70: Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb (1971) – Hammer Horror – Dir. Seth Holt – Valerie Leon, Andrew Keir & James Villiers

About this episode

The episode discusses the production and significance of the Hammer Horror film 'Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb'.

Hammer Horror delivered one of its finest 1970s films with Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb, despite a notoriously cursed production. This 1971 British release is the studio’s fourth and final Mummy film, loosely adapted by Christopher Wicking from Bram Stoker’s 1903 novel The Jewel of Seven Stars. Crucially, it remains the only entry in the franchise where a physical mummy never actually appears. The trouble began early when a gap in the studio schedule forced the film into premature production. Wicking wanted to keep Stoker's original book title, but James Carreras refused, leading to a brainstorming session that birthed Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb – a title Wicking never expected them to use. Wicking also clashed with producer Howard Brandy and was barred from the set, forcing him to work with director Seth Holt secretly in the evenings. Brandy later claimed the script was unshootable and heavily rewritten by Holt. Brandy also wanted to cast Amy Grant, but Sir James Carreras insisted on Valerie Leon. Tragedy struck five weeks into the six-week shoot when Seth Holt suffered a fatal heart attack on set, collapsing into the arms of actor Aubrey Morris. Michael Carreras tried to…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ross, Jon, James

Topics covered

• Hammer Horror
• British cinema
• film production
• Bram Stoker
• 1970s horror

Keywords

• Hammer Horror
• Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb
• Seth Holt
• Valerie Leon
• Bram Stoker
• film history
• 1970s horror

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb, The Jewel of Seven Stars

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