Grade: D
Synopsis: An ancient mummy stalks the men who violated its tomb.
The Mummy’s Shroud needs more mummy and less shroud.
The script is similar to the disappointing The Curse of the Werewolf, also written by Hammer Film producer Anthony Hinds; both include lengthy and unnecessary prologues (The Mummy’s Shroud is narrated by an uncredited Peter Cushing), and both take ages to get the titular character on screen. Granted, The Mummy’s Shroud isn’t quite the disappointment that The Curse of the Werewolf was, but that’s only because it has less potential to start with.
The cast is serviceable, with the always solid André Morell and Elizabeth Sellars as the only standouts in parts that are criminally underwritten.
The sets are good, and in typical Hammer fashion belie the film’s low budget, but the same can’t be said about the film’s effects. The mummy itself looks like exactly what it is: a man in a jumpsuit and a mask. After the excellent The Mummy (1959) it’s disappointing that Hammer dropped the ball so completely when it came to the actual mummy effects. A few more dollars here would have gone a long way.
Bottom Line: For die-hard Hammer and mummy fans only, others should watch The Mummy (1959) instead.
