Hammer Mummy

 

 (tcm.com)

THE MUMMY'S SHROUD-1967-After a lengthy intro about the death of an Egyptian boy king, pompous rude Stanley Preston (John Phillips) and his wife (Elizabeth Sellars) arrive in Cairo intent on locating a missing expedition he funded. The lost group is headed by Sir Basil Walton (Andre Morell), along with his assistant Claire (Maggie Kimberly), Harry (Tim Barrett) and Preston's son Paul (David Buck). They are looking for the tomb of the young prince. 

Preston's group finds the expedition but Basil is bitten by a snake. They find the mummy and the elder Preston proceeds to hog the spotlight and take all the credit. When they get back to Cairo, he even has Walton committed to an insane asylum. A fortune teller's son, Hasmid (Roger Delgado) revives a different mummy and it kills Walton who has escaped the asylum. The second victim is Harry who has acid poured on him and is set on fire. Next is Preston's long-suffering assistant Longbarrow (Michael Ripper) who is thrown out a window. When Preston tries to illegally leave the country (deserting his wife & son) the mummy gets him. Later while trying to apologize to the mummy Hasmid sics the mummy on Claire who with help from David and the chief of police (Richard Warner) says the words of death and the mummy crumbles.

 This Hammer production is a pretty standard horror film, not offering anything new. Director John Gilling (THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES (1966)) wasn't happy with the results. It's the last movie made by Hammer in their Bray Studios. The Mummy is played by Eddie Powell, Christopher Lee's “Dracula” stunt double.

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Who Does Her Hair?

 

THE GORGON-1964-In the small village of Vandorf, there have been several murders in the last 5 years. All the victims have been turned to stone but this is never brought out at the inquests. Prof. Jules Heitz (Michael Goodliffe) who's son has been convicted of the latest murder (and suicide) seeks the help of local professor Manaroff (Peter Cushing) who's assistant Carla Hoffman (Barbara Shelly) suspects something. Heitz thinks it's Magera, one of the Gorgons who can turn people to stone. Heitz himself is turned to stone but not before writing a letter to his son Paul (Richard Pasco). It's obvious Manaroff knows more than he admits. Paul briefly sees the Gorgon's reflection and ages badly. 

Fortunately when things start to get dull Paul's mentor Prof. Karl Meister (Christopher Lee) shows up and gives the local police inspector (Patrick Troughton) a hard time. Meister believes Carla is the killer but Paul of course has fallen in love with her. Meister is right. Carla is the snake haired monster. In the climax the Gorgon is beheaded but there's no happy ending.

Terence Fisher directed this interesting Hammer horror film that's a little thin on story. Still it's always good to see Lee and Cushing together as adversaries. Screenplay by director John Gilling.

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John Saxon In The UK

NIGHT CALLER FROM OUTER SPACE-1965-An object from space crashes in the English countryside. The army investigate along with scientists Dr. Morley (Maurice Denham) and Dr. Costain (American John Saxon playing a Brit for some reason). Although the object was supposed to be very big. All they find is cold orb.

Back in their lab the duo are assisted by cold, stuck up Anne Morrow (Patricia Haines) who Saxon unsuccessfully tries to seduce. While Morley and an army major (John Carson) in charge try to answer the PM’s pompous inquiries over the phone, Ann while typing her notes starts to get hot flashes. They seem to emanate from the room where the orb is kept. When she opens the door a weird hand grabs her arm. She breaks away and sounds an alarm but of course when the soldiers look around they find nothing. After they leave the orb starts glowing. The next day the Major has decided it’s all a prank. Costain finds a weird footprint in the dirt and believes Ann’s story. Morley dies while experimenting with orb after being menaced by an unseen creature. The army takes some shots at it. The Major is killed by a Jeep driven by the creature! Costain makes a connection that the creature may be responsible for the disappearance of several women. It seems all the missing women answered an ad placed in a magazine by a mysterious person named Mr. Madra. Costain figures out the creature has come from Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter. Scotland Yard superintendent Hartley (Alfred Burke) sets a trap with Ann answering one of the ads. She’s killed. Then Saxon, Hartley and the Police Commissioner set another trap where they learn Madra is a half scarred alien (Robert Crewdson) that needs “new blood” to help resurrect his race. He takes the women and goes back home. 

Director John Gilling made the much better THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES the next year. Despite its film noirish like setting it's bloody boring with a lot of scientific jive about nonsense. It's based on a novel by Frank Crisp. Also known as BLOOD BEAST FROM OUTER SPACE.

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Black & White Hammer

SHADOW OF THE CAT-1961-With the help of two servants (Michael Crawford and Freda Jackson) Walter (Andre Morell) kills his wife and has her buried in the forest. There are no witnesses except for the victim's cat. All seems to go as planned until the cat keeps popping up, driving the trio to paranoid delusions as they try to kill it. When Walter suffers a heart attack while trying to do in puss, his unsuspecting niece Beth (Barbara Shelly) comes to take care of him. She doesn't understand what the big to-do is about the cat but her boyfriend Michael (Conrad Phillips) suspects the truth (she doesn't believe him though). Deaths by falling, quicksand and stairs eliminate some prying greedy relatives and after they are all gone the cat leads Beth and Michael to the dead woman's grave. 

This little black and white Hammer melodrama was directed by John Gilling (THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS) and plays like an extended version of THRILLER or ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS.

