In 1828 Scotland, Edinburgh surgeon Dr. Knox does medical research on cadavers he buys from murderers Burke and Hare, without questioning the unethical procurement methods.
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Title: The Flesh and the Fiends (1960)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Peter Cushing | ... | Dr. Robert Knox | |
| June Laverick | ... | Martha Knox | |
| Donald Pleasence | ... | William Hare | |
| George Rose | ... | William Burke | |
| Renee Houston | ... | Helen Burke | |
| Dermot Walsh | ... | Dr. Geoffrey Mitchell | |
| Billie Whitelaw | ... | Mary Patterson | |
| John Cairney | ... | Chris Jackson | |
| Melvyn Hayes | ... | Daft Jamie | |
 |
June Powell | ... | Maggie O'Hara |
| Andrew Faulds | ... | Inspector McCulloch | |
|
|
Philip Leaver | ... | Dr. Elliott |
| George Woodbridge | ... | Dr. Ferguson | |
|
|
Garard Green | ... | Dr. Andrews |
| Esma Cannon | ... | Aggie | |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Edinburgh surgeon Dr. Robert Knox requires cadavers for his research into the functioning of the human body; local ne'er-do-wells Burke and Hare find ways to provide him with fresh specimens... Written by Mark Doran <za13@dial.pipex.com>
Plot Keywords:
edinburgh scotland | 19th century | boarding house | serial killer | corpse |Taglines:
Coffins Looted! Cadavers Dissected!Certificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
4 November 1960 (West Germany) See more »Also Known As:
Mania See more »Filming Locations:
Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UKCompany Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
(uncut)Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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Dr. Robert Knox: Before commencing this morning's lecture, let us consider the Oath of Hippocrates, the sacred oath of our profession: "I will prescribe regimen for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone."
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Did You Know?
Trivia
This film is an adaptation of the story of real-life killers William Burke and William Hare who, around 1827 in Edinburgh, Scotland, did provide more than a dozen "fresh" corpses to the anatomist Dr. Knox. See more »Quotes
[last lines]Dr. Robert Knox: Before commencing this morning's lecture, let us consider the Oath of Hippocrates, the sacred oath of our profession: "I will prescribe regimen for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone."
See more »
Crazy Credits
The Dyaliscope logo in the main titles misspells the widescreen process as "Dylascope". See more »Alternate Versions
The "Continental version" of Flesh and the Fiends features "sexy scenes" not in the "UK version." (Both versions are included on Image Entertainment's DVD, along with an alternate title sequence for the alternate title of this film as Mania.) See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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The Flesh and the Fiends is similar, in a lot of ways, to the Val Lewton produced Robert Wise film, The Body Snatcher, but for some reason; this one has flown further under the radar. It's odd, because despite the greatness of the other film; The Flesh and the Fiends is a lot better, and has the added malevolence of being based on a true-life story. The film takes place in Edinburgh, and director John Gilling does an excellent job of ensuring that the city looks as foreboding as possible, and the perfect home for a story as macabre as this one. The film follows the idea of having to break eggs to make an omelette, and sees Doctor Robert Knox buying corpses from a couple of murderous grave robbers in order for him to have subjects, from which new surgical procedures can be ascertained. The real stars of the show, however, are the graverobbers themselves; Burke and Hare. They begin their careers by simply taking bodies from graves; but once they realise how lucrative the business of selling cadavers is, they soon resort to making a few corpses of their own...
The biggest name in the cast is the one belonging to the great Peter Cushing. Cushing has shown throughout his career that he is capable of a number of different roles, and his role here is one of the best he's had. He gets to sink his teeth into the character of Doctor Knox. In fact, this man isn't a world away from Cushing's world-beating turn as Doctor Frankenstein in Hammer's classic series, which explains why Cushing is so good at it. George Rose and Donald Pleasance give the film its extra dimension in the roles of the graverobbers. Rose is good, but it's Pleasance who really stands out in this film. Seeing him in a role like this is actually quite heartbreaking; as here we see how great he can be, rendering his roles in films like Halloween even more of a waste of time. The plot plays out from a number of different angles, ensuring that there's always enough going on around the central plot to ensure that the film never dries up and becomes boring. It's strange that a film of this quality could fly straight under the radar; but somehow it has. However, copies of this are out there; and it definitely is well worth tracking down!