Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971)

An archaeological expedition brings back to London the coffin of an Egyptian queen known for her magical powers. Her spirit returns in the form of a young girl and strange things start to happen.

Directors:

Seth Holt, Michael Carreras (uncredited)

Writers:

Christopher Wicking (screenplay), Bram Stoker (novel)

Stars:

Andrew Keir, Valerie Leon, James Villiers

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Andrew Keir	...	Professor Julian Fuchs
Valerie Leon	...	Margaret Fuchs / Queen Tera
James Villiers	...	Corbeck
Hugh Burden	...	Geoffrey Dandridge
George Coulouris	...	Professor Berrigan
Mark Edwards	...	Tod Browning
Rosalie Crutchley	...	Helen Dickerson
Aubrey Morris	...	Doctor Putnum
David Markham	...	Doctor Burgess
Joan Young	...	Mrs. Caporal
James Cossins	...	Older Male Nurse
David Jackson	...	Young Male Nurse
Jonathan Burn	...	Saturnine Young Man
Graham James	...	Youth in Museum
Tamara Ustinov	...	Veronica

Storyline

On the night before her anniversary, Margaret Fuchs receives an ancient Egyptian ring with a red stone as a birthday gift from her father, Prof. Julian Fuchs. Margaret has frequent nightmares about an expedition in Egypt with five members, including her father, finding the tomb of Queen Tera, an evil sorcerer with a severed hand. The members collect the sarcophagus with a totally preserved mummy, the severed hand with the ring with a red stone, and three relics. Margaret is possessed by the spirit of Tera and chases the expedition members to retrieve the objects and gives life back to Tera.

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Plot Keywords:

sarcophagus | nightmare | relic | cleavage | death in childbirth | 

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Taglines:

A severed hand beckons from an open grave!

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 May 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blod från mumiens grav

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

EMI Films, Hammer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The UK cinema version was cut by the BBFC to remove a shot of George Coulouris being struck across the face by male nurse James Cossins as there was public concern about the treatment of mental patients at the time.

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Goofs

Every time the sarcophagus is opened, the lid is simply slid across. Yet the girl inside, headdress and all, is elevated above the base by at least 6 inches.

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Quotes

Corbeck: The meek shall NOT inherit the earth. They can't be trusted with it.

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Crazy Credits

Sunbronze Danny Boy as Tod's Cat

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Alternate Versions

The 1971 cinema version was cut and this seems to have become the definitive version for all videos/DVDs since (Region 1 and 2 releases). The cuts were: A shot of a hospital orderly striking an inmate was removed.

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Connections

Featured in The World of Hammer: Mummies, Werewolves & the Living Dead (1994)

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Soundtracks

The Temple
(uncredited)
Music by Monia Liter (uncredited)
Boosey & Hawkes Ltd

User Reviews

Atmosphere in spades

What struck me about this underrated picture is that it bears few of the typical Hammer features. The Egyptian theme is well used, with glittering, sombre relics prevalent; a haunting mood is evoked. The mood was similar to that of "Frankenstein: The True Story" (just as underrated a film as this)- melancholic, sparse and eerie. It is visually excellent, with effective, forboding music from Tristram Cary. The British cast prove very much at home with the dark horror of the script. James Villiers is a smooth, misguided villain, Andrew Keir gives an astute perofrmance as the sombre Fuchs, while George Coulouris and Hugh Burden are both very good at portraying their disturbed characters. The tall, elegant Valerie Leon is perfect for the dual role, with the beauty and dreamlike-quality necessary for the role of the bewitched Margaret. The setting appears to be modern, but the tone and feel of it is Edwardian. Perhaps the only element missing is humour, but when watching the film you don't really notice this; while it would be nice if there'd been more humour, it's still very enjoyable. Recommended to lovers of intelligent horror films and of atmosphere. Rating:- **** (out of *****)