Blood from the Mummy's Tomb

Last updated

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb
Bloodmummytomb.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Seth Holt
Michael Carreras (uncredited)
Written by Christopher Wicking
Based on The Jewel of Seven Stars
by Bram Stoker
Produced byHoward Brandy
Starring Valerie Leon
Andrew Keir
Mark Edwards
James Villiers
Hugh Burden
Aubrey Morris
Cinematography Arthur Grant
Edited by Peter Weatherley
Music by Tristram Cary
Production
company
Distributed by MGM-EMI Distributors
Release date
  • 14 October 1971 (1971-10-14)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£200,000 [1]

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb is a 1971 British horror film starring Andrew Keir, Valerie Leon and James Villiers. [2] It was director Seth Holt's final film, and was loosely adapted by Christopher Wicking from Bram Stoker's 1903 novel The Jewel of Seven Stars . [3] The film was released as the support feature to Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde .

Contents

Besides providing a rare leading role for Valerie Leon, the film is notable for its troubled production.

Plot

An expedition led by Professor Fuchs locates the unmarked tomb of Tera an evil Egyptian queen. A cabal of priests drugged her into a state of suspended animation and buried all of her evil relics with her. Fuchs is obsessed with Tera and takes her mummy and sarcophagus back to England, where he secretly recreates her tomb under his house. Four days "before her birthday", his daughter Margaret – who bears an uncanny resemblance to Tera and was born at the instant they recited her name - has recurring nightmares. Fuchs gives her the old queen's ring and tells her to "wear it always". Of course, this only makes matters worse. Queen Tera's evil power begins to tempt Margaret, as she learns how she's feared by her father's former colleagues.

Margaret notices a man lurking in the vacant building across the street. He is Corbeck, an expedition member who's now her father's rival. Corbeck wants to restore Tera to life and he persuades Margaret to help him gather the missing relics. The problem is, each time one is given up the person who'd held it dies. When they have all the relics, Corbeck, Margaret and Fuchs begin the ancient ritual to reawaken Tera. At the last moment Fuchs learns that the queen's revival will mean Margaret's death. Together Fuchs and Margaret overpower and kill Corbeck, as the house quakes above them. Queen Tera awakens and kills Fuchs, but not before Margaret stabs her. Margaret and Tera are grappling over an ancient dagger when the house finally collapses on them.

Later in the hospital, a woman's face is wrapped in bandages. She's the sole survivor, and that all the others in the Professor's basement were "crushed beyond recognition". The bandaged woman slowly opens her eyes and struggles to speak, leaving the film scene ambiguous as to whether she is Margaret Fuchs or Queen Tera.

Cast

Production

Development

Writer Chris Wicking said the film was one of the last projects that James Carreras brought to Hammer. Wicking wanted to use the title of the book but Carreras did not. They brainstormed titles and came up with Blood from the Mummy's Tomb, which Wicking thought they would never use, but they did. [4]

The job of directing went to Seth Holt, whose films were admired by producer Howard Brandy. Holt had a strong critical reputation for making such films as The Nanny , but had not made a movie in two years. As Holt said in 1971: "I haven't been directing because I haven't been offered anything to direct". [5]

Wicking worked with Seth Holt on the script. The film had to go into production early because there was a gap in the production schedule. Wicking said he had a falling out with producer Howard Brandy and was barred from the set but he continued to work with Holt in the evenings. [4]

Brandy later claimed Wicking's script was "unshootable" and that Holt constantly rewrote it. He also says he and Holt wanted to cast Amy Grant in the lead but Sir James Carreras insisted on Valerie Leon. [1]

Shooting

Peter Cushing was cast in the film and completed one day's filming before leaving the production after his wife was diagnosed with emphysema. Cushing was replaced by Andrew Keir. [6] The R1 DVD of the film released in the United States by Anchor Bay Entertainment contains still photographs of Cushing's day on the production.

Director Seth Holt died of a heart attack five weeks into the six-week shoot, collapsing into cast member Aubrey Morris's arms and dying on set. Michael Carreras asked Don Sharp to take over but the director was unable to as he had signed to direct a film in Israel for the producer of Puppet on a Chain (this film was ultimately not made). [7]

Michael Carreras directed the final week's filming. He said Holt's footage did not cut together. [8]

According to the book Hammer, House of Horror: Behind the Screams by Howard Maxford, the budget for the film was £200,000. [9] The film was shot at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire.[ citation needed ]

Release

In January 1972, AIP bought the US distribution rights. [10]

