IMDb >
The Mummy (1959)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsThe Mummy (1959) More at IMDbPro »
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Jimmy Sangster (writer)
Release Date:
16 December 1959 (USA)
more
Tagline:
Torn from the tomb to terrify the world! more
Plot:
In the 1890s a team of British archaeologists discover the untouched tomb of Princess Ananka but accidentally...
more
| add synopsis
NewsDesk:
(6 articles)
Dracula Stakes Out A British Knighthood
(From HollywoodNorthReport.com. 31 October 2009, 9:18 AM, PDT)
Check out some retro Hammer Horror films this Halloween
(From BoxWish. 21 October 2009, 9:30 AM, PDT)
(From HollywoodNorthReport.com. 31 October 2009, 9:18 AM, PDT)
Check out some retro Hammer Horror films this Halloween
(From BoxWish. 21 October 2009, 9:30 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
influential and fun cheapie from my buddies at Hammer
more (42 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Peter Cushing | ... | John Banning | |
| Christopher Lee | ... | Kharis, the Mummy | |
| Yvonne Furneaux | ... | Isobel Banning / Princess Ananka | |
| Eddie Byrne | ... | Inspector Mulrooney | |
| Felix Aylmer | ... | Stephen Banning | |
| Raymond Huntley | ... | Joseph Whemple | |
| George Pastell | ... | Mehemet Bey, Alias Mehemet Akir | |
| Michael Ripper | ... | Poacher | |
| George Woodbridge | ... | Police Constable | |
| Harold Goodwin | ... | Pat | |
| Denis Shaw | ... | Mike | |
| Gerald Lawson | ... | Irish Customer | |
| Willoughby Gray | ... | Dr. Reilly | |
| John Stuart | ... | Coroner | |
| David Browning | ... | Police Sergeant |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Terror of the Mummy (UK) (working title)
more
more
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
USA:88 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound Recording)
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
A door that Christopher Lee must crash through was accidentally bolted by a grip before the scene is shot. Lee's shoulder was dislocated when he broke down the door, but the shot remains in the movie.
more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: In the scene where the mummy breaks through an upper window and into Stephen Banning's padded cell at the asylum, a large smudge of the swamp mud that covers the mummy suddenly appears on the cloth wall, even before Christopher Lee slides down it, reflecting a prior take.
more
Quotes:
John Banning:
Seems I've spent the better part of my life amongst the dead
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Mule Skinner Blues (2001)
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (42 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Mummy (1959)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| The Best Mummy? | elionwy18 |
| Earliest example of 'two drunk mean spill their cargo' technique? | Wyrmis |
| Requiem for Innocence | pygmalion6 |
| Karnak | Markgw1966 |
| The Scroll of Life | view123 |
Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| The Mummy | Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. | Captain Clegg | The Revenge of Frankenstein | The Mummy |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Horror section | IMDb UK section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |

The Mummy capped off an impressive initial run of horror movies from Hammer Studios. Believe it or not, it was mostly downhill from here; the company's subsequent efforts tended to be tackier and cheesier. But the "big three" (Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, The Mummy) are all solid horror flicks with, oddly enough, some of the most crisp and colorful photography I've ever seen.
There are some weaknesses here, though. The Egypt flashback waffles on for quite a while, and then we get ANOTHER flashback when Banning Sr. resurrects the mummy. However, the beginning and ending are well-paced and exciting, so most sins are forgiven. Lee's Mummy is spectacular; he's goddamn huge, and it's very impressive to watch him crashing through doors and French windows, absorbing shotgun blasts as if they were pinpricks (I hear Lee actually got injured several times making this movie; I can't say I'm surprised!)
My favorite scene is the ideological debate between the Egyptian badguy (a very cool performance by George Pastell) and Peter Cushing's snooty archaeologist character. Their heated exchange adds a bit of texture to the story and even makes me sympathetic to the villain's POV. However, subtext goes out the window again for the violent final confrontation.
On a side note, the exceedingly brilliant BBC show Doctor Who practically remade this movie twice. The episode "Tomb of the Cybermen" features Pastell as a guest star in a story involving an ill-fated archaeological dig, and "Pyramids of Mars" once again pits a hapless poacher against killer mummies. Just thought I'd mention it.