Bruno Barnabe, born in St Giles, London in 1905, made a notable appearance in The Mummy's Shroud (1967), where he contributed to the eerie atmosphere of this classic horror film. Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he honed his craft in mime and stage performance, which translated into his film work. With a career that began in the late 1920s, Barnabe's extensive experience in both film and television, including roles in productions throughout the 1960s and 1970s, adds depth to his portrayal in The Mummy's Shroud, reflecting the era's fascination with supernatural tales.
The Mummy's Shroud
The Mummy's Shroud is set in 1920 and tells the story of a team of archaeologists who come across the lost tomb of the boy Pharaoh Kah-To-Bey (Toolsie Persaud). The story begins with a flash back sequence to Ancient Egypt and we see the story of how Prem (Dickie Owen), a manservant of Kah-To-Bey, spirited away the boy when his father (Bruno Barnabe) was killed in a palace coup and took him into the desert for protection. Unfortunately, the boy dies and is buried. The story then moves forward to 1920 and shows the expedition led by scientist Sir Basil Walden (André Morell), and business man Stanley Preston (John Phillips) finding the tomb. They ignore the dire warning issued to them by Hasmid (Roger Delgado), a local Bedouin about the consequences for those that violate the tombs of Ancient Egypt and remove the bodies and the sacred shroud. Sir Basil is bitten by a snake just after finding the tomb. He recovers, but has a relapse after arriving back in Cairo. Preston takes advantage of this and commits him to an insane asylum, to take credit for finding the tomb and Prince's mummy himself. Meanwhile, after being placed in the Cairo Museum, the mummy of Prem is revived when Hasmid chants the sacred oath on the shroud. The mummy then proceeds to go on a murderous rampage to kill off the members of the expedition, beginning with Sir Basil after he escapes from the asylum. One by one, those who assisted in removing the contents of the tomb to Cairo are eliminated by such grisly means as strangulation, being thrown out of windows, and having photographic acid thrown in their face. Greedy Stanley Preston, the real villain of the piece, after repeated attempts to evade the murder investigations and flee for his own safely, is murdered in a Cairo sidestreet by the avenging mummy. All ends happily thanks to the intervention of remaining members of the party, Stanley's son Paul Preston (David Buck) and Maggie Claire de Sangre (Maggie Kimberly), who succeed in destroying the Mummy.
