The Mummy's Tomb (1942) Movie Script
Most of these incidents
are so incredible
that one would almost have to be
there in order to believe them.
You know, many people
believe that we archeologists
are just a collection
of old fogies
digging around in ruins after
old dried-up skulls and bones.
Particularly medical men like yourself.
Isn't that so, John?
I wouldn't say that, Dad.
Not everybody thinks that way.
Oh, I could go on telling you
stories like this all day long.
Personally,
I think you're boring Isobel and her mother.
Who cares what happened
3,000 years ago?
Being my sister doesn't give you
the right to be disrespectful.
- I'll have you...
- Now, now.
Are you two children going to
start that feud all over again?
Oh, I just get annoyed.
So does everybody else.
Am I boring you, Mrs. Evans?
Oh, not at all.
I find it most interesting.
And you, Isobel?
Oh, I should say not.
Please tell us the rest.
Hmm.
All right.
Well, we started out from Cairo
to search for Ananka's tomb.
We weren't a particularly
adventuresome-looking group.
There was Babe Hanson,
an old friend of mine,
a Brooklyn magician
named Solvani
and his daughter, Marta.
And, oh, yes, Dr. Petrie
of the Cairo Museum.
We traveled for a long,
long time through the desert,
then up into the mountains.
Babe!
Babe, where are you?
- Wow!
- What happened? You all right?
I don't know.
I started to hook the wire to the detonator
to set off the dynamite
and here I am.
Effendi! Effendi!
This is an unholy tomb.
It's the seal of the Seven Jackals.
What we've been searching for.
They mustn't touch it, effendi.
There's a curse upon it.
Oh, bosh.
It means death to
whoever breaks that seal.
We can't stop now for a lot of
silly native superstitions.
I have waited a long time
for this moment.
The native workers fled,
screaming something about there
being a curse on the place.
However, it didn't turn out
to be Ananka's tomb at all.
Easy. It's heavy.
Watch out.
That's good. Look.
Whoa!
Why, it isn't sealed.
Let's take it off.
Careful, now. Careful.
That isn't Princess Ananka.
It's a man.
And in the finest state of preservation
of any mummy I've ever seen.
Later on, we found the most
amazing thing about this mummy.
Doctor.
What do these lines
in his face mean?
There's only one answer.
He was buried alive.
He must have struggled desperately
against those bandages.
What a terrible way to die.
Probably for some sacrilege.
Possibly.
Have you touched his face?
- What?
- Go ahead. Touch it.
Feels like
living tissue.
Exactly.
How true that proved to be.
Because, astounding as it may seem,
Kharis had never really died.
We learned afterward that
Kharis was being kept alive
by a strange race
of high priests.
Only one of these
high priests remained,
a man by the name of Andoheb.
He and a servant
kept constant watch
on our movements from up
above in the mountains.
Very interesting,
aren't they, Dr. Petrie?
Professor Andoheb.
Where did
you come from?
The important thing,
Doctor, is that I'm here.
Then you knew about this tomb,
and yet you insisted
the vase was an imitation.
There are some things in science
which should be brought to light.
And there are others, Doctor,
which should be left alone.
You mean,
we never should have come into this cave?
Since you are here,
I think it's fitting
that you should learn exactly
what you've stumbled upon.
Come.
For a scientist, you are
very unobserving, Dr. Petrie.
Why, there's a pulse beat.
Why, this is absurd.
It's... It's fantastic.
In this vial,
I have the fluid from nine tana leaves.
Nine tana leaves,
Dr. Petrie.
That wouldn't mean
anything to you, but watch.
Now, Dr. Petrie.
Why, it's...
It's beating faster.
He's alive.
Let me go!
Get off! Let me go!
Let me go! Let me go!
Let me go!
Let me go!
The mummy.
Somebody swiped it.
Who could've done that?
- I can't understand it.
- Steve, Petrie!
What could've happened?
I don't know, Babe.
He's dead.
Go on and get
some sleep, Marta.
We'll get a start
as soon as it's light.
- Steve.
- Yes?
I wish you'd give all this up and
come back to the States with us.
Well, I can't promise you that,
but I will be back sometime.
Do you mind if I say
I think you're a swell person?
Hmm?
Well, after that,
things happened pretty fast.
The next victim was
my native overseer, Ali.
The same fashion
as the doctor.
Marta went to bed that night.
We were all pretty jittery and...
Marta!
Babe.
When we got there,
they'd disappeared.
Obviously,
there was some sort of secret passageway.
I remained to search for it and
Babe looked around outside.
The mummy, apparently,
had broken an urn in passing.
And I examined the fragments
and found a clue.
There was a secret passageway.
Steve!
Marta, what happened?
How did you get here?
The mummy brought me here.
He's alive.
Yes, I know.
Pop. Is he all right?
He's all right.
Just a little shaken up.
Meanwhile,
outside of the temple...
See here,
you Egyptian Mickey Finn.
I'll give you three to tell me where she is.
I'm not kiddin'.
We've gotta get you
out of here in a hurry.
He's after tana fluid.
That's what must be
in this vial.
And in the urn, Steve!
It's full of the fluid.
You mustn't let him get it.
Keep him away from it!
Stop him!
Stop him!
Well, I got Marta
back safely, all right.
Brought back the body
of the Princess Ananka, too.
But I've always regretted
I wasn't able to bring back
the mummy with her.
You can well imagine
what a contribution
to science
that would have been.
The monster was really alive,
walking and breathing?
Absolutely.
It's beyond the imagination.
The most amazing thing
I've ever heard.
Why,
it's like hearing from a world beyond.
That's the way
it happened,
and if Marta were alive today
she'd tell you the same thing.
Nobody that ever went through an
experience like that could ever forget it.
Well, at least
I have the satisfaction
of having destroyed
a terrible monster,
and in doing so,
rid the world of an awful curse.
Thirty years ago, an infidel
sought to destroy me
and to destroy Kharis.
Both attempts failed.
The bullet he fired into me
only crushed my arm.
The fire that
sought to consume Kharis
only seared
and twisted and maimed.
Open it.
Kharis still lives...
Lives for the moment he will
carry death and destruction
to all those who dared
violate the tomb of Ananka.
That moment
has now arrived.
Once each night,
during the cycle
of the full moon,
you will dissolve
three tana leaves
and give the liquid to Kharis.
Three leaves
will keep him alive.
