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DramaHistory

The Elephant Man

- A true story of courage and human dignity.

A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man being mistreated by his "owner" as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of great intelligence and sensitivity. Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (called John Merrick in the film), a severely deformed man in 19th century London.

Release Date : 1980-10-09

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : BrooksfilmsParamount Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Anthony Hopkins

Character Name : Frederick Treves

Original Name : Anthony Hopkins

Gender : Male

John Hurt

Character Name : John Merrick

Original Name : John Hurt

Gender : Male

Anne Bancroft

Character Name : Mrs Kendal

Original Name : Anne Bancroft

Gender : Female

John Gielgud

Character Name : Carr Gomm

Original Name : John Gielgud

Gender : Male

Wendy Hiller

Character Name : Mothershead

Original Name : Wendy Hiller

Gender : Female

Freddie Jones

Character Name : Bytes

Original Name : Freddie Jones

Gender : Male

Michael Elphick

Character Name : Night Porter

Original Name : Michael Elphick

Gender : Male

Hannah Gordon

Character Name : Mrs Treves

Original Name : Hannah Gordon

Gender : Female

Helen Ryan

Character Name : Princess Alex

Original Name : Helen Ryan

Gender : Female

John Standing

Character Name : Fox

Original Name : John Standing

Gender : Male

Dexter Fletcher

Character Name : Bytes' Boy

Original Name : Dexter Fletcher

Gender : Male

Lesley Dunlop

Character Name : Nora

Original Name : Lesley Dunlop

Gender : Female

Phoebe Nicholls

Character Name : Merrick's Mother

Original Name : Phoebe Nicholls

Gender : Female

Pat Gorman

Character Name : Fairground Bobby

Original Name : Pat Gorman

Gender : Male

Claire Davenport

Character Name : Fat Lady

Original Name : Claire Davenport

Gender : Female

Orla Pederson

Character Name : Skeleton Man

Original Name : Orla Pederson

Gender : Male

Patsy Smart

Character Name : Distraught Woman

Original Name : Patsy Smart

Gender : Female

Frederick Treves

Character Name : Alderman

Original Name : Frederick Treves

Gender : Male

Stromboli

Character Name : Fire Eater

Original Name : Stromboli

Gender : Male

Richard Hunter

Character Name : Hodges

Original Name : Richard Hunter

Gender : Male

James Cormack

Character Name : Pierce

Original Name : James Cormack

Gender : Male

Robert Lewis Bush

Character Name : Messenger

Original Name : Robert Lewis Bush

Gender : Male

Roy Evans

Character Name : Cabman

Original Name : Roy Evans

Gender : Male

Joan Rhodes

Character Name : Cook

Original Name : Joan Rhodes

Gender : Female

Nula Conwell

Character Name : Nurse Kathleen

Original Name : Nula Conwell

Gender : Female

Tony London

Character Name : Young Porter

Original Name : Tony London

Gender : Male

Alfie Curtis

Character Name : Milkman

Original Name : Alfie Curtis

Gender : Male

Bernadette Milnes

Character Name : 1st Fighting Woman

Original Name : Bernadette Milnes

Gender : Female

Brenda Kempner

Character Name : 2nd Fighting Woman

Original Name : Brenda Kempner

Gender : Female

Carol Harrison

Character Name : Tart

Original Name : Carol Harrison

Gender : Female

Hugh Manning

Character Name : Broadneck

Original Name : Hugh Manning

Gender : Male

Dennis Burgess

Character Name : 1st Committee Man

Original Name : Dennis Burgess

Gender : Male

Fanny Carby

Character Name : Mrs Kendal's Dresser

Original Name : Fanny Carby

Gender : Female

William Morgan Sheppard

Character Name : Man in Pub

Original Name : William Morgan Sheppard

Gender : Male

Kathleen Byron

Character Name : Lady Waddington

Original Name : Kathleen Byron

Gender : Female

Gerald Case

Character Name : Lord Waddington

Original Name : Gerald Case

Gender : Male

David Ryall

Character Name : Man With Whores

Original Name : David Ryall

Gender : Male

Deirdre Costello

Character Name : 1st Whore

Original Name : Deirdre Costello

Gender : Female

Pauline Quirke

Character Name : 2nd Whore

Original Name : Pauline Quirke

Gender : Female

Kenny Baker

Character Name : Plumed Dwarf

Original Name : Kenny Baker

Gender : Male

Chris Greener

Character Name : Giant

Original Name : Chris Greener

Gender : Male

Marcus Powell

Character Name : Midget

Original Name : Marcus Powell

Gender : Male

Gilda Cohen

Character Name : Midget

Original Name : Gilda Cohen

Gender : Male

Lesley Scoble

Character Name : Siamese Twin

Original Name : Lesley Scoble

Gender : Female

Teri Scoble

Character Name : Siamese Twin

Original Name : Teri Scoble

Gender : Female

Eiji Kusuhara

Character Name : Japanese Bleeder

Original Name : Eiji Kusuhara

Gender : Male

Robert Day

Character Name : Little Jim

Original Name : Robert Day

Gender : Male

Patricia Hodge

Character Name : Screaming Mum

Original Name : Patricia Hodge

Gender : Female

Tommy Wright

Character Name : First Bobby

Original Name : Tommy Wright

Gender : Male

Peter Davidson

Character Name : Second Bobby

Original Name : Peter Davidson

Gender : Male

John Rapley

Character Name : King In Panto

Original Name : John Rapley

Gender : Male

Hugh Spight

Character Name : Puss In Panto

Original Name : Hugh Spight

Gender : Male

Teresa Codling

Character Name : Princess In Panto

Original Name : Teresa Codling

Gender : Female

Marion Betzold

Character Name : Principal Boy

Original Name : Marion Betzold

Gender : Female

Caroline Haigh

