Some of the best moments in cinema history are the result of improvisation. One of the more gruesome moments in Terence Fisher's The Mummy (1959) is when John Banning stabs Kharis as the two fight in the study.

According to the documentary Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror, that specific moment was created by the film's star, Peter Cushing. Eagle-eyed fans will remember that in the original poster for the film, a beam of light shoots through the middle of Kharis, played by Christopher Lee. That image gave the actor an idea on how to make that image a reality for moviegoers.

"Pre-production art puzzled me," said Cushing. "I saw the poster of the mummy striding through the countryside with a light shining through his body as though he had a car headlamp or something. I told Terence Fisher, "We mustn't cheat the audience. Could I take the harpoon in the study and run it right through old Christopher, and he can just break it off and just carry on regardless?"

Lee, for the most part, was bound physically by his costume. However, the actor explained that these limitations only placed more emphasis on the character's body language in order to communicate a personality to the audience.

"It did enable me with movements and the eyes to create a character," said Lee. "The movement is terribly important, how you reach out a hand. Is it to take somebody, or is it because you're desperately seeking help?