The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1970
Running Times: 94 mins
Length:
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: colour by Movielab
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound:

DIRECTION

Directed by: Robert Fuest

SCRIPT
Written by: James Whiton & William Goldstein
Additional Dialogue: Louis M. Heyward (uncredited)

DIRECTION
Assistant Director: Frank Ernst
Continuity: Gladys Goldsmith

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Norman Warwick
Camera Operator: Godfrey Godar
Camera Assistant: Steve Clayton
Supervisory Electrician: Steve Birtles
Stills: John Jay

EDITING
Editing: Tristam Cones

MUSIC
Original Music Composed and Arranged by: Basil Kirchin
In association with Jack Nathan

SONGS AND ADDITIONAL MUSIC
The producers wish to thank The Big Three Music Co. for permission to use the following songs

"What Can I Say Dear After I Say I'm Sorry"
"Dark Town Strutters Ball"
"Close Your Eyes"
"Elmer's Tune"
"All I Do is Dream of You"
"You Stepped Out of a Dream"
"Charmaine"
"100 Years From Today"
"Over the Rainbow"

The Singer of ''Dark Town Strutters Ball'': Paul Frees
The Singer of ''One More For My Baby and One More For the Road'': Scott Peters

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Dennis Whitlock
Sound Assistant: Ken Nightingale|Ken Nightingall
Dubbing Editor: Peter Lennard
Recording Director: A.W. Lumkin

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Wardrobe: Elsa Fennell
Make-up: Trevor Crole-Rees
Hairdresser: Bernadette Ibbetson

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: George Blackwell

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Sets Designed by: Brian Eatwell
Assistant Art Director: Christopher Burke (II)|Christopher Burke
Construction Manager: George Gunning
Properties: Rex Hobbs

LOCATIONS
Made on location and at EMI-MGM Elstree Studios, Boreham Wood, Hertfordshire, England

CASTING
Casting Director: Sally Nicholl

CAST

(opening titles)
Vincent Price
Joseph Cotten

also starring
Hugh Griffith

and
Terry-Thomas

with
Peter Jeffrey
Derek Godfrey
Norman Jones
John Cater
Aubrey Woods
John Laurie
Maurice Kaufmann

and
Barbara Keogh
Sean Bury
Charles Farrell
Susan Travers
David Hutcheson
Edward Burnham
Alex Scott
Peter Gilmore

presenting
Virginia North as Vulnavia

(closing titles)
The Protagonists
Vincent Price (Dr Anton Phibes)
Joseph Cotten (Dr Vesalius)

The Girl
Virginia North (Vulnavia)

The Victims
Terry-Thomas (Dr Longstreet)
Sean Bury (Lem Vesalius)
Susan Travers (Nurse Allan)
David Hutcheson (Dr Hedgepath)
Edward Burnham (Dr Dunwoody)
Alex Scott (Dr Hargreaves)
Peter Gilmore (Dr Kitaj)
Maurice Kaufmann (Dr Whitcombe)

The Law
Peter Jeffrey (Inspector Trout)
Derek Godfrey (Crow)
Norman Jones (Detective Sgt Schenley)
John Cater (Waverley)
Alan Zipson (1st police official)
Dallas Adams (2nd police official)
James Grout (sergeant)
Alister Williamson (1st policeman)
Thomas Heathcote (2nd policeman)
Ian Marter (3rd policeman)
Julian Grant (4th policeman)

Interested Parties
Hugh Griffith (rabbi)
Aubrey Woods (Goldsmith)
John Laurie (Darrow)
Barbara Keogh (Mrs Frawley)
Charles Farrell (chauffeur)
John Franklyn (graveyard attendant)
Walter Horsbrugh (Ross)

UNCREDITED CAST

Caroline Munro (Victoria Phibes)

Disfigured musical genius Dr Anton Phibes takes revenge on the surgical team that failed to save the live of his beloved wife. Phibes uses the ten curses unleashed upon Egypt as told in the Old Testament as the basis for his revenge, unleashing swarms of marauding bees, bats and so on.

