THE MUMMY - "Nerve-Shattering Shock!" (1959)

 This evening's Saturday Night Special is a classic from 1959, and even if it is basically just a cover tune, it's still a classic! Sometimes remakes are as good or better than the original, I'm not going to say that about "The Mummy," but at least it's in colour, and that's a good place to start!

 In 1957, Hammer Films decided to start remaking some of the classic themed Universal horrors, and the first one was "The Curse Of Frankenstein" with Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Hazel Court. Next up in 1958, again with Cushing and Lee came "Horror Of Dracula," and in 1959, they released tonight's feature film, "The Mummy," once again with the same two stars. Over the next ten or fifteen years, Hammer released no less than six Frankenstein sequels, eight Dracula sequels, and three more Mummy movies. Not stopping there, they also released seven more Vampire movies, a werewolf movie, two Dr. Jekyll films, and a Phantom of the Opera movie. It seems the only Universal classic monster they didn't try was "The Creature From The Black Lagoon," and I'm assuming that's because it was basically from the same era, not 20 years in the past

 Peter Cushing as John Banning is in Egypt on an archeological dig with his Pop! He can't fully participate because he's broken his leg, and will have a limp the rest of his life if he doesn't get it attended to, which he doesn't!

 George Pastell as Mehemet Bey, tells them they need to stop digging or they are going to be in deep shit! Boy, did he call that one right!

George racked up 80 exotic credits before passing away at the age of only 53. In the 60's he was in various "Dr. Who," and "The Saint" TV shows!

 The scroll inside the box is where it all begins!

It's always funny when the scientific geniuses are the stupidist ones! Some people just don't see it, even when it's right in front of them!

 Three years later!!!

 Homeboy is now considered 'mentally disordered.' These days he'd just be another homeless person!

 The large box that was being delivered to the new weird guy's home falls off the wagon because the drunk driver was driving too fast! (A D.U.I. checkpoint would really have prevented a disaster in this case!) But...it was a mmumy in the box, and since he's already dead...

 Sir Christopher Lee has never looked better!!

 It was after visiting hours at the nursing home......That's number one in the revenge department!

Almost looks like The Creature in this shot!

 The brother who was also on the quest is the winner behind door number two!

 In a flashback scene, we find out that Kharis (The Mummy) was a man in another lifetime with a Cleopatra complex!

 And that's why he was subjected to an eternity of servitude and protection to his lover, Princess Ananka! (He's like, Damn, I really screwed up here!)

 The mummy is going for a triple play, and the last on the list is John Banning! The trippy part is that Princess Ananka is a dead ringer for John Banning's wife Isobel!

 Yvonne Furneaux had the double role of  Isobel Banning and Princess Ananka!

Yvonne was also in "The Death Ray Of Dr. Mabuse," and her last role was in a movie I have never heard of until tonight "Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie," in which she was Matilda 'Tillie' Frankenstein with Donald Pleasence and June Wilkinson! (I thought I needed to see it, but I just watched the trailer on YouTube,...Maybe Not!) Sometimes I feel like I'm on a giant international scavenger hunt! If I did the math right, Yvonne turned 91 last May.

 John Banning is ready! 

(Does anybody out there not like Peter Cushing? He is SO freakin' consistently cool!)

 The mummy is choking the crap out of John when Isobel comes into the room so John yells at her, "Let your hair down, Let your hair down!" so that she looks more like Princess Ananka!

 That immediately gets the mummy's attention!

Like in all good western movies, the hero rides off into the sunset!