Nine leaves will
give him motivation.
And now I leave
in your hands
the curse of Amon-Ra
and the destiny of Kharis.
Preparations are complete
to the last detail.
A position as caretaker of the
little cemetery at Mapleton
has been arranged.
Now swear by
the sacred gods of Egypt
that you will never rest
until the last
remaining member
of the Banning family
is destroyed.
Until they all have
suffered the fate
of those who dared to defile
the tomb of our royal dead.
Swear that you will
never betray your trust.
I swear by the mighty
power of Amon-Ra,
whose anger can
shatter the world,
and by the dread
horror of Set,
I shall never forsake my trust
as a high priest of Karnak.
And now,
O mighty gods of Egypt,
may you find in
this young follower
a successor
worthy in every respect
to carry on the sacred trust
now delivered into his hands.
And save him from any temptation
that might destroy him.
As it nearly destroyed me.
The ways of my people are
strange to Western minds,
but it is my duty to
offer prayers each night,
so that the soul
of my dear one
is not left alone to wander
lonely and forgotten
through the spaces of time.
Certainly.
Anything we can do to...
No, there is nothing.
It is simply that not a
single word may be uttered
in the presence
of Occidentals.
Very good, sir.
You can count on me, sir.
I shall see that
you're not disturbed, sir.
Thank you.
We are on our way, Kharis.
Now nothing shall
stand between us
and the fulfillment
of our vows.
Nothing, Kharis.
Nothing.
- How do you do?
- Good evening.
- You the new caretaker?
- Yes, effendi.
They wired me
and said you'd be here.
I expected
a much older man.
It's very peaceful here.
I think I like it.
But it's such
a lonely existence.
It seems strange to me that
a young fellow like you
would want to tie himself down
to the job of a caretaker.
You see,
there is a difference in our philosophies.
Here I continue close to the one
I admired and loved in life.
Have it your own way.
I'm not complaining.
You understand what
you have to do here.
- Yes, I understand thoroughly.
- All right.
I'll be getting along.
Good-bye.
Bye, effendi.
Three tana leaves
to keep him alive,
nine to give him movement.
Kharis.
Kharis.
Kharis.
The moon rides high
in the sky again, Kharis.
There is death
in the night air.
Your work begins.
What was that?
I don't know.
Let's go home.
I'm scared.
Vic. Vic.
Mmm? What's the matter?
There's something outside.
I seen it go by the window.
Seen what?
I don't know,
but its shadow crossed my face.
- Ain't nothin' out there.
- I seen it, I tell ya.
I'm gonna phone
the Sheriff right now.
Hello. Sheriff speaking.
What do you want?
A shadow?
You wake me up for that?
Go on back to bed.
You must be crazy.
Whoa! Whoa!
What's the matter with you?
Quiet down!
You're kind of cramped for space,
aren't you, son?
Mmm-hmm.
Yeah.
Well, here goes.
You know,
that's just perfect.
Even if
you didn't ask me,
as a checker player,
I'd say you're a darn good doctor.
Three games in a row
ought to prove something.
Yeah.
Yeah, it proves
it's 11:00.
Ooh, I'd better be
getting on home.
And I'd better
be getting to bed.
You should've been there
an hour ago.
That's what you get for having
an older sister.
Now, Stephen,
don't you start talking about ages.
- What's the matter with them?
- I'll run out and see.
- You go to bed, Dad.
- All right, son.
I'll be back in a minute,
Isobel, to take you home.
- Good night, Jane.
- Good night, dear.
- Good night, Isobel.
- Good night.
King! Silver! Quiet, boys!
What's the trouble
with the dogs, Jim?
They don't bark like that
for nothing, Mr. John.
Something must have
frightened them mighty bad.
Kharis!
Why, that...
That sounds like Stephen.
Wait here.
He...
He's dead.
One is gone, Kharis.
One who dared defy
our ancient gods.
Three remain...
Only three.
And then we can return to
the land that gave us birth.
Ah, this is just
a waste of time.
Those marks left on his
throat were nothing but dust.
You're the coroner
and you should know.
Still, it might lead to some clue.
It's worth checking on.
I've tried to compare
this with specimens of
clay and dirt from
all over this territory.
Seems to be nothing
like it around here.
This is just another one
of those fiend murders.
What reason would anyone
have for doing such a thing?
You can't call it a fiend
murder and let it go at that.
I don't intend to, John.
We'll do everything we can.
- Just let us handle it.
- All right, Sheriff.
Go on.
Well, you see,
we were...
We were parked along
the west county pike and...
What time was that?
Well, it must've been
a little before 11:00.
We were listening to
Jan Garber on the radio.
That's right. Then all of a sudden,
a shadow passed over us.
What sort of a shadow?
Well, I don't know.
Just a shadow.
Didn't you see
what made it?
No, sir. We didn't
look up right at once.
And when we did look,
it was gone.
- All right, you can go.
- Yes, sir.
I'll send for you
if I need you again.
- Vic.
- Yeah.
You called me about seeing
the same sort of shadow.
I seen it. It passed
right over my bed.
I seen somebody pass
by the window, too.
- What did he look like?
- I don't know.
The moon was behind him.
He just kind of looked all black.
Anything else?
When we looked out,
whoever it was, was gone.
Okay, Vic,
I'll see you later.
I've covered
a lot of murders,
this is the first time I ever
had a shadow for a suspect.
Might as well
let the reporters in.
Yeah? What are you
gonna tell them?
I don't know.
Maybe they can give me a lead.
Okay.
Oh, John,
are you still at this desk?
I've checked through every
person that ever contacted him.
I still can't find anyone
who would have reason to...
Look, John,
you can't spend the rest of your life
doing detective work.
All right, Auntie.
You're the boss around here.
What would you
have me do?
Stop neglecting your practice.
Go down to your office and...
My dear, since this
thing's happened,
you've forgotten her
completely.
I guess you're right,
Auntie.
Of course I'm right.
You go on out there.
Spend the day with her.
It'll do you both
some good.
All right.
It's wonderful being
with you again, darling.
Aunt Jane
told me you'd called,
but since that night
I've had so much on my mind.
Oh, I understand, John.
O mighty gods of Egypt,
may you keep up my strength to carry
out the mission entrusted to me.
Strength to
resist any temptation
which may be
thrown across my path.
Strength to fulfill
the destiny of Kharis.
I was wondering
when he'd get here.
