Frank Lucas (Kent Smith), an antiquities appraiser, remains in a California estate of a just recently deceased customer to end up an audit of the estate’s art and artifacts. In a cellar room he discovers a large collection of Egyptian antiques consisting of a sarcophagus that holds a mummy with a cat amulet spent time its neck. While Frank leaves the cellar to get some equipment, a burglar who was waiting appears and takes the amulet. Frank returns and is rapidly dispatched by a killer black house cat. Police Detective Marco (Stuart Whitman) is helped in his examination by Professor Roger Edmonds (David Hedison The Fly) who is an archeologist with an interest in Egyptology. They learn that the mummy was a priestess of Bast who was thought to have the capability to become a cat and had actually attained immortality by consuming the blood of people. Meanwhile, the burglar tries to offer the product to Hester Black (Gale Sondergaard), the manager of a black magic shop, however she declines, presuming the products are taken. When Hester’s clerk is likewise killed by a cat, she employs Rena Carter (Meredith Baxter) as a replacement. Roger and Marco, in search for the burglar that took the amulet, interview Hester and Roger falls quickly in love with Rena. The 2 begin a love. But as the body count increases, not all is as it appears, and Marco and Roger need to concern terms that what they are handling is a supernatural entity that can shapeshift into a cat. Can the duo endure their examination and save Hester and Rena, or will they die? Watch and learn!
Although the males who star in the motion picture are sufficient, there isn’t anything actually unique about them, the genuine stars are the ladies of this movie. Gale Sondergaard’s Hester Black has a mystical transcendent appeal tempered with a type of darkness. She understands her own power and worth and takes a little pleasure when she gets the upper hand on somebody. Originally the part of Rena was composed particularly for Diahann Carroll, however by the time the script was done she was no longer under agreement with the network, therefore the script was reworded for Meredith Baxter (Family Ties) who does a terrific job as the innocent, yet not so innocent Rena who falls for Roger yet has a trick of her own that she is avoiding him.
This is among those produced tv motion pictures that was simply enjoyable to enjoy in the 70s and would be a prime prospect for a prospective update if done properly, keeping the severe tone and story. At its heart it is a variation of the Mummy mythos where an ancient artifact wasn’t cursed, however was holding at bay an evil, and the elimination of that artifact releases it on an unwary world. The story does not have international implications like a few of the present Mummy motion pictures however is a lot more about personal journey and survival. The story is well developed and streams well. Writer Robert Bloch who is best understood for composing the unique Psycho, that the motion picture of the very same name is based upon, does an excellent job keeping the discussion grounded and genuine even when discussing supernatural forces. The production worth is sufficient, particularly for a early 70s produced tv motion picture utilizing shadows and practical lighting techniques to insinuate wonderful impacts. The ending scene is particularly well done, with an excellent outfit piece and creative cam work. Overall, it is simply an enjoyable mummy motion picture that was completely pleasurable to enjoy.
