Technically, the title’s not bait-and-switch; however, if you’re expecting a typical mummy movie, The Curse of King Tut’s Tomb (1980) is not it. That’s not to say it’s an atypical mummy movie. It’s just not really a mummy movie at all. Instead, it’s all about the politics of discovering the tomb of King Tutankhamen and the machinations of the people trying to exploit it.
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What might have been a fun “Dallas in the sand,” though, has too many characters about which we know too little and, even worse, too much talk and too little action. Sure, there’s the hint of a supernatural twist at the end, but the movie stops short of cracking open the famous golden sarcophagus to see what’s inside.
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Howard Carter (Robin Ellis, replacing Ian McShane at the last minute) is about to surrender to failure at his Egyptian excavation site when he discovers in the shallow dirt a sign of the royal necropolis. Immediately, he reads, “Death will come swiftly to those who disturb the eternal rest of the king.” Immediately he responds, “I don’t believe in curses.”
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The opening titles have yet to appear, but if they distract you from what you’ve just heard about curses, you’ll hear it again multiple times. While they don’t say what they believe, a number of characters ask Carter what he believes, and his response never changes, even in the presence of scorpions and cheek-biting insects.
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To be fair, this was probably never intended to be a thriller. It’s a fictionalized version of the real-life Howard Carter’s discovery of the tomb, based on the book, Behind the Mask of Tutankhamen, by Barry Wayne, made more sensational due to the public’s mid-1970s fascination with King Tut as the “Treasures of Tutankhamun” exhibit toured the States.
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I can’t imagine viewers in 1980 weren’t a little disappointed, though, if not bored, when they originally watched it. Today, add offended to the list of possible reactions. Raymond Burr and Tom Baker have fun roles as the moustache-twirling bad guys but wear spotty brown makeup to make them appear that they’re Egyptian.
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Although I’m loathed to compare this to a more recent hit British television series, fans of that one may recognize Highclere Castle in The Curse of King Tut’s Tomb. The familiar setting makes this one a dramatic “Downton Mummy.” I shouldn’t fault it for its intentions, but for me it was neither educational nor entertaining.
The Curse of King Tut's Tomb is available on archive.org. Visit the TV Terror Guide: 70's TV Movies playlist at ClassicHorrors.Club TV on YouTube to watch other great movies from this series.
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