SYNOPSIS | REVIEW | PRODUCTION NOTES | TRIVIA | PRESS | QUOTES

The Creeping Flesh [1973]

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1972
Running Times: 94 mins
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: Eastmancolor
Ratio:
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Tigon Film Distributors Ltd presents an LMG World Film Services production
Copyright: © World Film Services Limited MCMLXXII
Executive Producers: Norman Priggen, Tony Tenser
Producer: Mike Redbourn
Production Supervisor: Geoffrey Haine

SCRIPT
An Original Screenplay by: Peter Spenceley, Jonathan Rumbold

DIRECTION
Director: Freddie Francis
Assistant Director: Peter Saunders
Continuity: Pamela Davies

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Norman Warwick
Camera Operator: John Harris
Processed by: Rank Film Laboratories

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Oswald Hafenrichter

MUSIC
Music Composed and Conductor by: Paul Ferris

SOUND
Sound Recordists: Norman Bolland, Nolan Roberts
Dubbing Editor: Colin Miller

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Wardrobe Supervisor: Bridget Sellers
Make-Up: Roy Ashton
Hairdresser: Barbara Ritchie

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Titles by: G.S.E. Ltd

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: George Provis
Set Dresser: Peter James

LOCATIONS
Made at Shepperton Studios, England

CASTING
Casting: Anne Donne

CAST
Christopher Lee [James Hildern]
Peter Cushing [Emmanuel Hildern]

Also Starring
Lorna Heilbron [Penelope Hildern]

With
George Benson [Waterlow]
Kenneth J. Warren [Charles Lenny]
Duncan Lamont [Inspector]
Michael Ripper [carter]
Catherine Finn [Emily]
Hedger Wallace [Doctor Perry]

Harry Locke [barman]
Robert Swann [young aristocrat]
David Bailie [young doctor]
Maurice Bush [Karl]
Tony Wright [sailor]
Marianne Stone [female assistant]
Alexandra Dane [whore]
Jenny Runacre [Emmanuel's wife (Marguerite)]
Larry Taylor [1st warder]
Martin Carroll [2nd warder]
Dan Meaden [lunatic]

SUMMARY

Dr Emmanuel Hildern believes that he has discovered the "essence of evil" contained in a grotesque, deformed skeleton he has retrieved from New Guinea. The skeleton, all that remains of Shish Kang, known as "The Evil One", offers Hildern the chance to prove that he can eradicate evil from the world by developing a vaccine, obtained from a bacteria that forms on the bones when exposed to water. But when he tries his serum on his uptight Victorian daughter Penelope it simply unleashes her pent up desires and deprivations. Penelope goes on the rampage and is finally captured and incarcerated by asylum administrator James Hildern, Emmanuel's half brother and a bitter rival. Learning of Emmanuel's plans, James steals the skeleton for his own nefarious ends.

CAPSULE REVIEW

One of Francis' better films, this is lightweight but fun and bears remarkable similarities with another Cushing - Lee venture the Anglo-Iberian Pánico en el Transiberiano [1972]. Here, a stronger, tighter script gives both Cushing and Lee more to do than many of the films they made together at the beginning of the 70s and delivers an effective and unusually satisfying twist in the tale. Both actors are on top form and Francis seems to have connected with the material better than he usually did and he gives the proceedings a great pace and spooky atmosphere.

AVAILABILITY

UK
Theatrical Distributors: Tigon Film Distributors
Video Distributors: Rank; A Taste of Fear
DVD Distributors: DD Video [DD07376]

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Video Distributors: Media Home Entertainment; RCA/Columbia
Laserdisc Distributor: Image Entertainment Inc

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Australia
Rating: R

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: PG

TIMELINE

1972
January
31: UK - production begins

1973
January

Day Unknown: UK - theatrical release

1974
November

18: Sweden - theatrical release

1986
April

6: UK - television broadcast [on TSW]

1997
January

5: UK - television broadcast [on BBC1]

1998
October

10: UK - television broadcast [on BBC1]

2000
August

15: UK - television broadcast [on BBC1]

2002
December

14: UK - television broadcast [on BBC1]

2004
July

12: UK - television broadcast [on BBC1]

POSTER TAGS

A terrifying journey through the nightmare worlds of evil, insanity and terrible revenge.

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Craze

LINKS

SEE ALSO
Pánico en el Transiberiano [1972]

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

CinemaTV Today no.9966 [5 February 1972] p.12 [UK]
credits

CinemaTV Today no.9969 [26 February 1972] p.8 [UK]
note

CinemaTV Today no.10014 [13 January 1973] p.20 [UK]
review

The Dark Side November 1995 p.13 [UK]
review

Filmfacts vol.16 no.2 [1973] pp.42-43 [USA]
reprinted reviews

Halls of Horror no.27 p.19 [UK]
note

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.40 no.469 [Febryary 1973] p.25 [UK]
credits, synopsis, review

TV Times 31 March - 6 April 1984 p.32 [UK]
review

Variety 14 March 1973 p.21 [USA]
credits, review

BOOKS

English Gothic [2nd Edition] pp.198-200
illustrated review [by Jonathan Rigby]

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.82
credits, review

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.79
credits

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

archaeologists, asylums, bacteria, new guinea, psychiatric hospitals, scientists, skeletons, vaccines


Last Updated: 2 August, 2007

 


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