When does
the train arrive?
Around 11:00, I think.
I'll run down and meet him.
You needn't wait up.
Oh. I certainly
shall wait up.
Babe was always
one of my favorites.
Suit yourself, Auntie.
- Good night.
- Good night, dear.
Now go, while the moon
is still high in the sky.
Death goes with you.
Am I glad
to see you, Babe.
I came as fast
as I could, John.
How's Jane?
Oh, fine, considering.
Come on, get in.
We can talk on the way home.
Very well.
That's everything
we know.
Haven't been able to find a
motive or reason or anything.
- Not a clue nor nothing?
- No.
Oh, yes, yes, there was something,
but nothing came of it.
What was that?
A kind of grayish mark
on Dad's throat.
Must've been a powerful hand
that strangled him.
What did you say?
Kind of grayish mark
on Dad's throat.
Clay or dust
or something.
Grayish mark.
A grayish mark.
Quiet, King.
Quiet, Silver.
Jim!
Jim!
Jim!
You are back, Kharis.
Now you can rest.
Rest until the moon is
high again in the sky.
Two are dead
and two remain.
It's no use. Hemiplegia.
Take a look.
It's a form of paralysis
caused by severe shock.
Jim. Jim.
Don't you know me?
Can't you remember anything?
If there's any change,
will you please call me?
I will, John.
All right, Babe.
Hey, look who's here!
Hi, boys, how are you?
Hi, Lefty, Joe. Hi, Peoples.
Well, Frank, don't tell me they
sent you out on this assignment.
Yep. Had my choice of covering
the Russian front or this.
I picked this.
Look, John,
your father has told
this story over and over.
Sure. When I was a kid.
He used to tell me
fairy tales, too.
Yes, but this is different,
and you know it.
Thirty years ago,
your father and I met up
with this curse
in Ananka's tomb.
It wasn't
imagination either.
We saw that curse
bring on death.
We thought we'd destroyed
the mummy in the fire.
Maybe it escaped, or maybe
there was another one.
Oh, Babe, it's ridiculous.
Even supposing you were right,
what would it be doing around here?
Where would it hide?
If those high priests could keep
a man alive for 3,000 years,
they certainly could
figure out the rest, too.
Oh, Babe, listen...
The only clue we have are the
dust marks on Dad's throat,
and now on the throats
of Aunt Jane and Jim.
It's not dust. It was mold
that came from a mummy.
All right, Babe.
Have it your way.
We can't go on
arguing all night.
- John, will you do me a favor?
- Certainly.
Leave Mapleton. Go as far away as you can,
as quickly as you can.
Why would I do
a thing like that?
Because you're next in line.
The curse on that tomb extends to the blood
relations of all the men that entered it.
- Then you're included.
- Suppose I am.
I'm an old man. You're...
Now, Babe, I've known you
ever since I could walk.
I'd do anything in the world for you.
But I'm a doctor.
I can't believe
in a live mummy.
Where are you going?
I'm going to find someone
that will listen to me.
Someone that will listen to me
before it's too late for all of us.
There was a gray mark
on the throats
of every single person
killed in this town.
I know that.
And that mark wasn't mud
and it wasn't clay.
It was mold.
We'll look into it,
Mr. Hanson.
And we certainly appreciate your coming
in like this to tell us about it.
Don't you believe me?
Well, now, you see...
Yes, I know.
You're a doctor, too,
like John Banning.
A heart and lungs couldn't last 3,000 years.
Go on, tell me that.
As a matter fact,
I was just about to say those very words.
All right, don't believe me.
And don't do
anything about it.
Wait till more
murders are committed.
Look, Mr. Hanson,
there are dozens of reporters here
from all
the metropolitan papers.
A number of them
are razzing Mapleton
about the revival
of witchcraft.
I know that.
What would they say
if I was to tell them
that a mummy, 3,000 years old,
was doing all the killing?
They'd laugh us
out of office.
What will they say when they
find out that I was right?
And that I tried
to tip you off?
Give me a beer,
will you?
Yes, sir.
Coming right up.
Excuse me.
Aren't you Babe Hanson?
- That's right.
- I'm Jake Lovell, New York Record.
How are you?
Suppose you're down here
because of all the trouble.
Maybe.
Too bad about Mr. Banning
and his sister, wasn't it?
Yeah.
Any idea
what's behind everything?
I know
what's behind it.
You know what?
I know all about it.
Only nobody will listen to me.
Look, friend,
if you're after a listener,
you don't need
to look any further.
Now, what's this all about?
Well, it started
30 years ago
when Steve Banning and I
discovered Ananka's tomb.
Yeah, well,
what's that got to do with it?
Everything
to do with it.
That tomb was guarded
by a live mummy.
We saw it.
We fought it.
You mean to say...
You think a mummy's been doing
all these murders around here?
I know it was a mummy.
What a yarn.
It's gonna be a tough baby
to sell my editor.
Give me all the details.
Well, at that time
Steve and I were young men.
Steve was interested
in archeology.
I know. I know.
I've heard that laughingstock routine before.
Now what do you
want me to do?
Sure, the whole town's
afraid of their own shadows.
I'm following up on it.
Good-bye.
Sheriff!
It's out again. I just saw that shadow.
I saw it with my own eyes.
You saw a shadow.
What else did you see?
I didn't wait
for anything more.
That's fine.
That's a great help.
Well, you don't think for a
minute I was taking any chances?
- Where did you see it?
- I was walking along High Street...
Come on. We're going
back to High Street.
I've written hundreds of news stories,
but never in my life...
The killer!
He's out again!
He just frightened Nick
Landsford down on High Street.
The Sheriff and he
are down there now!
Thanks, Babe.
See you later.
Kharis!
He's dead.
Look.
What is it?
I'm not sure,
but I think I know someone who can tell me.
Darling,
will you drive me to the university?
- I want to see Professor Norman.
- Of course.
I'll call him and tell him we're coming.
Be out in a minute.
All right.
This powder,
which you say was scraped
from the gray marks on the victims' throats,
is mold.
- Mold?
- Yes, mold.
Developed through
so many centuries
that it's almost
impossible to calculate.
Hmm...
It's the same we find
in this strip of linen.
What makes you so sure?
Well, in the first place, there's a
distinct scent common to both of them.
Smell it.
It's undoubtedly
the odor of myrrh.
Comes from a tree known as
the Commiphora abyssinica,
which grows only in
parts of Africa.
