Bel-Air (not the Chevy automobile or the menthol cigarette) was a 1950s low budget production company headed up by Aubrey Schenck and Howard W. Koch. They made over 25 films in a variety of genres including three horror films (THE BLACK SLEEP – 1956, PHARAOH’S CURSE – 1957, VOODOO ISLAND – also 1957). PHARAOH’S CURSE is the best of the three utilizing a no-name cast, atmospheric photography, a remarkably effective mummy, and a no-nonsense running time of only 66 minutes. This is one of those late night horror show movies that I remember fondly from my childhood.
A trophy wife (Diane Brewster) travels in the Egyptian desert in search of her adventurer husband (George Neise) so she can ask him for a divorce. The expedition is led by the stalwart Captain Storm (Mark Dana) who is ordered to bring the husband back before he can ransack a pharaoh’s tomb. Along the way they encounter a mysterious exotic woman (Ziva Rodann / Shapir) who turns out to be more than she seems. Once at the tomb an expedition member is transformed into a centuries old blood drinking mummy (great make-up!) and things go from bad to worse.
What makes PHARAOH’S CURSE so effective is it’s successful combination of elements. The script is remarkably intelligent for a potboiler, and the unknown actors turn in low-key, effective performances. The real star is the black & white photography which looks like something out of the 1930s. I’m sure the filmmakers studied Boris Karloff’s THE MUMMY (1932) before making this one. The MGM LIMITED EDITION DVD-R, while containing no extras, offers a wonderfully crisp transfer that looks way better than the one I saw on TV. Old school, low budget filmmaking at its best.
The Capsule Critic 