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Seth Holt died while shooting Blood from the Mummy's Tomb; the final week's work was directed by Michael Carreras, who obviously made every effort to adopt Holt's visual style. Holt, however, was apparently revising his script day-by-day, and the stylistic consistency of the completed film cannot mask a number of unresolved themes and ideas. For all that, Blood from the Mummy's Tomb is Holt's most distinctive work, and effortlessly the best of Hammer's recent attempts to 'develop' the classic horror themes. The explanatory background that conventionally emerges in a few garbled words during or after the climax in horror movies, here becomes the substance of the whole first half of the film: a mythic, amoral deity is built up, and an entire attendant cosmogony suggested, through astrological references and other choice details. After this, the main drama of the film centres on the debate between Fuchs and Corbeck on the morality of releasing power like Tera's in a world like ours. 'Our world' is in turn the subject of Holt's most characteristically jaundiced view. A surface of perversity and fear barely contains undergrowths of madness, chaos and destruction. Several of the film's scenes occur in a lunatic asylum (where George Coulouris is victim to two of the most gleefully sadistic warders since Lost Weekend ); other characters are frequently seen alone in moments of private mania. The young hero (name of Tod Browning, so that you know he's all right) is killed before he has a chance to do anything effectual. And in a breathtaking reversal, Holt saves his all-too-human 'mummy' for his final shot: where she is Margaret, swathed in hospital bandages after the catastrophe. It's all as if Holt had superimposed the psychological-suspense methods of his thrillers on to the Gothic mechanics of the genre; the result (as in the work of all true pioneers) makes the genre seem like new." [11]

AllMovie's review of the film was favourable, commending its "glamorous style" and "creepy atmosphere". [12]

Empire magazine gave it three out of five. [13]

The New York Times called it "tremendous fun, skilful and wonderfully energetic". [14]

Variety called it "polished and well-acted but rather tame". [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Cushing</span> English actor (1913–1994)

Peter Wilton Cushing was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage and radio roles. He achieved recognition for his leading performances in the Hammer Productions horror films from the 1950s to 1970s and as Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars (1977).

Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of these involve classic horror characters such as Baron Victor Frankenstein, Count Dracula, and the Mummy, which Hammer reintroduced to audiences by filming them in vivid colour for the first time. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies, as well as, in later years, television series.

<i>The Mummy</i> (1959 film) 1959 British film

The Mummy is a 1959 British horror film, directed by Terence Fisher and starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. It was written by Jimmy Sangster and produced by Michael Carreras and Anthony Nelson Keys for Hammer Film Productions. The film was distributed in the U.S. in 1959 on a double bill with either the Vincent Price film The Bat or the Universal film Curse of the Undead.

<i>Dracula</i> (1958 film) 1958 horror film directed by Terence Fisher

Dracula is a 1958 British gothic horror film directed by Terence Fisher and written by Jimmy Sangster based on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel of the same name. The first in the series of Hammer Horror films starring Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, the film also features Peter Cushing as Doctor Van Helsing, along with Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling, Carol Marsh, and John Van Eyssen. In the United States, the film was retitled Horror of Dracula to avoid confusion with the U.S. original by Universal Pictures, 1931's Dracula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Keir</span> Scottish actor (1926–1997)

Andrew Keir was a Scottish actor who appeared in a number of films made by Hammer Film Productions in the 1960s. He played Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa in the 1963 Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor vehicle Cleopatra. He was also active in television, and especially in the theatre, in a professional career that lasted from the 1940s to the 1990s.

<i>The Jewel of Seven Stars</i> 1903 novel by Bram Stoker

The Jewel of Seven Stars is a horror novel by Irish writer Bram Stoker, first published by Heinemann in 1903. The story is a first-person narrative of a young man pulled into an archaeologist's plot to revive Queen Tera, an ancient Egyptian mummy. It explores common fin de siècle themes such as imperialism, the rise of the New Woman and feminism, and societal progress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terence Fisher</span> British film director and film editor (1904–1980)

Terence Fisher was a British film director best known for his work for Hammer Films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seth Holt</span> Palestinian-born British film director, producer and editor (1923–1971)

Seth Holt was a Palestinian-born British film director, producer and editor. His films are characterized by their tense atmosphere and suspense, as well as their striking visual style. In the 1960s, Movie magazine championed Holt as one of the finest talents working in the British film industry, although his output was notably sparse.

<i>The Gorgon</i> 1964 British film by Terence Fisher

The Gorgon is a 1964 British horror film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Richard Pasco and Barbara Shelley. The screenplay was by John Gilling and Anthony Nelson Keys. It was produced by Keys for Hammer Films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bray Film Studios</span> Film and television production complex in UK

Bray Film Studios is a British film and television facility in Water Oakley near Bray, Berkshire. It is best known for its association with Hammer Film Productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valerie Leon</span> British actress

Valerie Therese Leon is an English actress and model who has had roles in many film and television productions, including six of the Carry On film series and two James Bond films, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Never Say Never Again (1983) alongside Roger Moore and Sean Connery, respectively. She also had roles in high-profile films such as The Italian Job (1969), The Wild Geese (1978) and Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) and had a starring role in the Hammer horror film Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971).