So?
This reddish
brown resin is myrrh.
The other test tubes contain
cedar oil and sodium carbonate.
Now, all those substances come
from this strip of linen.
Look.
You can see that mark
where the linen has been
partially eaten away?
Yes, yes, I know. But what's it all about?
Where does it come from?
That mold and
this strip of linen
both came from
the body of a mummy.
The chemicals were used for embalming.
There's no doubt about it.
That inky hieroglyphic there
is the same that's found on the
body of the Princess Ananka.
It dates back
almost about 3,000 years,
to the reign of King Amenophis,
her father.
But...
Whether you are ready
to accept it or not,
we are dealing with the
presence of the Living Dead.
Then Babe was right,
and we wouldn't listen to him.
Well, now you've seen the evidence.
We've got to accept it.
Living or dead, I'm going after it,
whatever it is,
now that I know
what to look for.
Come on.
- Telegram for Mr. Banning.
- Oh, yes.
Thank you.
The commission's
just what I wanted.
But coming at
a time like this...
I think it's wonderful.
Just what you've needed,
something to get you away from here.
Nobody else could
reason with you.
But there's one thing certain.
You know the army won't wait.
Three days. Hardly gives me
time to get my affairs settled.
If you have any things that need
attending to, I can take care of them.
- You?
- Sure.
You didn't think for
one minute I'd leave
without taking you
with me, did you?
Well, you've just proposed and
answered yes all in one breath.
Oh, Isobel, I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to be
so abrupt. I...
Now, don't go spoiling it
by saying any more.
We'd better get started.
I have a million things to do.
Wedding preparations
and all that.
John, maybe we'd just
better go down
to the judge's office
in the morning.
Oh, no, we'll have it at home,
in memory of Dad.
He'd have wanted it
that way.
All right, John.
Kharis.
Kharis, come here.
They think
there will be a marriage
and an heir to carry on
the blood of the Bannings.
They think that,
Kharis.
This time, Kharis,
I'm sending you upon a different mission.
One of life
rather than of death.
You are eternal, Kharis.
Earthly pains and sickness
cannot touch you.
Like the age-old
hills of Egypt,
you exist, you are.
The ancient line of
the high priests of Karnak
must minister unto you until the end of time,
Kharis.
I shall do that
for you, Kharis, I.
I am going to take on to myself a wife,
Kharis.
A wife.
Do you understand that?
The one...
The one who is supposed to be the
bride of the last of the Bannings.
The one whom it was
ordained I should find.
Turn around, dear.
Mmm-hmm.
There, I think that's it.
What do you think, Ella?
Oh, she looks beautiful.
How fast they grow up, though.
Are you sure you can have
it ready for tomorrow?
Oh, heavens, yes!
There isn't much to do.
A dart here and there,
shorten the sleeves.
You're about the same
size your mother was
when she was
married in this dress.
- Am I, Mother?
- Mmm-hmm.
Who knows?
Maybe someday I may
be making this dress over
for another
young bride.
- Oh, you never can tell.
- Well, good night.
- Good night, Laura.
- Good night, Laura.
Together we three,
until the world crumbles
and there is no longer
a stone or a rock,
or a tree
or a blade of grass.
That is my will, Kharis,
and you shall obey it.
Bring her here.
Go!
Go.
You've been happy,
haven't you, Mother?
We'll talk about that later.
It's time now you were in bed.
Vic. Vic!
There's that sound again.
I'm scared.
- Good night, darling.
- Good night, Mother.
Sleep well.
All right now, men.
I've asked you to meet me at the Banning home
because we've got
a terrible job on our hands.
And it's gonna require every bit of
courage we've got to see it through.
Whether you can believe it or not,
the facts are here,
and we've got to face them.
A creature that's been alive for
over 3,000 years is in this town,
and it's brought
death with it.
We've got to run it down.
Thirty years ago,
my father discovered
and violated
a sacred tomb in Egypt.
Did I hear you say
something about Egypt?
That's right.
I've been out to
the graveyard, Sheriff,
and I was talking
to the caretaker
about a final
resting place for myself.
Yes?
And the caretaker
spoke all about Egypt
and quoted a lot of passages
from his Egyptian Bible.
Then when I heard
you talk here tonight,
I thought maybe he knows
something about it.
John! John!
Oh, John! John! Isobel!
The monster took her away!
- Isobel?
- Yes.
John, give out those clubs.
Give out the torches.
Come on, men, get your torches.
Where am I?
What are you doing?
There is nothing
to be afraid of.
Nothing will hurt you
ever again.
That creature.
Kharis? You have
nothing to fear from him.
He has brought you here to me
because it is your destiny
to achieve the greatest honor
that can come to a woman.
You will become the bride
of a high priest of Karnak.
No. No!
For you, I'm going to
forsake the teachings
that have been handed down to
us for generations upon end.
The secret that has kept
Kharis alive all these years
can be ours as well.
You're mad.
After I have given you the tana
fluid you will be immortal,
even as Kharis
is immortal.
What I can do for you,
I can do for myself.
You will bear me a son,
and he will be brought up in the
confines of the tombs of Egypt,
even as I was brought up.
A new priest of Karnak
who will carry on the
ancient and honorable line.
No.
John and I, tomorrow,
we're going to be married.
There will be no marriage
between you and John Banning.
The sins of his father
are upon his head,
and only death
waits for him,
as it has for
the rest of his family.
For he who despoils the ancient
tombs of Egypt must die.
One day you will
thank me for this.
Over here.
Kharis.
Take her out and hide her until
I get rid of these fools.
Let's go in!
Open that door!
Open that door!
Come on!
Open up!
Open up in there!
Get something to
break this door down!
Quiet! Quiet, men!
There's the man
we're after.
You gentlemen
wish to see me?
Yes.
You've some explaining
to do.
What have you
done with Isobel?
With whom?
Up to now,
I've only asked questions.
Do I have to use another
method to make you speak up?
Well?
I know nothing of any
such person, effendi.
The mummy. Isobel.
Through the woods.
- Banning!
- Well?
For those who defile the
temples of ancient Egypt,
a violent death
shall be their fate.
Come on, men, let's go.
Over there!
If the mummy tries to get away,
stop him with fire.
Watch the back stairs.
Don't let him get away.
Isobel. Isobel!
John.
I'm so glad
we managed to sneak out
while the folks
are celebrating.
