Eyes Without a Face (1960)
"Les yeux sans visage" (original title)

A brilliant surgeon, Dr. Génessier, helped by his assistant Louise, kidnaps nice young women. He removes their faces and tries to graft them onto the head on his beloved daughter Christiane... See full summary »

Director:

Georges Franju

Writers:

Jean Redon (novel), Pierre Boileau (adaptation),

Stars:

Pierre Brasseur, Alida Valli, Juliette Mayniel

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Pierre Brasseur	...	Docteur Génessier
Alida Valli	...	Louise
Juliette Mayniel	...	Edna Grüber
Edith Scob	...	Christiane Génessier
François Guérin	...	Jacques Vernon
Alexandre Rignault	...	Inspector Parot
Béatrice Altariba	...	Paulette
Charles Blavette	...	L'homme de la fourrière (as Blavette)
Claude Brasseur	...	Un inspecteur
Michel Etcheverry	...	Le docteur Lherminier - médecin légiste / Forensic surgeon
Yvette Etiévant	...	La mère (as Yvette Etievent)
René Génin	...	Emile Tessot
Lucien Hubert	...	Un homme au cimetière
Marcel Pérès	...	Un homme au cimetière

Storyline

A brilliant surgeon, Dr. Génessier, helped by his assistant Louise, kidnaps nice young women. He removes their faces and tries to graft them onto the head on his beloved daughter Christiane, whose face has been entirely spoiled in a car crash. All the experiments fail, and the victims die, but Génessier keeps trying....

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Plot Keywords:

surgeon | transplant | experiment | police station | plastic surgery | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

24 October 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus

Filming Locations:

Studios de Boulogne, Avenue Jean-Baptiste Clément, Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$19,628 (USA) (31 October 2003)

Gross:

$52,709 (USA) (28 November 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Champs-Élysées Productions, Lux Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally released in the US on double feature with the 1962 Japanese horror film The Manster.

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Goofs

There are actually two different Citroen DS cars used in the film as the Doctor's car. One, presumably a DS21, has two spotlights built into the bodywork by the headlights and chrome trim, including a driver's wing-mirror (see 10:00 as he arrives with no lights and 12:50 as he leaves a few minutes later using headlights and spotlights, another continuity gaff in itself). At 12 :50 and 14:16 the DS with spotlights is seen but at 17:19 it has changed to one with no spotlights and no wing-mirror, presumably a DS19. Though its front plate is "7769-GR75", when the Doctor puts it into the garage, the rear plate reads "2923-GR75" and the assistant's Citroen Diane has the plate "7769-GR75" on the front. At 32:18 the Diane has "2923-GY75" on the rear and at 32:55 the same on the front, which was its registration when first seen near the start of the film. Finally, at 54:49 it's back to the DS with spotlights.

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Quotes

Doctor Génessier: The future, Madame, is something we should have started on a long time ago.

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Connections

Referenced in Mansion of the Doomed (1976)

User Reviews

Another opinion:

"Eyes Without A Face" is a groundbreaking and trendsetting artistic nightmare! The plot of this film has often been copied but never has it been done in such an eerily effective style. The sight of the masked daughter playing with the dogs evokes many emotions in the viewer. There are shots in this movie that will stay with you long after you have seen it! Heavily recommended!