Hammer Films’ The Mummy opens in the U.S. in 1959. The iconic British studio’s version of the monster movie borrows heavily from Universal’s Mummy sequels “The Mummy’s Hand,” “The Mummy’s Tomb” and “The Mummy’s Ghost,” while following very little of the original “Mummy” plot. The film, directed by Terence Fisher, is still regarded as a classic and stars Hammer icons Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
This Day in Halloween: Hammer Films’ "The Mummy" -- starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing -- opens in the U.S. in 1959. / Illustration by Remmick Wadsworth