Hey!
are so incredible
that one would almost have to be
there in order to believe them.
You know, many people
believe that we archeologists
are just a collection
of old fogies
digging around in ruins after
old dried-up skulls and bones.
Particularly medical men like yourself.
Isn't that so, John?
I wouldn't say that, Dad.
Not everybody thinks that way.
Oh, I could go on telling you
stories like this all day long.
Personally,
I think you're boring Isobel and her mother.
Who cares what happened
3,000 years ago?
Being my sister doesn't give you
the right to be disrespectful.
- I'll have you...
- Now, now.
Are you two children going to
start that feud all over again?
Oh, I just get annoyed.
So does everybody else.
Am I boring you, Mrs. Evans?
Oh, not at all.
I find it most interesting.
And you, Isobel?
Oh, I should say not.
Please tell us the rest.
Hmm.
All right.
Well, we started out from Cairo
to search for Ananka's tomb.
We weren't a particularly
adventuresome-looking group.
There was Babe Hanson,
an old friend of mine,
a Brooklyn magician
named Solvani
and his daughter, Marta.
And, oh, yes, Dr. Petrie
of the Cairo Museum.
We traveled for a long,
long time through the desert,
then up into the mountains.
Babe!
Babe, where are you?
- Wow!
- What happened? You all right?
I don't know.
I started to hook the wire to the detonator
to set off the dynamite
and here I am.
Effendi! Effendi!
This is an unholy tomb.
It's the seal of the Seven Jackals.
What we've been searching for.
They mustn't touch it, effendi.
There's a curse upon it.
Oh, bosh.
It means death to
whoever breaks that seal.
We can't stop now for a lot of
silly native superstitions.
I have waited a long time
for this moment.
The native workers fled,
screaming something about there
being a curse on the place.
However, it didn't turn out
to be Ananka's tomb at all.
Easy. It's heavy.
Watch out.
That's good. Look.
Whoa!
Why, it isn't sealed.
Let's take it off.
Careful, now. Careful.
That isn't Princess Ananka.
It's a man.
And in the finest state of preservation
of any mummy I've ever seen.
Later on, we found the most
amazing thing about this mummy.
Doctor.
What do these lines
in his face mean?
There's only one answer.
He was buried alive.
He must have struggled desperately
against those bandages.
What a terrible way to die.
Probably for some sacrilege.
Possibly.
Have you touched his face?
- What?
- Go ahead. Touch it.
Feels like
living tissue.
Exactly.
How true that proved to be.
Because, astounding as it may seem,
Kharis had never really died.
We learned afterward that
Kharis was being kept alive
by a strange race
of high priests.
Only one of these
high priests remained,
a man by the name of Andoheb.
He and a servant
kept constant watch
on our movements from up
above in the mountains.
Very interesting,
aren't they, Dr. Petrie?
Professor Andoheb.
Where did
you come from?
The important thing,
Doctor, is that I'm here.
Then you knew about this tomb,
and yet you insisted
the vase was an imitation.
There are some things in science
which should be brought to light.
And there are others, Doctor,
which should be left alone.
You mean,
we never should have come into this cave?
Since you are here,
I think it's fitting
that you should learn exactly
what you've stumbled upon.
Come.
For a scientist, you are
very unobserving, Dr. Petrie.
Why, there's a pulse beat.
Why, this is absurd.
It's... It's fantastic.
In this vial,
I have the fluid from nine tana leaves.
Nine tana leaves,
Dr. Petrie.
That wouldn't mean
anything to you, but watch.
Now, Dr. Petrie.
Why, it's...
It's beating faster.
He's alive.
Let me go!
Get off! Let me go!
Let me go! Let me go!
Let me go!
Let me go!
The mummy.
Somebody swiped it.
Who could've done that?
- I can't understand it.
- Steve, Petrie!
What could've happened?
I don't know, Babe.
He's dead.
Go on and get
some sleep, Marta.
We'll get a start
as soon as it's light.
- Steve.
- Yes?
I wish you'd give all this up and
come back to the States with us.
Well, I can't promise you that,
but I will be back sometime.
Do you mind if I say
I think you're a swell person?
Hmm?
Well, after that,
things happened pretty fast.
The next victim was
my native overseer, Ali.
The same fashion
as the doctor.
Marta went to bed that night.
We were all pretty jittery and...
Marta!
Babe.
When we got there,
they'd disappeared.
Obviously,
there was some sort of secret passageway.
I remained to search for it and
Babe looked around outside.
The mummy, apparently,
had broken an urn in passing.
And I examined the fragments
and found a clue.
There was a secret passageway.
Steve!
Marta, what happened?
How did you get here?
The mummy brought me here.
He's alive.
Yes, I know.
Pop. Is he all right?
He's all right.
Just a little shaken up.
Meanwhile,
outside of the temple...
See here,
you Egyptian Mickey Finn.
I'll give you three to tell me where she is.
I'm not kiddin'.
We've gotta get you
out of here in a hurry.
He's after tana fluid.
That's what must be
in this vial.
And in the urn, Steve!
It's full of the fluid.
You mustn't let him get it.
Keep him away from it!
Stop him!
Stop him!
Well, I got Marta
back safely, all right.
Brought back the body
of the Princess Ananka, too.
But I've always regretted
I wasn't able to bring back
the mummy with her.
You can well imagine
what a contribution
to science
that would have been.
The monster was really alive,
walking and breathing?
Absolutely.
It's beyond the imagination.
The most amazing thing
I've ever heard.
Why,
it's like hearing from a world beyond.
That's the way
it happened,
and if Marta were alive today
she'd tell you the same thing.
Nobody that ever went through an
experience like that could ever forget it.
Well, at least
I have the satisfaction
of having destroyed
a terrible monster,
and in doing so,
rid the world of an awful curse.
Thirty years ago, an infidel
sought to destroy me
and to destroy Kharis.
Both attempts failed.
The bullet he fired into me
only crushed my arm.
The fire that
sought to consume Kharis
only seared
and twisted and maimed.
Open it.
Kharis still lives...
Lives for the moment he will
carry death and destruction
to all those who dared
violate the tomb of Ananka.
That moment
has now arrived.
Once each night,
during the cycle
of the full moon,
you will dissolve
three tana leaves
and give the liquid to Kharis.
Three leaves
will keep him alive.
Nine leaves will
give him motivation.
