In this excellent, highly entertaining and informative film, host Thayer Walker takes us by train from Cairo to Luxor to visit the Pyramids of Egypt and tell the story of one of the most astounding archeological finds of the 20th century. Embarking across the Nile to Necropolis (City of the Dead) and the Valley of Kings, he recounts the events which led the determined 49 year old Egyptologist, Howard Carter, to discover the Tomb of the boy King, Tutankhamun. Teaming up with Britain’s Lord Carnarvan in 1907 to help finance the expeditions which continued to 1922, Carter’s determination and certainty that they were on the brink of an amazing discovery persuaded Carnarvan to finance one last expedition before calling it quits. In a miraculous discovery, Carter’s men, digging on one of the grids on his meticulously drawn map, uncover the steps which lead to the sealed door of Tutankhamun’s Tomb. Our host dramatically recreates what it was like to peer into the sealed and intact tomb with the first human eyes to behold the contents in over 4,000 years. And the treasures they discover are truly amazing, including the 240 pound solid gold coffin with the mummy of Tutankhamun. The film also recounts an ominous event of a cobra (the symbol of vengence and malevolent power which protected the Tombs of the Pharaohs) swallowing Carter’s yellow canary (a symbol of good fortune). Thus began the Mummy’s Curse, which ominously played out with the sudden death of Lord Carnarvan who dies of a mosquito bite. Adding to the aura of mystery, the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and subsequent discoveries perpetuated the longest running news event in press history, which continued for 8 years and made the fabulous Winter Palace Hotel in Luxor a must visit spot for the wealthy and curious. The film concludes with a breathtaking tour of the treasures removed from King Tutankhamun’s tomb.
51 Minutes - Color - 1979
