatic scene is also impressive for a modestly-budgeted film, taking place in a sewer (shades of Phantom of the Opera!). 

Michael Carreras, son of Hammer founder James Carreras, wrote and directed Curse of the Mummy's Tomb. His screenplay, penned under the pseudonym Henry Younger, seems hastily constructed. As noted before, the plot is eventful enough--but the characters are a boring bunch except for the devious Beauchamp. As director, though, Carrera uses color and lighting to make Curse visually interesting. I strongly recommend watching it on Blu-ray if you decide to check it out.

Hammer's next Mummy outing would be the unexceptional The Mummy Shroud (1967). However, the studio's fourth and final mummified movie is a goodie called Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971), an engrossing adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel The Jewel of Seven Stars.

You can watch a scene from The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb on our YouTube Channel by clicking here. However--spoiler alert!--it's the film's climax.