And now I leave
in your hands
the curse of Amon-Ra
and the destiny of Kharis.
Preparations are complete
to the last detail.
A position as caretaker of the
little cemetery at Mapleton
has been arranged.
Now swear by
the sacred gods of Egypt
that you will never rest
until the last
remaining member
of the Banning family
is destroyed.
Until they all have
suffered the fate
of those who dared to defile
the tomb of our royal dead.
Swear that you will
never betray your trust.
I swear by the mighty
power of Amon-Ra,
whose anger can
shatter the world,
and by the dread
horror of Set,
I shall never forsake my trust
as a high priest of Karnak.
And now,
O mighty gods of Egypt,
may you find in
this young follower
a successor
worthy in every respect
to carry on the sacred trust
now delivered into his hands.
And save him from any temptation
that might destroy him.
As it nearly destroyed me.
The ways of my people are
strange to Western minds,
but it is my duty to
offer prayers each night,
so that the soul
of my dear one
is not left alone to wander
lonely and forgotten
through the spaces of time.
Certainly.
Anything we can do to...
No, there is nothing.
It is simply that not a
single word may be uttered
in the presence
of Occidentals.
Very good, sir.
You can count on me, sir.
I shall see that
you're not disturbed, sir.
Thank you.
We are on our way, Kharis.
Now nothing shall
stand between us
and the fulfillment
of our vows.
Nothing, Kharis.
Nothing.
- How do you do?
- Good evening.
- You the new caretaker?
- Yes, effendi.
They wired me
and said you'd be here.
I expected
a much older man.
It's very peaceful here.
I think I like it.
But it's such
a lonely existence.
It seems strange to me that
a young fellow like you
would want to tie himself down
to the job of a caretaker.
You see,
there is a difference in our philosophies.
Here I continue close to the one
I admired and loved in life.
Have it your own way.
I'm not complaining.
You understand what
you have to do here.
- Yes, I understand thoroughly.
- All right.
I'll be getting along.
Good-bye.
Bye, effendi.
Three tana leaves
to keep him alive,
nine to give him movement.
Kharis.
Kharis.
Kharis.
The moon rides high
in the sky again, Kharis.
There is death
in the night air.
Your work begins.
What was that?
I don't know.
Let's go home.
I'm scared.
Vic. Vic.
Mmm? What's the matter?
There's something outside.
I seen it go by the window.
Seen what?
I don't know,
but its shadow crossed my face.
- Ain't nothin' out there.
- I seen it, I tell ya.
I'm gonna phone
the Sheriff right now.
Hello. Sheriff speaking.
What do you want?
A shadow?
You wake me up for that?
Go on back to bed.
You must be crazy.
Whoa! Whoa!
What's the matter with you?
Quiet down!
You're kind of cramped for space,
aren't you, son?
Mmm-hmm.
Yeah.
Well, here goes.
You know,
that's just perfect.
Even if
you didn't ask me,
as a checker player,
I'd say you're a darn good doctor.
Three games in a row
ought to prove something.
Yeah.
Yeah, it proves
it's 11:00.
Ooh, I'd better be
getting on home.
And I'd better
be getting to bed.
You should've been there
an hour ago.
That's what you get for having
an older sister.
Now, Stephen,
don't you start talking about ages.
- What's the matter with them?
- I'll run out and see.
- You go to bed, Dad.
- All right, son.
I'll be back in a minute,
Isobel, to take you home.
- Good night, Jane.
- Good night, dear.
- Good night, Isobel.
- Good night.
King! Silver! Quiet, boys!
What's the trouble
with the dogs, Jim?
They don't bark like that
for nothing, Mr. John.
Something must have
frightened them mighty bad.
Kharis!
Why, that...
That sounds like Stephen.
Wait here.
He...
He's dead.
One is gone, Kharis.
One who dared defy
our ancient gods.
Three remain...
Only three.
And then we can return to
the land that gave us birth.
Ah, this is just
a waste of time.
Those marks left on his
throat were nothing but dust.
You're the coroner
and you should know.
Still, it might lead to some clue.
It's worth checking on.
I've tried to compare
this with specimens of
clay and dirt from
all over this territory.
Seems to be nothing
like it around here.
This is just another one
of those fiend murders.
What reason would anyone
have for doing such a thing?
You can't call it a fiend
murder and let it go at that.
I don't intend to, John.
We'll do everything we can.
- Just let us handle it.
- All right, Sheriff.
Go on.
Well, you see,
we were...
We were parked along
the west county pike and...
What time was that?
Well, it must've been
a little before 11:00.
We were listening to
Jan Garber on the radio.
That's right. Then all of a sudden,
a shadow passed over us.
What sort of a shadow?
Well, I don't know.
Just a shadow.
Didn't you see
what made it?
No, sir. We didn't
look up right at once.
And when we did look,
it was gone.
- All right, you can go.
- Yes, sir.
I'll send for you
if I need you again.
- Vic.
- Yeah.
You called me about seeing
the same sort of shadow.
I seen it. It passed
right over my bed.
I seen somebody pass
by the window, too.
- What did he look like?
- I don't know.
The moon was behind him.
He just kind of looked all black.
Anything else?
When we looked out,
whoever it was, was gone.
Okay, Vic,
I'll see you later.
I've covered
a lot of murders,
this is the first time I ever
had a shadow for a suspect.
Might as well
let the reporters in.
Yeah? What are you
gonna tell them?
I don't know.
Maybe they can give me a lead.
Okay.
Oh, John,
are you still at this desk?
I've checked through every
person that ever contacted him.
I still can't find anyone
who would have reason to...
Look, John,
you can't spend the rest of your life
doing detective work.
All right, Auntie.
You're the boss around here.
What would you
have me do?
Stop neglecting your practice.
Go down to your office and...
My dear, since this
thing's happened,
you've forgotten her
completely.
I guess you're right,
Auntie.
Of course I'm right.
You go on out there.
Spend the day with her.
It'll do you both
some good.
All right.
It's wonderful being
with you again, darling.
Aunt Jane
told me you'd called,
but since that night
I've had so much on my mind.
Oh, I understand, John.
O mighty gods of Egypt,
may you keep up my strength to carry
out the mission entrusted to me.
Strength to
resist any temptation
which may be
thrown across my path.
Strength to fulfill
the destiny of Kharis.
I was wondering
when he'd get here.
When does
the train arrive?
