Pharaoh's Curse

Pharaoh's Curse (1957)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Disappointing horror film about a group of American scientist who find the tomb of Pharaoh. Of course, there are warnings not to open it but they do and this causes one member of their party to age rapidly into a mummy like creature. The film runs just 66-minutes but it feels like much longer. The mummy creature doesn't show up until after the forty-minute mark and none of the human characters are too interesting. The best scene in the movie is where the mummy gets his arm ripped off. The make up of the creature is also quite nice but I'm not sure those two things are worthy enough for you to search this film out.

I saw this film when I was just a little kid. I saw it close to the time that I saw "Curse of the Demon," and thoughout my life I always wondered if these two films were real films or some kind of nightmare I remembered that I just thought were movies. I found "Curse of The Demon" a few years ago for sale, and I was able to record "Curse of the Pharaoh" about a year ago when it was shown uncut and without commercial breaks on the Tele.

Now, as a grownup, I have a little of a hard time finding just what scared me so awfully much in "Curse of the Pharaoh." I guess I was very young at the time. However, I still rate the film as better than most others rate it and have watched it about four times since I recorded it. That compares with many of the new films on DVD that I have watched on once after purchasing them. Perhaps it is just that I remember it as such a good film from when I was little, but I still enjoy it today. Many of the early "classic" horror films are not as scary as it is, and they certainly move even slower. I feel that the audience for a good mummy film was not there when it was released back in the late 50's.

In closing, I can truthfully say that I enjoy an average horror film much more than an average film of any other genre. I can spend a whole evening watching horror and mystery movies. How weird?

British soldier, Captain Storm (Mark Dana) is enlisted to escort the wife of an archaeologist through the desert. Along the way, Storm and his team encounter a beautiful, enigmatic woman named Simira (Ziva Rodann). Soon thereafter, odd occurrences begin. Is Simira somehow responsible?

Upon their arrival at the dig site / tomb, the real, supernatural shenanigans unfold. But first, a soap opera-like love triangle made up of Storm, the archaeologist, and his neglected wife ensues. In between spats, a mummy causes trouble.

PHARAOH'S CURSE is a fairly entertaining entry in the mummy movie sub-genre. The novel idea of including soul transference and a vampiric mummy works quite well.

Actually, Simira is the most interesting aspect of the film, with her cryptic words and far-off looks, she pretty well steals the show...

The Pharaoh's Curse is a basic mummy movie. A British captain in Cairo during an uprising is sent to shut down an archaeological dig before the local natives discover it and become even angrier than they already are. The captain,played by Mark Dana,is ordered to escort the wife of the expedition leader to camp to help persuade her husband to shut down the dig.On the way they encounter Simira,a local woman whose brother is part of the expedition.Mysterious occurrences begin and people start to die once the mummy's sarcophagus is opened. I wouldn't plan my day around watching this movie but it's okay for a rainy afternoon.

First up, the only reason I am writing this review is I fear the low rating the movie has will drive some viewers away. A 4.2 rating implies junk and that is not the case at all.

The opening sequence showing the civil unrest in Egypt is well done and gives a nice back drop to the ensuing story. I won't repeat the synopsis which many have covered, except to say it is a little different, which is welcomed. The leads, particularly Mark Dana were quite good and earnest in their performances. The film manages to build suspense nicely and the short run time is probably a help.

The negatives are it doesn't have the glitz of a Hammer flick and there is zero gore that modern horror fans require. Also the Mummy is not in the film at all during the first half of the picture. This is no masterpiece by any means, but it is a well made low budget monster movie from the 1950's. If you love old B movies from the 1950's then this is a nice way to spend 75 minutes.