Some things I liked some I did not.

recommended

It is a performances centric movie

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Well above average mummy movie; perhaps second only to THE MUMMY with Boris Karloff, PHARAOH'S CURSE doesn't drag (...). The performances all around are solid, the story's good and the pacing excellent. Even the mummy itself is unique (with the notable exception of LA MOMIA AZTECA, this is the ONLY deviation from the Original Look that I know of); the makeup is simple but effective- and the arm that snaps off is even creepier (especially when it's being whittled down to the bone). The lovely Egyptian woman wandering the desert was a nice touch: it lent an almost fairytale feel to the proceedings. PHARAOH'S CURSE is yet another of those Oldies But Goodies that deserves some Love.

For some reason, this film wasn't on DVD until this year, but it was shown a LOT on late night television back in the day. I saw it as a little kid and thought it was frightening and effective back then. Of course I am older now, but some of the veneer of seeing it back then still holds up.The mummy is dressed a little odd (no bandages), but his face is certainly hideous enough, and there is a reason for his strange garb which is unveiled later on. A fair number of people get killed, and we see the mummy quite a bit, really.Some people complain we don't see it for the first half of the film, which I guess is true, but on the other hand, the film is only 66 minutes long for Pete's sake. We don't see the monster in the first half hour of many movies, and this is no exception.If the movie dragged on for 90-120 minutes, it would be a disaster, but for only 66 minutes, it holds up. I pine for the days when a film-maker felt free to make a shorter subject, particularly when the topic doesn't hold up for a longer time. I wish the makers of Pearl Harbor had had the guts to cut THEIR movie back.

Archaeologists in Egypt find one of their crew has been turned into a blood sucking mummy after they have unleashed a three thousand year curse by entering a Pharaoh's tomb.The only person I know from this film is Les Baxter, who conducted the score. Not sure if that means anything... maybe these people were better known in the 1950s, or maybe they are all amateurs. I suppose I could check.I expected, based on the plot, for this to be a ripoff of "The Mummy". Not so. While it does have a mummy's tomb, that is just about the only connection. Hammer films featuring mummies are more like "The Mummy" than this film is. (And, I should point out, this film is shot very crisp and acted fairly well... that it gets low ratings and is largely unknown seems unfortunate.)

The Pharaoh's Curse is a basic mummy movie. A British captain in Cairo during an uprising is sent to shut down an archaeological dig before the local natives discover it and become even angrier than they already are. The captain,played by Mark Dana,is ordered to escort the wife of the expedition leader to camp to help persuade her husband to shut down the dig.On the way they encounter Simira,a local woman whose brother is part of the expedition.Mysterious occurrences begin and people start to die once the mummy's sarcophagus is opened. I wouldn't plan my day around watching this movie but it's okay for a rainy afternoon.