Character Name : Tree

Original Name : Caroline Haigh

Gender : Female

Florenzio Morgado

Character Name : Tree

Original Name : Florenzio Morgado

Gender : Male

Victor Kravchenko

Character Name : Lion / Coachman

Original Name : Victor Kravchenko

Gender : Male

Beryl Hicks

Character Name : Fairy

Original Name : Beryl Hicks

Gender : Female

Michele Amas

Character Name : Horse

Original Name : Michele Amas

Gender : Female

Lucie Alford

Character Name : Horse

Original Name : Lucie Alford

Gender : Female

Penny Wright

Character Name : Horse

Original Name : Penny Wright

Gender : Female

Janie Kells

Character Name : Horse

Original Name : Janie Kells

Gender : Female

Lydia Lisle

Character Name : Merrick's Mother

Original Name : Lydia Lisle

Gender : Female

David Lynch

Character Name : Man in the Bowler Hat in the Mob Chasing Merrick (uncredited)

Original Name : David Lynch

Gender : Male

Harry Fielder

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Fielder

Gender : Male

Jack Armstrong

Character Name : Man at Lecture (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Armstrong

Gender : Male

Ralph G. Morse

Character Name : Young Aristocrat (uncredited)

Original Name : Ralph G. Morse

Gender : Male

Fred Wood

Character Name : Injured Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Wood

Gender : Male

Adam Caine

Character Name : Kid at Train Station (uncredited)

Original Name : Adam Caine

Gender : Male

Tony Clarkin

Character Name : Thug from Pub (uncredited)

Original Name : Tony Clarkin

Gender : Male

Dave Cooper

Character Name : Man in crowd (uncredited)

Original Name : Dave Cooper

Gender : Male

Chick Fowles

Character Name : Man in Pub (uncredited)

Original Name : Chick Fowles

Gender : Male

Juba Kennerley

Character Name : Committee Member (uncredited)

Original Name : Juba Kennerley

Gender : Male

Eric Bergren

Character Name : Lyra Box Player #1 (uncredited)

Original Name : Eric Bergren

Gender : Male

Christopher De Vore

Character Name : Lyra Box Player #2 (uncredited)

Original Name : Christopher De Vore

Gender : Male

Jay McGrath

Character Name : Man at Lecture (uncredited)

Original Name : Jay McGrath

Gender : Male

Henry Roberts

Character Name : Man at Lecture (uncredited)

Original Name : Henry Roberts

Gender : Male

Kevin Schumm

Character Name : Kid at Train Station #2 (uncredited)

Original Name : Kevin Schumm

Gender : Male

Ian Selby

Character Name : Courtier (uncredited)

Original Name : Ian Selby

Gender : Male

Guy Standeven

Character Name : Committee Member (uncredited)

Original Name : Guy Standeven

Gender : Male

Reg Thomason

Character Name : Lecture Assistant (uncredited)

Original Name : Reg Thomason

Gender : Male

Jill Goldston

Character Name : Nurse (uncredited)

Original Name : Jill Goldston

Gender : Female

Norman Gay

Character Name : Doctor (uncredited)

Original Name : Norman Gay

Gender : Male

Reviews

W

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-06-23

_**The ultimate outcast**_ In 1884 London, a doctor (Anthony Hopkins) meets Joseph Merrick, aka The Elephant Man (wrongly called John Merrick in the film) who was being exploited as a freak show attraction. Treves (Hopkins) tries to help Merrick (John Hurt) for the last six years of the latter’s life wherein he becomes cultured, but he inevitably remains an object of curiosity, to high society as well as low society. Anne Bancroft plays a winsome entertainer who is warm toward Merrick. Directed by David Lynch and shot in B&W, “The Elephant Man” (1980) is a melancholic biographical movie, and understandably so, but Merrick’s story is worth checking out despite the fact that it inspires pity. It calls into question the concept of beauty: Natural beauty is something one is born with and did nothing to acquire, but so is physical unattractiveness. Then there’s inner beauty. The charismatic actress (Bancroft) displays both. Of course there’s also inner ugliness, like the carnival huckster. A myth developed about Merrick’s disfigurement that his mother was raped by an elephant, probably started by sideshow hawkers. The opening conveys this in an artistic manner, but it’s not to be taken literally, which is why it’s surreal. Meanwhile the factory scenes with the pipes and corresponding dangers exhibit the reality for workers in Victorian times. The score by John Morris is noteworthy with one piece being ripped-off for the moving parts of “Platoon” (1986), e.g. Elias’ melodramatic death scene. The film runs 2 hours, 4 minutes, and was shot entirely in London and nearby Shepperton Studios, just west of the city. GRADE: B

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-06-07

Saw this, recently up-converted to 4K at the London Film Festival and, apart from the clear improvements to the quality and detail of the image, I was reminded of just how good it is. Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft play their roles with engaging sincerity - very ably supported by Sir John Gielgud and Dame Wendy Hiller. Prosthetics aside, John Hurt captures both the despair and optimism of Merrick with empathetic style; and Freddie Jones is just downright evil as "Bytes". His son Toby was at the screening and I couldn't help but wonder when he watched this portrayal by his father whether the pride in the performance must have been tempered by a disgust in the character, itself!! This film doesn't seem to do the rounds very often, nowadays, but it holds up very well after almost 40 years and is really a gem.