Fun but flawed, this inventive and often quite funny effort would be nothing without Vincent Price. Beautifully designed and acted to the hilt by a dependable supporting cast, it's lightweight stuff but still very watchable. (Full Review)

UK
Theatrical Distributor: MGM-EMI
Video Distributor: Vision Video Ltd (VVD427)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: American International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corporation
Laserdisc Distributor: Image Entertainment
Video Distributor: Live Video; MGM Home Entertainment Inc; Orion Home Video; Vestron Video

Germany
Rating: 16

Australia
Rating: M

Finland
Rating: K-18

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: X (with cuts); 15 (no cuts)

USA
Rating: PG-13 (rated PG-13 for some horror violence/gore)

1970
November
2: UK - production begins

1971
June
10: UK - rated X by the BBFC (for theatrical release)

1972
August
Day Unknown: UK - theatrical release

October
9: Sweden - theatrical release

1973
March
16: Finland - theatrical release

1986
August
23: UK - television broadcast (on ITV (London Weekend Television))

1988
October
18: UK - rated 15 by the BBFC (for video release)

1993
April
7: UK - video deleted

1995
November
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast (on ITV (Carlton Television))

1997
May
28: USA - television broadcast (on Encore Regular)

1998
January
7: USA - television broadcast (on Cinemax East and Cinemax Pacific)
16: USA - television broadcast (on Cinemax #2 East and Cinemax Pacific Feed 2)
24: USA - television broadcast (on Cinemax #2 East and Cinemax Pacific Feed 2)
30: USA - television broadcast (on Cinemax East and Cinemax Pacific)

1999
December
6: UK - television broadcast (on ITV)

2000
March
3: USA - theatrical re-release

2001
June
10: USA - television broadcast (on AMC)

2002
February
17: USA - television broadcast (on AMC)

December
14: USA - television broadcast (on AMC)

2004
March
29: USA - television broadcast (on Flix Movie Channel)

2006
June
24: USA - television broadcast (on Turner Classic Movies)

Love means never having to say you're ugly.

Revenge Is The Best Medicine.

Abominable Doctor Phibes, L' - Catalan Spanish title
Abominable Dr. Phibes, El - Spanish title
Abominable Dr. Phibes, L' - French title
Abominável Dr. Phibes, O - Brazilian title
Abominevole Dr. Phibes, L' - Italian title
Blodtörstige hämnaren, Den - Swedish title
Curse of Dr. Phibes, The - working title
Dr. Phibes - den fasansfulle - Swedish title
Dr. Phibes - US advertising title
Odrazajacy dr Phibes - Polish title
Ohavny Dr. Phibes - Czech title
Satanikos doktor Phibes, O - Greek title
Schreckenskabinett des Dr. Phibes, Das - West German title
Vampyyrin kosto - Finnish title

SEQUEL
Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

SEE ALSO
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
House of Wax (1953)
Theatre of Blood (1973)
The Fog (1980)
Batman and Robin (1997)

PERIODICALS

Film Bulletin vol.40 no.10 (June 1971) p.37 (USA)
review

Filmfacts vol.14 no.18 (1971) pp.450-452 (USA)
reprinted review

Films and Filming vol.17 no.11 (August 1971) p.56 (UK)
credits

Films Illustrated vol.1 no.2 (August 1971) p.32 (UK)
review

Hollywood Reporter vol.216 no.19 (24 May 1971) p.3 (USA)
credits, review

Kine Weekly no.3332 (21 August 1971) p.9 (UK)
review

Monthly Film Bulletin no.452 (September 1971) p.179 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

Shivers no.68 (August 1999) pp.34-37 (UK)
illustrated article

Today's Cinema no.9855 (10 November 1970) p.8 (UK)
credits

Today's Cinema no.9933 (20 August 1971) p.5 (UK)
review

TV Times 23-29 July 1988 p.39
review, credits

Variety 26 May 1971 p.23 (USA)
credits, review

Video Watchdog 11 p.53
review

World of Horror 6 p.60
illustrated review

BOOKS

Aurum Encyclopedia of Film: Horror p.228
review, credits

Creature Features Strikes Again p.10
review

Cult Flicks and Trash Pics p.3
review

Elliott's Guide to Films on Video (3rd edition) p.1
review, credits, video data

The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film p.2
credits

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 pp.14-15
review, credits

Horror and Science Fiction Films II p.1
credits

Ghastly Beyond Belief p.173
quotes

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.2
credits

Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film and Television Credits II p.732
credits

The Video Source Book (13th Edition) Volume 1 p.6
credits, video data

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

mad doctors, serial killers, the bible, police, masks, acid, music, organs, rats, murders, bats, revenge, blood draining, curses, disfigurement, doctors

Last Updated: 9 November, 2008