Main Cast: Terence Morgan, Fred Clark, Ronald Howard, Jeanne Roland, George Pastell
Release Year: 1965
Country: UK
Run Time: 85 minutes
Plot
This cheap, but colorful British period horror piece follows an ill-fated archaeological expedition to the cursed tomb of the pharaoh, Ra-Antef, whose sarcophagus the team's leader opts to sell to a smooth-talking American promoter who intends to set it up as part of an exploitive side-show attraction. No sooner has the tomb reached the States than the foul-tempered pharaoh is released; he then begins stalking and strangling all those who have desecrated his resting place. The bandaged one's vendetta doesn't stop there; he also has a score to settle with the reincarnation of a man who betrayed him eons ago. This rather dull mummy muddle was originally double-billed with Hammer Studio's superior chiller The Gorgon. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
Review
This infamous film from Hammer Films might not be "horror" in strict genre terms but it packs plenty of horror-styled shocks into its slender running time. The history-inspired script is basically a taut exotic-adventure narrative with some murder and torture tableaus sprinkled in for shock effect. As a historical document, it's a little dubious and racially insensitive but it works as a pulp-action tale with horror overtones. The Stranglers Of Bombay is also well-acted: Guy Rolfe, best known to horror fans as Mr. Sardonicus, makes a likeably atypical hero here and George Pastell turns in a mesmerizing performance as the religious-fanatic leader of the thuggee cult. Finally, The Stranglers Of Bombay is a very skillfully-made film thanks to the brisk, atmospheric direction of Terence Fisher. He tackles the narrative with style to burn and manages a number of gripping scenes along the way: the most memorable are the spooky ceremony scene that introduces the cult and a quietly horrific moment when the cultists descend on a camp of soldiers in the dead of night. All in all, The Stranglers Of Bombay is an effective bit of pulp filmmaking and a good choice for Hammer Films fans who want to see something besides a Dracula or Frankenstein film. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
John Paul - Inspector MacKenzie; Bernard Rebel - Prof. DuBois; Dickie Owen - The Mummy; Michael McStay - Ra; Jill Mai Meredith - Jenny; Vernon Smythe - Jessop; Jimmy Gardner; Harold Goodwin - Fred; Michael Ripper - Achmed; Marianne Stone - Landlady; Jack Gwyllim
Credit
Michael Carreras - Director, Eric Boyd Perkins - Editor, Carlo Martelli - Composer (Music Score), Philip Martell - Musical Direction/Supervision, Bernard Robinson - Production Designer, Otto Heller - Cinematographer, Michael Carreras - Producer, Henry Younger - Screenwriter
A mummy discovered by three Egyptologists is brought back to London by a showman. The mummy begins to murder various members of the expedition until it is revealed that a sinister character (portrayed by Terence Morgan) carries a secret to the mummy's past and future.
Because union rules in Britain decreed that one person could not be credited as the writer, producer and director of a film, writer/producer/director Michael Careras adopted the name "Henry Younger" for his screenplay -- a deliberate play on the name "John Elder," which was Hammer producer Anthony Hinds' writing pseudonym.
Novelization
A novelization of the film was written by John Burke as part of his 1966 book The Hammer Horror Film Omnibus.
