THE MUMMY (1959) Another horror entry, The Mummy was the first Hammer production made after an agreement with Universal allowed the studio to remake their classic horror offerings. With a basis in the Hollywood studios previous Egyptian themed horror productions, the film is another successful entry into the British canon of horror with its stunning visuals, detailed narrative and strong acting. Giving a performance that goes much further than simply being a monstrous killing machine, Lee instils real emotion into his living mummy. With little more than the use of his eyes and stilted body movements to express emotion, this is a beautifully restrained but effective performance. The ability to convey a sense of humanity within the role of a two dimensional monster character is truly a sign of achievement as an actor for Lee. An amusing anecdote relating to this performance is that Lees mummy walk was not simply down to acting, but partially down to the actor injuring himself a number of times during the shoot: in the scene where Kharis smashes through a door, Lee dislocated his shoulder and hurt his back, as a grip had bolted the prop door down just before shooting (the scene remains in the film despite Lees injuries!); the actors knees and shins were also injured during the shooting of the studio-tank "swamp" scenes, as he couldn't see where the array of necessary pipes and fittings were under the swampy water.
Another horror entry, The Mummy was the first Hammer production made after an agreement with Universal allowed the studio to remake their classic horror offerings. With a basis in the Hollywood studios previous Egyptian themed horror productions, the film is another successful entry into the British canon of horror with its stunning visuals, detailed narrative and strong acting. Giving a performance that goes much further than simply being a monstrous killing machine, Lee instils real emotion into his living mummy. With little more than the use of his eyes and stilted body movements to express emotion, this is a beautifully restrained but effective performance. The ability to convey a sense of humanity within the role of a two dimensional monster character is truly a sign of achievement as an actor for Lee. An amusing anecdote relating to this performance is that Lees mummy walk was not simply down to acting, but partially down to the actor injuring himself a number of times during the shoot: in the scene where Kharis smashes through a door, Lee dislocated his shoulder and hurt his back, as a grip had bolted the prop door down just before shooting (the scene remains in the film despite Lees injuries!); the actors knees and shins were also injured during the shooting of the studio-tank "swamp" scenes, as he couldn't see where the array of necessary pipes and fittings were under the swampy water.