In 2000 B.C., in Egypt, the pharaoh Men-Ta (Bruno Barnabe) celebrates with his people the birth of his son Kah-To-Bey (Toolsie Persaud) despite the death of his wife (Toni Gilpin). Meanwhile his brother Amen- Ta plots a scheme to overthrow Men-Ta. When the rebel army invades the palace, Men-Ta asks his servant Prem (Dickie Owen) to flee with his son and protect him. But Kah-To-Bey dies in the desert and Prem buries him in a tomb covered with a shroud.

In 1920, the wealthy British Stanley Preston (John Phillips) sponsors the archaeologists Sir Basil Walden (Andre Morell),his son Paul Preston (David Buck),Claire de Sangre (Maggie Kimberley) and Harry (Tim Barrett) to find Kah-To-Bey's tomb after the discovery of Prem's remains. The expedition is considered missing and Stanley and his wife Barbara Preston (Elizabeth Sellars) travel to Egypt to organize the search parties. Meanwhile the group finds the tomb and is warned by the keeper Hasmid (Roger Delgado) to leave the place; otherwise they will be cursed and doomed to die. However Stanley arrives and they take the mummified corpse and the shroud to the Cairo Museum. The arrogant Stanley uses the press to promote himself. Meanwhile the clairvoyant Haiti (Catherine Lacey) meets Hasmid and he summons Prem using the shroud. Soon Sir Basil Walden is found mysteriously murdered and Stanley asks his minion Longbarrow (Michael Ripper) to buy a ticket for him to travel to England. However he is forbidden by Inspector Barrani (Richard Warner) to leave Egypt during his investigation. When Harry is also mysteriously murdered by Prem, Stanley panics. Who will be the next victim of Prem?

"The Mummy's Shroud" is another entertaining Hammer's low budget movie. The unoriginal story is totally predictable, actually a rip-off of other mummies movies, but has a good screenplay that holds the attention of the viewer until the very end. Roger Delgado is a frightening villain and the conclusion is satisfactory. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Mortalha da Múmia" ("The Mummy's Shroud")

The Mummy's Shroud is directed by John Gilling who also co-adapts the screenplay with Anthony Hinds. It stars André Morell, John Phillips, David Buck, Elizabeth Sellars, Maggie Kimberly and Michael Ripper. Music is by Don Banks and cinematography by Arthur Grant.

Mezzera, Egypt, 1920, and an expedition to find the tomb of Pharaoh Kah-to-Bey gets more than they bargained for when they unearth a shroud adorned with the ancient writings of life and death...

The third instalment of Hammer Films forays into Mumified based Egyptology, The Mummy's Shroud follows the standard formula but never the less entertains in undemanding fashion. Released as the support feature to Frankenstein Created Woman (not Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed as listed in some quarters since that was two years later),it's nicely photographed, stoically performed by the cast (especially by Hammer hero Ripper who gets a meaty role) and is pacey enough to uphold the interest. The violence aspects are strongly constructed, but kept mostly in suggestive terms as per visual enticements, and how nice to see the lead ladies here be more than token cleavage.

This was the last Hammer feature to be made at Bray Studios, so it has some poignant significance in the history of Hammer Films. It's not a great send off for Bray, but it's unmistakably one of those Hammer Horror films that fans of the studio's output can easily spend the evening with and not feel it has been time wasted. 6.5/10

The legends that surround the curse that accompanied the opening of King Tutankhamen's tomb get a new twist. In Viceroyalty Egypt before World War I Andre Morrell has embarked on an expedition to Egypt to discover if a legend is true about a slave and a pharaoh trading places in their graves. He does do that, but millionaire John Phillips usurps the discovery. He also usurps the curse that comes with it as expedition members die as a Mummy is let loose upon them.

Phillips and Morrell share acting honors with Roger Delgado as a bug eyed slave. The future Master in the original Dr. Who series is in fine form as he steals all scenes he's in.

Good fright fun from Hammer Films.