Around 11:00, I think.
I'll run down and meet him.
You needn't wait up.
Oh. I certainly
shall wait up.
Babe was always
one of my favorites.
Suit yourself, Auntie.
- Good night.
- Good night, dear.
Now go, while the moon
is still high in the sky.
Death goes with you.
Am I glad
to see you, Babe.
I came as fast
as I could, John.
How's Jane?
Oh, fine, considering.
Come on, get in.
We can talk on the way home.
Very well.
That's everything
we know.
Haven't been able to find a
motive or reason or anything.
- Not a clue nor nothing?
- No.
Oh, yes, yes, there was something,
but nothing came of it.
What was that?
A kind of grayish mark
on Dad's throat.
Must've been a powerful hand
that strangled him.
What did you say?
Kind of grayish mark
on Dad's throat.
Clay or dust
or something.
Grayish mark.
A grayish mark.
Quiet, King.
Quiet, Silver.
Jim!
Jim!
Jim!
You are back, Kharis.
Now you can rest.
Rest until the moon is
high again in the sky.
Two are dead
and two remain.
It's no use. Hemiplegia.
Take a look.
It's a form of paralysis
caused by severe shock.
Jim. Jim.
Don't you know me?
Can't you remember anything?
If there's any change,
will you please call me?
I will, John.
All right, Babe.
Hey, look who's here!
Hi, boys, how are you?
Hi, Lefty, Joe. Hi, Peoples.
Well, Frank, don't tell me they
sent you out on this assignment.
Yep. Had my choice of covering
the Russian front or this.
I picked this.
Look, John,
your father has told
this story over and over.
Sure. When I was a kid.
He used to tell me
fairy tales, too.
Yes, but this is different,
and you know it.
Thirty years ago,
your father and I met up
with this curse
in Ananka's tomb.
It wasn't
imagination either.
We saw that curse
bring on death.
We thought we'd destroyed
the mummy in the fire.
Maybe it escaped, or maybe
there was another one.
Oh, Babe, it's ridiculous.
Even supposing you were right,
what would it be doing around here?
Where would it hide?
If those high priests could keep
a man alive for 3,000 years,
they certainly could
figure out the rest, too.
Oh, Babe, listen...
The only clue we have are the
dust marks on Dad's throat,
and now on the throats
of Aunt Jane and Jim.
It's not dust. It was mold
that came from a mummy.
All right, Babe.
Have it your way.
We can't go on
arguing all night.
- John, will you do me a favor?
- Certainly.
Leave Mapleton. Go as far away as you can,
as quickly as you can.
Why would I do
a thing like that?
Because you're next in line.
The curse on that tomb extends to the blood
relations of all the men that entered it.
- Then you're included.
- Suppose I am.
I'm an old man. You're...
Now, Babe, I've known you
ever since I could walk.
I'd do anything in the world for you.
But I'm a doctor.
I can't believe
in a live mummy.
Where are you going?
I'm going to find someone
that will listen to me.
Someone that will listen to me
before it's too late for all of us.
There was a gray mark
on the throats
of every single person
killed in this town.
I know that.
And that mark wasn't mud
and it wasn't clay.
It was mold.
We'll look into it,
Mr. Hanson.
And we certainly appreciate your coming
in like this to tell us about it.
Don't you believe me?
Well, now, you see...
Yes, I know.
You're a doctor, too,
like John Banning.
A heart and lungs couldn't last 3,000 years.
Go on, tell me that.
As a matter fact,
I was just about to say those very words.
All right, don't believe me.
And don't do
anything about it.
Wait till more
murders are committed.
Look, Mr. Hanson,
there are dozens of reporters here
from all
the metropolitan papers.
A number of them
are razzing Mapleton
about the revival
of witchcraft.
I know that.
What would they say
if I was to tell them
that a mummy, 3,000 years old,
was doing all the killing?
They'd laugh us
out of office.
What will they say when they
find out that I was right?
And that I tried
to tip you off?
Give me a beer,
will you?
Yes, sir.
Coming right up.
Excuse me.
Aren't you Babe Hanson?
- That's right.
- I'm Jake Lovell, New York Record.
How are you?
Suppose you're down here
because of all the trouble.
Maybe.
Too bad about Mr. Banning
and his sister, wasn't it?
Yeah.
Any idea
what's behind everything?
I know
what's behind it.
You know what?
I know all about it.
Only nobody will listen to me.
Look, friend,
if you're after a listener,
you don't need
to look any further.
Now, what's this all about?
Well, it started
30 years ago
when Steve Banning and I
discovered Ananka's tomb.
Yeah, well,
what's that got to do with it?
Everything
to do with it.
That tomb was guarded
by a live mummy.
We saw it.
We fought it.
You mean to say...
You think a mummy's been doing
all these murders around here?
I know it was a mummy.
What a yarn.
It's gonna be a tough baby
to sell my editor.
Give me all the details.
Well, at that time
Steve and I were young men.
Steve was interested
in archeology.
I know. I know.
I've heard that laughingstock routine before.
Now what do you
want me to do?
Sure, the whole town's
afraid of their own shadows.
I'm following up on it.
Good-bye.
Sheriff!
It's out again. I just saw that shadow.
I saw it with my own eyes.
You saw a shadow.
What else did you see?
I didn't wait
for anything more.
That's fine.
That's a great help.
Well, you don't think for a
minute I was taking any chances?
- Where did you see it?
- I was walking along High Street...
Come on. We're going
back to High Street.
I've written hundreds of news stories,
but never in my life...
The killer!
He's out again!
He just frightened Nick
Landsford down on High Street.
The Sheriff and he
are down there now!
Thanks, Babe.
See you later.
Kharis!
He's dead.
Look.
What is it?
I'm not sure,
but I think I know someone who can tell me.
Darling,
will you drive me to the university?
- I want to see Professor Norman.
- Of course.
I'll call him and tell him we're coming.
Be out in a minute.
All right.
This powder,
which you say was scraped
from the gray marks on the victims' throats,
is mold.
- Mold?
- Yes, mold.
Developed through
so many centuries
that it's almost
impossible to calculate.
Hmm...
It's the same we find
in this strip of linen.
What makes you so sure?
Well, in the first place, there's a
distinct scent common to both of them.
Smell it.
It's undoubtedly
the odor of myrrh.
Comes from a tree known as
the Commiphora abyssinica,
which grows only in
parts of Africa.
