THE CURSE OF KING TUT’S TOMB

US, 1980, 98 minutes, Colour.
Eva Marie Saint, Robin Ellis, Raymond Burr, Harry Andrews, Angharad Rees, Wendy Hiller, Tom Baker, Patricia Routledge, Faith Brook.
Directed by Philip Leacock.

Quite a lavish telemovie. Filmed beautifully in Egyptian locations with twenties' English settings as well, the film shows the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s Tomb by Howard Carter. This archaeological background is interesting in itself. However, influenced possibly by the curse of the mummy stories, various curse stories were associated with the Carter expedition. The film plays on these.

The result is a blend of sensational story with documentary. Directed by Philip Leacock, the English director of such classics as The Kidnappers and who moved to the United States and worked long in television, the film has an excellent English cast. There in a narration by Paul Scofield. Eva Marie Saint represents American interests. On reflection, there in not particularly much to the film. However. while it is screening it is interesting and attractive.

1. The appeal of the film: history, archaeology, the exotic past and its rediscovery, the curse and the melodrama associated with the opening of Egyptian tombs?

2. The impact for the television audience - enjoying the melodrama at home, commercial breaks? Information, documentary, drama?

3. The English cast and its contribution? Light budget, location photography and its beauty, the visual impact of Egypt? Special effects?

4. The reputation of Howard Carter, the archaeologists in Egypt, 19th century and early 20th century? The reputation of King Tutankhamen’s tomb. its fame. exhibits over the world during the following decades? Audience interest in the theme?

5. Audience knowledge of ancient Egypt from history, the Bible, archaeology? Exotic? The important relics still remaining? Audience curiosity?

6. The filming of Egyptian locations, their beauty, the desert, buildings, ruins? The digging sites? The government interest in supporting archaeology? The British aristocracy and financial backing? The Egyptian hotels of the twenties? The methods for the diggings? The personnel involved? The studious background, personal greed?

7. The curse and the imaginative presentation of it? Curses and their effect on the imagination? The fostering of superstition? The play of coincidence? The hieroglyphs and their warning, the number of deaths and the violence of the deaths, the animals, the bites and the snakes, suffocations? The importance of the opening seance and its effect? The presence of the Princess and her comments? Audience responding to curses imaginatively!
8. The importance of the narrative - and spoken by Paul Schofield? Its information, its ironies? The ironies of the final comments about the fate of the people involved?

9. The portrait of Howard Carter? as a character, sober and single minded, the growing obsession about his archaeological work? The support of Lord Carnarvon? His visit to Carnarvon to get the backing and the money for King Tut's tomb? Evelyn and her love for him, his response? The choice of archaeological work? Miss Morrissey and
Her presence, socialising with her, the discussions, her sharing his experience? The various assistants and their work - and several of them being killed? The encounter with Sebastian and his greed? His becoming Sebastian's victim? Hassan and his betrayal? The friendship with Fishbait, his help, the pathos of his death? The build-up to the discovery, the details of cataloguing, the role of the Egyptian government? Lord Carnarvon and his jealousy? Carter's grief at the deaths? his decisions about his find, his work? His reputation and his continued career?

10. Lord Carnarvon as sponsor of the archaeological expeditions? The blustering British type, his continued support, his pride? His love for his daughter? The cold relationship with his wife? The princess and her sayings? His wanting publicity? His being bitten, the curse, the effect of the violence of his death?

11. The contrast with Sebastian and his greed, his assistance? The woman and her stealing the document, her trying to blackmail Sebastian and his quickly killing her? his deals with the government and giving false information? Hassan and the plane crash? his being outwitted in tactics by Carter?

12. Miss Morrissey - the American journalist, curiosity, her presence at the important discoveries, the personal relationship with Carter?

13. The purpose of having the Princess as character - the seance. her warnings, her final utterances? The narrator's final ironic comment on her and her loss of money?

14. Fishbait - his place in Egypt, orphan, shrewdness, friendship with Carter, helping with the work, the pathos of his death?

15. Hassan and his insinuating himself into the entourage, his double dealing, the plane crash?

16. Howard Carter's achievement in exploration, understanding the desert, the technology of excavations. his discoveries and their significance?

17. How successful the film as semi-documentary, imaginative narrative recreation of the events? Audience interest, entertainment, information? The atmosphere of the Curse for popular entertainment - and the significance of the information of the epilogue?