An Egyptologist returns from the dead to take revenge on those who have violated his tomb.
Aga Ben Dragore, a knife-wielding, enigmatic Egyptian Arab, is seeking a sacred jewel which has been stolen from an ancient tomb. The thief tells him that he sold it to Professor Morlant, a fanatical Egyptologist who fervently believes in the pagan power of the ancient Egyptian gods. Dying from a mysteriously disfiguring ailment, Morlant entrusts his faithful manservant to bandage the jewel in his hand and warns him of dire consequences if his dying wishes aren't carried out. After his burial in an Egyptian-type tomb on his estate, an anonymous robber steals the precious stone from the corpse. Although the ghastly-looking dead man rises at the next full moon to seek revenge, neither he nor the audience know which member of the household possesses the powerful jewel.—[email protected]
On his death bed, Egyptologist Professor Henry Morlant orders his servant to wrap a valuable jewel in his hand and place a statue of Anubis along with his body in the family crypt. His hope is that Anubis will accept the diamond and allow Morlant to pass through to the afterlife. When someone steals the jewel from his tomb, Morlant rises from the dead just as he predicted he would and seeks his revenge. The heirs to his estate, Ralph Morlant and his cousin Betty Harlon and her friend Miss Kaney arrive at the estate just as their uncle rises from his grave. With the assistant of the butler, the local minister Nigel Hartley, the elder Morlants solicitor Mr. Broughton and an Egyptian, Aga Ben Dragore, they try to make sense of what is happening and determine who among them has stolen the jewel.—garykmcd
The opening scene is at night in a city. A man in Egyptian fez and garb follows a suited man to his apartment building. The landlady lets the Egyptian in when he asks for a Mr. Dragore. In Dragore's room the Egyptian, Mahmoud, threatens Dragore (who is also Egyptian) with a knife. He demands a jewel, the Eternal Light. He wants to return it to the tomb from which it was stolen. Dragore says it is too late, he has sold it to a Professor Morant. They join forces to get it back.
The next scene is at Professor Morlant's estate home, Eastvale. Morlant is on his death bed. He seems disfigured. A parson, Nigel Hartley, rings at the door but is abruptly turned away as he is told the professor is a pagan. The doctor comes out of the professor's bedroom after examining the professor and says to someone that he hasn't long to live and goes down stairs and talks to Morlant's solicitor, Mr. Broughton. Broughton sends the doctor across the hall to get a drink. Broughton looks in the professor's books and sees he paid 75,000 pounds for the Eternal Light, which leaves him little.
Morlant asks for his manservant, Laing. He tells Laing that he wants the jewel buried with him as it will enable him to receive eternal life at the next full moon. Laing is against the idea but agrees. Morlant binds his hand with the jewel in his grip. Morlant also tells Laing to watch Broughton as he doesn't trust him. Later, Morlant dies. He is buried in a large mausoleum on the estate grounds. Someone is watching from the bushes but we can't see who. Laing removes the jewel from the professors hand and locks the tomb with the key left inside. Inside the house, Laing hides the jewel in a coffee container. He then looks up the address of a Miss Betty Morlant in the city. Miss Morlant, it turns out, is one of the professor's two heirs.
Broughton leaves but tells his chauffeur, Davis, to stay behind outside and tail Laing if he leaves. Broughton seems to think Laing is going to steal the jewel. Laing now heads for "Yoxford Station" with Davis following.
Back in the city at Broughton's office, the other heir, and Miss Morlant's cousin, Ralph Morlant learns that his uncle is almost penniless except for his house. Ralph decides to meet Betty and then go to Eastvale against Broughton's wishes.
That night, Laing meets Betty in the street and hands her a note which she reads and then puts in her purse. The note says "There is something of value at Eastvale and others are after it. Come quickly." Almost immediately the purse is stolen by Broughton (it's dark and she doesn't see who the thief was) and the note torn up, but the Aga has been loitering outside also, sees all this, and reads the torn up note.
Inside, Ralph and Betty and Betty's friend Laney, who is sort of silly, decide to leave immediately for Eastvale.
Back at the tomb we see someone planting explosives at the base of the door, and running a blasting cap under the foundations into the tomb. Broughton arrives at the house and begins looking for the jewel. Broughton answers the door and lets in Betty, Ralph, Laney, and the parson who has also wandered by. Aga Ben Dragore and Mahmoud also arrive. Mahmoud hides on the grounds with a knife and the Aga enters the house. The Aga wants to enter the tomb but is refused. Laney is quite taken with the Aga. Betty and Ralph, when alone, reconcile. Laing returns.
Professor Morlant rises from the dead, sees the jewel has been stolen and staggers out, like a zombie, and begins his search for the jewel. He encounters Mahmoud and kills him.
The Aga and Laney go to the kitchen to make coffee. They are interrupted by Laing who retrieves the jewel and hides it in Miss Betty's over-night case. The Aga goes outside and Laney gets scared and joins him. The professor encounters Laing and learns that Betty has the jewel. He strangles Laing into unconsciousness.
Betty goes upstairs to her room with her case. The professor follows her and takes the jewel after a struggle. Looking inside a window, the Aga sees that the professor now has the jewel. Broughton and Ralph are arguing downstairs when Betty comes in and says what has happened and faints.
The professor returns to the tomb with the jewel and Laing trails behind with the cousins. The Aga rids himself of Laney. In the tomb, the professor uses a knife to draw the sign of Anubis on his chest. He then places the jewel into the hand of the statue of Anubis and waits for something to happen. The cousins enter the tomb, without Laing who has refused to go with them. Anubis closes his hand to accept the jewel and the professor collapses, dead. But then the "parson" comes out from behind the statue with the jewel. He had placed his own hand inside the arm of Anubis. The "parson" Nigel Hartley points a pistol at Ralph but Ralph throws an object at him and knocks him unconscious. However the Aga now enters, also with a pistol and wants the jewel. He and Ralph fight and Ralph hurts the Aga's arm, but eventually the Aga shoots Ralph with a glancing blow to the head which knocks him unconscious. The Aga leaves, locking everyone inside the tomb, which now catches fire from one of the torches.
Earlier, Ralph had called the professor's doctor and asked him to send the police. As they are driving toward the estate the doctor tells the police that he thinks Professor Morlant wasn't actually dead, that he had just suffered from an attack of catalepsy.
The Aga runs into Laney and they argue and he slaps her. As he does so, the jewel falls out of his pocket, unknown to him, and Laney picks it up.
The Aga runs out to a car but Broughton is in it and pulls a pistol on him and demands the Eternal Light. The Aga surrenders but then discovers he doesn't have it and they both see Laney has it. They chase her. She holds the jewel over a well and says that if they shoot her she'll drop the jewel in the well. They are stopped at first but then decide it might be okay if the jewel goes into the well as they can retrieve it. Just as they start to shoot her, the police arrive and disarm Broughton and Laney hands them the jewel.
Back inside the tomb, just when everyone seems about to die, The fake parson, Nigel Hartley, comes to and detonates the explosives, which he had buried earlier which blows the door open.
Ralph and Betty come staggering out of the tomb and kiss each other.
The end.
