IMDb > The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
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The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) More at IMDbPro »

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The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) -- A doctor, scientist, organist, and biblical scholar, Dr. Anton Phibes, seeks revenge on the nine doctors he considers responsible for his wife's death.

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   3,992 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 56% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Robert Fuest
Writers:
James Whiton (writer) &
William Goldstein (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Abominable Dr. Phibes on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 May 1971 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Horror | Music | Mystery more
Tagline:
Revenge Is The Best Medicine. more
Plot:
A doctor, scientist, organist, and biblical scholar, Dr. Anton Phibes, seeks revenge on the nine doctors he considers responsible for his wife's death. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win more
NewsDesk:
(8 articles)
Nobody Shows Any Old Horror Movies In NYC - Except All Of These:
 (From Icons of Fright. 5 October 2009, 2:22 PM, PDT)

Greatest Scream Queens
 (From SoundOnSight. 1 September 2009, 12:00 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
An Old-Fashioned Love Story more (93 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Vincent Price ... Dr. Anton Phibes
Joseph Cotten ... Dr. Vesalius
Virginia North ... Vulnavia
Terry-Thomas ... Dr. Longstreet
Sean Bury ... Lem Vesalius
Susan Travers ... Nurse Allen
David Hutcheson ... Dr. Hedgepath
Edward Burnham ... Dr. Dunwoody
Alex Scott ... Dr. Hargreaves
Peter Gilmore ... Dr. Kitaj
Maurice Kaufmann ... Dr. Whitcombe
Peter Jeffrey ... Inspector Trout
Derek Godfrey ... Crow
Norman Jones ... Sgt. Schenley
John Cater ... Waverley
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Dr. Phibes (USA) (promotional title)
The Curse of Dr. Phibes
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some horror violence/gore.
Runtime:
94 min
Country:
UK | USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
UK:X (original rating) | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Finland:K-18 | Norway:16 (1972) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (re-release) | West Germany:16

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Vulnavia was originally meant to be another clockwork device, who simply looked more human. more
Goofs:
Continuity: After Dr. Longstreet's death, his maid tells the inspector that she heard someone playing the violin at half past two in the morning, but the scene in which Dr. Phibe's assistant was seen playing the violin appeared to be filmed in broad daylight. more
Quotes:
Waverley: A brass unicorn has been catapulted across a London street and impaled an eminent surgeon. Words fail me, gentlemen. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Fog (1980) more
Soundtrack:
The Darktown Strutters' Ball more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
26 out of 27 people found the following comment useful.
An Old-Fashioned Love Story, 22 July 2001
10/10

Vincent Price plays a "dead" man avenging the surgical team that lost his wife on the operating table. Nine doctors in all(one of them a nurse) are treated to nine of the most innovative, creative, outlandish deaths imaginable. The deaths loosely follow the Ten Plagues of the Old Testament, but each with a new twist. The film is an exercise in witty, stylish black comedy seldom seen today. Much of the credit MUST go to director Robert Fuest for his vision of something truly unique: a world in the 1920's with clockwork musicians, 20's music, and beautiful sets and costumes. Price gives one of his best performances in a role that barely utilizes his greatest attribute, his voice. Price relies heavily on movement and facial expressions, and does so wonderfully. The cast is superb with British stalwarts adorning the film all over. Terry-Thomas has a nice cameo as a Doctor Longstreet experiencing a blood donor's worst nightmare. Peter Jeffrey, a woefully under-appreciated actor, gives a fine comic performance as a policeman always on the spot a moment too late. Joseph Cotton does a credible job as the surgical leading physician. Aubrey Woods(wonderful..simply wonderful), Hugh Griffith, and John Cater also lend their talents to the supporting cast. Caroline Munro plays Price's dead wife as well. This film rejuvenated Price's career in the 70's. It is unique, poetic, haunting, and, for me the most important, very amusing. If you lack a sense of humour with regards to the world of the macabre, you might want to stay away from Phibes. It is a very dark, black comedy, yet one that is at its heart nothing more than a tragic love story of sorts.

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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
PHIBES series and sequel info sidterror
I'm all for a remake. Chimera-5
Two Movies That Pay Homage to Vincent Price browncis
Vulnavia: Mute and/or Hypnotized? browncis
The Final Installment escalera-2
INSPECTOR PRETORIOUS phibesfilms
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