<i>The Curse of the Mummys Tomb</i> 1964 British horror film by Michael Carreras

The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb is a 1964 British horror film produced, written and directed by Michael Carreras, starring Terence Morgan, Ronald Howard, Fred Clark and Jeanne Roland.

<i>The Mummys Shroud</i> 1967 British film by John Gilling

The Mummy's Shroud is a 1967 British DeLuxe colour horror film made by Hammer Film Productions which was directed by John Gilling.

<i>The Revenge of Frankenstein</i> 1958 British film by Terence Fisher

The Revenge of Frankenstein is a 1958 Technicolor British horror film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Peter Cushing, Francis Matthews, Michael Gwynn and Eunice Gayson. Made by Hammer Film Productions, the film was a sequel to The Curse of Frankenstein, the studio's 1957 adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, and the second instalment in their Frankenstein series.

<i>Taste of Fear</i> 1961 British film by Seth Holt

Taste of Fear is a 1961 British thriller film directed by Seth Holt. The film stars Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, Ann Todd, and Christopher Lee in a supporting role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Carreras</span> British film director and producer (1927–1994)

Michael Henry Carreras was a British film producer and director. He was known for his association with Hammer Films, being the son of founder James Carreras, and taking an executive role in the company during its most successful years.

<i>The Awakening</i> (1980 film) 1980 British horror film

The Awakening is a 1980 British horror film directed by Mike Newell in his directorial debut and starring Charlton Heston, Susannah York, and Stephanie Zimbalist. It is the third film version of Bram Stoker's 1903 novel The Jewel of Seven Stars, following the 1970 television adaptation as The Curse of the Mummy for the TV series Mystery and Imagination, and the 1971 theatrical film by Hammer, Blood from the Mummy's Tomb. It was released by Warner Bros.

<i>Bram Stokers Legend of the Mummy</i> 1998 American horror film

Bram Stoker's Legend of the Mummy, or simply Bram Stoker's The Mummy, is a 1998 American fantasy horror film based on Bram Stoker's 1903 novel The Jewel of Seven Stars. Directed by Jeffrey Obrow, who is one of the writers that adapted the novel for the film, it features an ensemble cast that includes Louis Gossett Jr., Eric Lutes, Amy Locane, Lloyd Bochner, Victoria Tennant, Mary Jo Catlett, Aubrey Morris, and Richard Karn. Morris previously appeared in Blood from the Mummy's Tomb, a 1971 Hammer Films adaptation of the same novel.

<i>Vampirella</i> (film) 1996 American film

Vampirella is a 1996 American direct-to-video superhero film which was part of the Roger Corman Presents series. It was based on the Vampirella comic book.

The World of Hammer is a British television documentary series created and written by Robert Sidaway and Ashley Sidaway, and produced by Robert Sidaway.

References

  1. 1 2 Klemensen, Richard (Summer 1994). "Hammer Films unearth the mummy". Midnight Maquee. No. 47. pp. 85–86.
  2. ↑ "Blood from the Mummy's Tomb". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  3. ↑ Gary A. Smith, The American International Pictures Video Guide, McFarland 2009 p 28
  4. 1 2 All's Well That Ends: an interview with Chris Wicking Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 55, Iss. 658, 1 November 1988: 322.
  5. ↑ Daddy of the mummyscene, The Guardian (1959-2003); London (UK), 18 Jan 1971: 8.
  6. ↑ Gaughan, Gavin (6 February 2009). "Guardian, 6th February, 2009". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  7. ↑ Koetting, Chris (June 1994). "Costume Dream". Hammer Horror. p. 12.
  8. ↑ Swires, Steve (1992). "Fall of the House of Hammer". Fangoria. p. 55.
  9. ↑ Maxford, Howard, Hammer, House of Horror: Behind the Screams, B. T. Batsford Ltd, 1996, ISBN   0-7134-7768-7
  10. ↑ MOVIE CALL SHEET: Fox Signs Pact for Distribution Murphy, Mary. Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan 1972: b9.
  11. ↑ "Blood from the Mummy's Tomb". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 38 (444): 216. 1 January 1971 – via ProQuest.
  12. ↑ Brian J. Dillard. "Blood From the Mummy's Tomb - Review". Allmovie . Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  13. ↑ William Thomas (2000). "Blood From the Mummy's Tomb". Empire .
  14. ↑ Greenspun, Roger (18 May 1972). "Horror Double Bill Pairs a Dr. Jekyll With Mummy's Tomb". The New York Times .
  15. ↑ Variety Staff (1 January 1971). "Blood from the Mummy's Tomb". Variety . Director Seth Holt died suddenly a few days before shooting was completed.

Notes

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.