It's the Pirate Life for Lee

PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER-1962-Huguenot John Standing (Kerwin Matthews) is sent to a penal colony after being convicted of adultery. He breaks stones, is whipped and hung by his wrists. He escapes but is picked up by a band of pirates lead by LeRosch (Christopher Lee with eye patch and French accent). His crew includes Peter Arne, Michael Ripper and Oliver Reed. John takes the pirates back to his village and no sooner do they get there when they kill one of John's friends. The pirates want to take over the village (where Andrew Keir plays a town elder) and the residents put up a good fight until the pirates capture the women and children. A treasure is found and John and his friend Henry (Glenn Corbett) team up to stop the invaders. Later the pirates revolt against LeRosch and he winds up impaled. No pirate ship is ever seen. 

This color Hammer production was directed (and co-written) by John Gilling who went on to make THE REPTILE and THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES for Hammer. And despite the fact that there's no sea faring this was a big hit in England. Hammer followed this with THE DEVIL SHIP PIRATES (also with Lee, Keir nad Ripper).  

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50's British Horror

THE GAMMA PEOPLE-1956-When their private car gets detached from the rest of their train 2 music critics wind up in Gadavia, a strange German like town that's not on their map. Mike is the American played by Paul Douglas and Howard (Leslie Phillips) is British. They meet a pompous police inspector who promptly puts them in jail. After they are released the pair find a lot of weird things going on. For instance the telegram office has no telegraph. "Something very odd's going on here" says Mike. They watch a young girl play classical piano but she's interrupted by Hugo (Michael Caridia), a young boy who looks straight out of the Hitler youth who criticizes her. "What a little stinker" says Howard. Then a maid slips them a note about "saving the children". Later Howard is accosted by some zombie looking residents ("Must be a pack of local teddy boys"). They meet the mysterious Dr. Boronski (Walter Rilla) who is actually a missing scientist named Mirsch who says he's interested in educating the local kids but his "work" is far more sinister. After poor Howard is beaten up by a pack of young boys Mike discovers Boronski is using gamma rays to create geniuses and imbeciles and the children are his guinea pigs. Fortunately the doctor's assistant Paula (Eva Bartok) and little Hugo turn against their mentor and help save the village. 

Douglas is very good in the tough guy role (he was in THE SOLID GOLD CADILLAC the same year) and despite some lapses into comedy this is a good little thriller, more mystery than science fiction. Co-star Leslie Phillips went on to have roles in many English TV shows and films (and is still alive at the time of this writing!). Director John Gilling later made films for Hammer including THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES and THE REPTILE.

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Hammer Zombies

THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES-1966-Hammer teamed up with 7 Arts to release this eerie horror film. While on vacation a curmudgeonly doctor Sir James Forbes (Andre Morrell) is summon to Cornwall by his ex-pupil Peter (Brook Williams) to check out the "strange malady" afflicting his wife Alice (Jacqueline Pearce from BLAKE'S SEVEN). After a not so nice welcome, Alice dies and Sir James' daughter Sylvia (Diane Clare who was in THE HAUNTING) is harassed by a group of fox hunters under the charge of Squire Hamilton (John Carson), a weird guy who talks like James Mason. He tries to act gentlemanly by she isn't buying it. While Sylvia is walking home sees a zombie like guy dump Alice's body down a hill. Meanwhile Sir James and Peter are arrested for grave robbing but they get off when the coffin they dug up is empty! Apparently Hamilton is the leader of a Voodoo blood cult that turns folks into zombies and makes them work in the local tin mine. Hamilton wants to zombify Sylvia. Guys in robes wearing masks that have "Daredevil" horns attack a vicar. Later pasty faced zombies rise from the grave but it seems to to a dream sequence. Somehow after nearly being buried alive Sir James saves his daughter and makes the zombies turn against their master and destroy his plans. The best scene is when Alice suddenly becomes a zombie and Sir James decapitates her with a shovel. Michael Ripper is very good as one of the constables who helps out.

Like a lot of Hammer films it takes time to get going but delivers some great scenes. The under rated (at least in America) Morrell is great in the lead role. Director John Gilling also made THE REPTILE the same year. Hammer teamed with 7 Arts to make THE WITCHES the same year too.

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Bela & Mother Reilly

MY SON THE VAMPIRE-1952-English music hall comedian Arthur Lucan made 15 films between 1937-1952 in which he starred in drag as charwoman Old Mother Reilly. He'd probably be completely unknown in the US if it wasn't for this entry (actually the last in the series) which of course featured Bela Lugosi as the villain Van Housen, also known as “The Vampire”, a mad scientist and kidnapper who sleeps in a coffin. For some reason he has a robot sent to him but the addresses get mixed up and store owner Mrs. Reilly (Lucan) gets the mechanical man instead. 

It's a lot of dumb fun though Lucan (who also sings a song) is a little overbearing at times. There's a slapstick inspired fight and the robot terrorizes Mrs. Reilly near the finale, although he/she has nothing to do with catching Van Housen in the end. 

Some may think this was a real comedown for the great Lugosi but he has some good lines and seems to be enjoying himself and remember this same year he made BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA! 

Also known as VAMPIRE OVER LONDON and OLD MOTHER RILEY MEETS THE VAMPIRE the US version featured a song by Allen Sherman over the opening credits where neither Lugosi or Lucan are mentioned as the stars! Director John Gilling later made several horror films including PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES and THE REPTILE.

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