The Mummy

Name: The Mummy
Genre: Horror
Released: 1959-08-01
Duration: 1 h 28 min
Rating: 7.2
Cast: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Yvonne Furneaux, Eddie Byrne, Felix Aylmer

Torn from the tomb to terrify the world!

The Mummy (1959)

Timing: 1:28 (88 min)

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no scores

6.7/10
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Everything about the movie

Video 5

Photo 36

Actors and characters

Video for the film The Mummy — Brian Trenchard-Smith on THE MUMMY

4:30

Photo 36

Release date

1959-08-01

Country

United Kingdom

Production

Hammer Film Productions

Genre

Horror

Budget

Box office

Website

Director

Terence Fisher

Actors

Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Yvonne Furneaux, Eddie Byrne, Felix Aylmer, Raymond Huntley, George Pastell, Michael Ripper, George Woodbridge, Harold Goodwin
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Michael Carreras

Camera operator

Jack Asher

Composer

Franz Reizenstein

Artist

Bernard Robinson

Audition

Editing

Alfred Cox
Whole Team (16)

Short description

One by one the archaeologists who discover the 4,000-year-old tomb of Princess Ananka are brutally murdered. Kharis, high priest in Egypt 40 centuries ago, has been brought to life by the power of the ancient gods and his sole purpose is to destroy those responsible for the desecration of the sacred tomb. But Isobel, wife of one of the explorers, resembles the beautiful princess, forcing the speechless and tormented monster to defy commands and abduct Isobel to an unknown fate.

What's left behind the scenes

The door that Christopher Lee was supposed to break down was accidentally locked before filming began, causing the actor's arm to dislocate from his shoulder upon impact. Ironically, this take was the one used in the film.
Christopher Lee (1922-2015) wasn't entirely acting when portraying the mummy's walk. In addition to back and shoulder injuries, he also sustained knee and shin injuries during filming in the 'swamp,' which was a water tank on the studio lot (the actor simply didn't see where pipes and other objects lay beneath the surface of the swamp water).
Cinematographer Jack Asher (1916-1991) wanted to create the impression for the audience that the tomb hadn't been opened for centuries. To achieve this effect, he instructed a member of the crew to climb onto a platform directly above the set and spray water into the air before the start of each scene. Afterwards, the water droplets would settle, clearing the air of smoke and dust particles and leaving the air completely clean.
In a scene with Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing's (1913-1994) practical jokes resulted in Lee suffering burns for several weeks. Additionally, Lee injured his back in a scene where he carries a girl.