The Elephant Man (TV 1982)

A taped version of the stage play about a hideously deformed 19th-century London man and how he managed to triumph over his disease.

Director:

Jack Hofsiss

Writers:

Steve Lawson (adaptation), Bernard Pomerance (play)

Stars:

Philip Anglim, Kevin Conway, Penny Fuller

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Philip Anglim	...	John Merrick
Kevin Conway	...	Frederick Treves
Penny Fuller	...	Mrs. Kendal
Richard Clarke	...	Carr Gomm
Glenn Close	...	Princess Alexandra
Jarlath Conroy	...	Will
Rex Everhart	...	Snork
Christopher Hewett	...	Ross
William Hutt	...	Bishop How
Charlotte Moore	...	Miss Sandwich
Josephine Nichols	...	Countess
David Rounds	...	Lord John
Veronica Castang	...	Pinhead
William Duff-Griffin	...	Conductor
Joe Grifasi	...	Pinhead Manager

Storyline

A taped version of the stage play about a hideously deformed 19th-century London man and how he managed to triumph over his disease.

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Plot Keywords:

disease | doctor patient relationship | prejudice | actress | neurofibromatosis | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 January 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

ABC Theatre of the Month: The Elephant Man

Company Credits

Production Co:

Marble Arch Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although based on the same title and historical figures as David Lynch's The Elephant Man, that movie avoided using this 1979 play as a source, going instead to primary sources and medical histories.

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Connections

Version of The Elephant Man (1980)

User Reviews

The Difference

I think this was almost as good as the stage version itself, and is so much more powerful than the make-up dependent film. I guess it requires audience intelligence and imagination (unlike the movie), but the wonder of Pomerance's play is that every one watching can create their own deformities on the character, making it a personal nightmare.

This is also based not on things Joseph Merrick wrote, but on the journals of the doctor. It is not about deformity (like the film) but about the choices society makes and the illusions society preserves. Dr, Treves' vision of his life, his work, and his world is profoundly altered by the experience described, and he is our "point of entry" - so our vision is changed as well.

A fantastic piece of work overall.