The Mummy's Shroud

The Mummy's Shroud is directed by John Gilling who also co-adapts the screenplay with Anthony Hinds. It stars André Morell, John Phillips, David Buck, Elizabeth Sellars, Maggie Kimberly and Michael Ripper. Music is by Don Banks and cinematography by Arthur Grant.

Mezzera, Egypt, 1920, and an expedition to find the tomb of Pharaoh Kah-to-Bey gets more than they bargained for when they unearth a shroud adorned with the ancient writings of life and death...

The third instalment of Hammer Films forays into Mumified based Egyptology, The Mummy's Shroud follows the standard formula but never the less entertains in undemanding fashion. Released as the support feature to Frankenstein Created Woman (not Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed as listed in some quarters since that was two years later), it's nicely photographed, stoically performed by the cast (especially by Hammer hero Ripper who gets a meaty role) and is pacey enough to uphold the interest. The violence aspects are strongly constructed, but kept mostly in suggestive terms as per visual enticements, and how nice to see the lead ladies here be more than token cleavage.

This was the last Hammer feature to be made at Bray Studios, so it has some poignant significance in the history of Hammer Films. It's not a great send off for Bray, but it's unmistakably one of those Hammer Horror films that fans of the studio's output can easily spend the evening with and not feel it has been time wasted. 6.5/10

The Mummy's Shroud is the third of four Hammer Horror "The Mummy" movies and thus far sadly this is the worst.

With no star power, a weak looking mummy and exactly the same plot as before it really is a weak link.

Stop me if you've heard this one. A group go on an excavation, uncover a tomb but find themselves besieged by a mummy and get picked off one by one.

This time however at least there is no reincarnated love interest for how horny bandage wearer!

Dull, lifeless, with few characters worth a damn and a script that feels highly recycled. Maybe I'm burning myself out watching all of these back to back, but this failed to entertain on any level.

The Good:

Interesting finale......kinda of

The Bad:

Worst looking mummy yet

Very dull

No originality

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Wine does not go in the ear

All Egyptians have bad teeth

The biggest problem with 'The Mummy's Shroud' is that with 'The Mummy' in 1959, Hammer made the definitive 'mummy movie' and so 'The Mummy's Shroud' which basically tells the same story with only minor differences, comes across as being redundant.

John Gilling does his best with the material (there are a lot of great shots in this movie) but is unable to over-come the basic familiarity of the story. The cast is mixed, with the best actor, Andre Morell, wasted in a minor role. There are compensations, however, as Hammer veteran Michael Ripper (dubbed by Christopher Lee as 'face of Hammer') is given is best role as Longbarrow, his death is perhaps the dramatic highlight of the movie.

In addition, 'The Mummy's Shroud' is superior to Hammer's last movie in the series, 'The Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb', having a faster pace and sticks better in the memory (mainly due to the talents of Gilling). While not vintage Hammer by a long chalk, it's a solid Hammer movie which suffers from the 'seen it all before' factor.

Oh, by the way, if you're a Peter Cushing fan you will be disappointed, as despite being credited to Cushing in some sources, the narrator does not sound remotely like him.

This isn't the best of Hammer, despite being directed by John Gilling who, at his best, provided some of the studio's finest. Obviously, the acting presence of Cushing and/or Lee would have improved matters but Hammer stalwarts Andre Morell and Michael Ripper more than do their bit. The Mummy is visually interesting and the emotionless visage coupled with its implacable intent make it pretty chilling at times. Some scenes in this one have clearly inspired later Mummy films. The budget obviously isn't the highest but Hammer always make their films look and sound good. As for the review which notes that the narration sounds nothing like Peter Cushing...get your ears syringed, man! It quite blatantly DOES have similarities and, whilst it clearly isn't Cushing, it's understandable that the error could be made by the inexpert in the matter. That legendary gentleman is my favourite actor so I consider myself to be a reasonable judge.

There are moments in the film that are scary and eerie like the murder of Longbarrow or the mummy's stalking of Stanley Preston. Overall something for strict fans of Hammer films and British horror. Not an enjoyable film from John Gilling like his atmospheric and groundbreaking zombie pic, The Plague of the Zombies(1966). The Mummy's Shroud(1967) gets average performances from the actors except Michael Ripper who provides pathos as the long suffering agent of Stanley Preston, Longbarrow. John Phillips gives a great performance as a greedy and attention obsessed man who does anything to get ahead in life. Far cry from the great and frightful elements of The Mummy(1959).