The Mummy (1959)

100% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
57% of users liked it
(7,179 ratings)

While on a dig in Egypt, British archaeologist John Banning (Peter Cushing) desecrates the tomb of Princess Ananka, awakening her mummified lover (Christopher Lee). With revenge on his mind, the mummy follows Banning and the rest of his group back to England, but becomes quite taken with Banning's… More While on a dig in Egypt, British archaeologist John Banning (Peter Cushing) desecrates the tomb of Princess Ananka, awakening her mummified lover (Christopher Lee). With revenge on his mind, the mummy follows Banning and the rest of his group back to England, but becomes quite taken with Banning's wife (Yvonne Furneaux), who resembles the princess quite closely. ~ John Bush, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 27 min.
Directed By: Terence Fisher
Written By: Jimmy Sangster
Genres: Horror, Art House & International, Classics

In Theaters: Dec 16, 1959 Wide
On DVD: Oct 9, 2001

Critic Reviews

Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Superior Hammer horror classic.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Rehash of The Mummy and The Mummy's Tomb lacking the atmosphere of either.
Eric Lurio, Greenwich Village Gazette
A classic's a classic.
Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum
Fun little movie to watch on Halloween.
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Universal exhumes the bandaged baddy and unleashes a new series.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Tim S

For a movie called The Mummy, the movie is certainly about The Mummy... maybe too much so. I see this as just another excuse to get Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in the same movie together, somehow. The film is so repetitive and explains the same things over and over again, even… More
For a movie called The Mummy, the movie is certainly about The Mummy... maybe too much so. I see this as just another excuse to get Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in the same movie together, somehow. The film is so repetitive and explains the same things over and over again, even going so far as to having a lengthy backstory scene, that it's at a constant state of halt. It doesn't move like a natural narrative should, with fresh information and character development at all times. Maybe I'm just asking too much though. After all, this is a Hammer Horror production, and is a bit of a remake of the Universal original, but I think just a little bit more attention could have been paid in the details to make it better. The make-up work is good, and it's shot well, but its slow pace, or lack thereof, make it a difficult movie to sit through. Not that it doesn't have its charms, but it's definitely not perfect.
Jeff "

Terrence Fisher's film The Mummy is one of the better takes on Universal Studios famous monster. Christopher Lee adorns the bandages in this Hammer Classic and he delivers a unique performance. This film is superb in its acting and plot. For a monster film, this version of The… More
Terrence Fisher's film The Mummy is one of the better takes on Universal Studios famous monster. Christopher Lee adorns the bandages in this Hammer Classic and he delivers a unique performance. This film is superb in its acting and plot. For a monster film, this version of The Mummy is a near flawless take on the classic tale. Peter Cushing delivers a great performance, but Christopher Lee steals the show. Director Terrence Fisher who previously worked with Lee and Cushing on previous Hammer Horror outings directs this classic horror tale. The Mummy evokes thrills and terror. Fisher crafts a solid film, and the cast deliver some strong performances. This is the first time I've watched a Hammer Horror production, and it won't be the last. Though I absolutely enjoyed the 1932 classic starring Boris Karloff, I have to give credit to Terrence Fisher for delivering a new vision on The Mummy. Overall this is a terrific horror film in its own right. Christopher Lee is great in the title role and much like Karloff before him; he makes the character his own. This film is a must see for Hammer Horror fans, and for fans of classic horror films. Christopher Lee adorns his bandages well, and delivers on-screen. This is a well crafted horror gem that makes The Mummy a monster to be reckoned with once more. This unlike the countless unimpressive sequels makes you cry out for your mummy.
AJ V

An okay mummy movie, it has good actors, and it's pretty exciting in some scenes, but overall it's not that great, it's okay though.
Stephen M

The 'Mummy' films made by Hammer were much duller than the 'Frankenstein' or 'Dracula' movies. This one starts slowly but finishes well, and Lee's make-up looks superb. Possibly one of Hammer's most attractively photographed movies.
Matthew Y

Another worthy remake of an old Universal Monster movie classic by Hammer Films. Hammer's films may not exceed the legendary reputation of the originals (they are after all remakes) but their quality and watch-ability has kept them relevant for half a century. The one area… More
Another worthy remake of an old Universal Monster movie classic by Hammer Films. Hammer's films may not exceed the legendary reputation of the originals (they are after all remakes) but their quality and watch-ability has kept them relevant for half a century. The one area where I think they exceed their predecessors is their use of the non-monster leads. In the old Universal films the Monster was the star, but in the Hammer films Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are equals and the protagonist does not get outdone by the creature, instead both are dominating screen presences.
Jim W

When ever I thought of mummies, I always thought of them wrapped up in cloth, which is something the 1932 version was missing. Koloff was creepy but he had too many lines.....for a mummy lol. Christopher Lee's mummy has no lines, he's a monster and nothing but a monster.… More
When ever I thought of mummies, I always thought of them wrapped up in cloth, which is something the 1932 version was missing. Koloff was creepy but he had too many lines.....for a mummy lol. Christopher Lee's mummy has no lines, he's a monster and nothing but a monster. Yet, Lee still manages to be effective in the role. If you want a scary monster movie to watch on Halloween, this is the version to see
Barry L

Original and schlock horror at its best.