So?
This reddish
brown resin is myrrh.
The other test tubes contain
cedar oil and sodium carbonate.
Now, all those substances come
from this strip of linen.
Look.
You can see that mark
where the linen has been
partially eaten away?
Yes, yes, I know. But what's it all about?
Where does it come from?
That mold and
this strip of linen
both came from
the body of a mummy.
The chemicals were used for embalming.
There's no doubt about it.
That inky hieroglyphic there
is the same that's found on the
body of the Princess Ananka.
It dates back
almost about 3,000 years,
to the reign of King Amenophis,
her father.
But...
Whether you are ready
to accept it or not,
we are dealing with the
presence of the Living Dead.
Then Babe was right,
and we wouldn't listen to him.
Well, now you've seen the evidence.
We've got to accept it.
Living or dead, I'm going after it,
whatever it is,
now that I know
what to look for.
Come on.
- Telegram for Mr. Banning.
- Oh, yes.
Thank you.
The commission's
just what I wanted.
But coming at
a time like this...
I think it's wonderful.
Just what you've needed,
something to get you away from here.
Nobody else could
reason with you.
But there's one thing certain.
You know the army won't wait.
Three days. Hardly gives me
time to get my affairs settled.
If you have any things that need
attending to, I can take care of them.
- You?
- Sure.
You didn't think for
one minute I'd leave
without taking you
with me, did you?
Well, you've just proposed and
answered yes all in one breath.
Oh, Isobel, I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to be
so abrupt. I...
Now, don't go spoiling it
by saying any more.
We'd better get started.
I have a million things to do.
Wedding preparations
and all that.
John, maybe we'd just
better go down
to the judge's office
in the morning.
Oh, no, we'll have it at home,
in memory of Dad.
He'd have wanted it
that way.
All right, John.
Kharis.
Kharis, come here.
They think
there will be a marriage
and an heir to carry on
the blood of the Bannings.
They think that,
Kharis.
This time, Kharis,
I'm sending you upon a different mission.
One of life
rather than of death.
You are eternal, Kharis.
Earthly pains and sickness
cannot touch you.
Like the age-old
hills of Egypt,
you exist, you are.
The ancient line of
the high priests of Karnak
must minister unto you until the end of time,
Kharis.
I shall do that
for you, Kharis, I.
I am going to take on to myself a wife,
Kharis.
A wife.
Do you understand that?
The one...
The one who is supposed to be the
bride of the last of the Bannings.
The one whom it was
ordained I should find.
Turn around, dear.
Mmm-hmm.
There, I think that's it.
What do you think, Ella?
Oh, she looks beautiful.
How fast they grow up, though.
Are you sure you can have
it ready for tomorrow?
Oh, heavens, yes!
There isn't much to do.
A dart here and there,
shorten the sleeves.
You're about the same
size your mother was
when she was
married in this dress.
- Am I, Mother?
- Mmm-hmm.
Who knows?
Maybe someday I may
be making this dress over
for another
young bride.
- Oh, you never can tell.
- Well, good night.
- Good night, Laura.
- Good night, Laura.
Together we three,
until the world crumbles
and there is no longer
a stone or a rock,
or a tree
or a blade of grass.
That is my will, Kharis,
and you shall obey it.
Bring her here.
Go!
Go.
You've been happy,
haven't you, Mother?
We'll talk about that later.
It's time now you were in bed.
Vic. Vic!
There's that sound again.
I'm scared.
- Good night, darling.
- Good night, Mother.
Sleep well.
All right now, men.
I've asked you to meet me at the Banning home
because we've got
a terrible job on our hands.
And it's gonna require every bit of
courage we've got to see it through.
Whether you can believe it or not,
the facts are here,
and we've got to face them.
A creature that's been alive for
over 3,000 years is in this town,
and it's brought
death with it.
We've got to run it down.
Thirty years ago,
my father discovered
and violated
a sacred tomb in Egypt.
Did I hear you say
something about Egypt?
That's right.
I've been out to
the graveyard, Sheriff,
and I was talking
to the caretaker
about a final
resting place for myself.
Yes?
And the caretaker
spoke all about Egypt
and quoted a lot of passages
from his Egyptian Bible.
Then when I heard
you talk here tonight,
I thought maybe he knows
something about it.
John! John!
Oh, John! John! Isobel!
The monster took her away!
- Isobel?
- Yes.
John, give out those clubs.
Give out the torches.
Come on, men, get your torches.
Where am I?
What are you doing?
There is nothing
to be afraid of.
Nothing will hurt you
ever again.
That creature.
Kharis? You have
nothing to fear from him.
He has brought you here to me
because it is your destiny
to achieve the greatest honor
that can come to a woman.
You will become the bride
of a high priest of Karnak.
No. No!
For you, I'm going to
forsake the teachings
that have been handed down to
us for generations upon end.
The secret that has kept
Kharis alive all these years
can be ours as well.
You're mad.
After I have given you the tana
fluid you will be immortal,
even as Kharis
is immortal.
What I can do for you,
I can do for myself.
You will bear me a son,
and he will be brought up in the
confines of the tombs of Egypt,
even as I was brought up.
A new priest of Karnak
who will carry on the
ancient and honorable line.
No.
John and I, tomorrow,
we're going to be married.
There will be no marriage
between you and John Banning.
The sins of his father
are upon his head,
and only death
waits for him,
as it has for
the rest of his family.
For he who despoils the ancient
tombs of Egypt must die.
One day you will
thank me for this.
Over here.
Kharis.
Take her out and hide her until
I get rid of these fools.
Let's go in!
Open that door!
Open that door!
Come on!
Open up!
Open up in there!
Get something to
break this door down!
Quiet! Quiet, men!
There's the man
we're after.
You gentlemen
wish to see me?
Yes.
You've some explaining
to do.
What have you
done with Isobel?
With whom?
Up to now,
I've only asked questions.
Do I have to use another
method to make you speak up?
Well?
I know nothing of any
such person, effendi.
The mummy. Isobel.
Through the woods.
- Banning!
- Well?
For those who defile the
temples of ancient Egypt,
a violent death
shall be their fate.
Come on, men, let's go.
Over there!
If the mummy tries to get away,
stop him with fire.
Watch the back stairs.
Don't let him get away.
Isobel. Isobel!
John.
I'm so glad
we managed to sneak out
while the folks
are celebrating.
Hey!