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rhetorical medical school sections are inevitably overshadowed by the brisk gruesomeness of the many murder scenes, though there is little effort to build tension in these, and the studio sets fail to capture the grim atmosphere pervading many of
Edinburgh's closes even today. Corpses toppling into brine baths, a rat hunt and a blinding provide most of the ghoulishness. Peter Cushing offers his usual polished performance, but the Oirish dialogue given to George Rose and Donald Pleasence makes them more comic than sinister."
337:
devoted niece Martha that the murder victims "seemed so small in my scheme of things. But I knew how they died." The film ends with Knox, who assumes his lectures will now be empty, instead finding himself greeted with applause from a packed hall of students. Apparently a changed man, he begins his lecture with the
623:
Several cuts of the film have circulated in different markets. The currently available DVD from Image
Entertainment lists the runtime for the "uncut" original theatrical version at 94 minutes, with a slightly extended "Continental" version – produced for European markets with more permissive censors
328:
Over time, Jackson and
Mitchell begin to suspect that the bodies supplied by Burke and Hare are victims of foul play. Despite his concerns, Dr. Knox dismisses any attempt at going to the police. When Jackson's new girlfriend Mary becomes their latest victim, Jackson discovers her body in the lecture
307:
who draws large crowds of medical students to his lectures on the human body. Though he is constantly at odds with his stuffy, backwards colleagues, he is highly venerated by his students and believes his duty is to push the medical profession forward. Unfortunately, due to the laws of the time very
572:
gave the film 3/5 stars, writing: "This explicitly scary and darkly atmospheric retelling of the Burke and Hare story stars Peter
Cushing, exceptional as the coldly ambitious Dr Knox ... The grimy poverty of 19th-century Edinburgh provides a vivid background to this unflinching shocker, which
525:
compared the role of Dr. Knox to his most famous character: "Now it seemed to me that Knox and 'Frankenstein' had a lot in common. The minds of these exceptional men were driven by a single desire: to inquire into the unknown. Ahead of their time, like most great scientists, their work and motives
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Knox, for his part in the killings, is the object of widespread public outrage, but ultimately not punished or censured by his colleagues (to whom Dr. Mitchell eloquently defends him). Though he is free to continue lecturing, he ultimately feels guilt over his part in the horrors, admitting to his
324:
has died still owing £4 in rent. When they find that the body can make them a handsome profit, they begin a career of murdering locals and selling them to the medical school. When
Jackson goes to a local tavern to give Burke and Hare their pay, he becomes involved with tempestuous local prostitute
553:
wrote: "The attempt to do justice to the drama of medical ethics, centred on Dr. Knox and the celebrated horrors of Burke and Hare and with a torrid, time-consuming sub-plot about a prostitute thrown in, leads to continual changes of mood and interest that weaken the film's total effect. The more
489:
restores the correct historical names and begins with the text: " is a story of vice and murder. We make no apologies to the dead. It is all true." However, the filmmakers were still not permitted to use Burke and Hare's name in the title, and chief censor
316:
or "Resurrection men" to procure additional specimens. Dr. Knox's assistant Dr. Mitchell and a young student named
Jackson are given the task of buying the bodies, which are worth a small fortune... especially when fresh.
329:
room and he too is killed when he confronts the murderous duo. When they murder a well-known mentally ill youth however, they quickly become murder suspects and are caught by an angry mob. Hare agrees to
333:
against his former partner and is set free, though vindictive locals catch him and burn out his eyes. Burke is executed by hanging, still complaining that Dr. Knox never paid him for the final body.
592:
s Ian Moss criticized the film, writing "I can't understand anyone wishing to see this film voluntarily," and arguing that the script afforded the characters no depth.
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called Baker to his office to discuss his concerns about several "potentially offensive sequences," though the film was ultimately passed uncut with an "X" rating.
1421:
624:– running at 95 minutes and including short sequences or alternate takes with more nudity. The film was released by Valiant in the USA under the titles
529:
The drooping left eye which
Cushing uses in his performance (emphasized in some film posters, though not in the American one) is accurate to the real
485:
demanded that all references to the real-life killers were removed, and so
Gilling was forced to rename the killers and several other key characters.
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cut 23 minutes from the film's runtime. Both the UK and the continental cuts of the film are included on the DVD from Image
Entertainment.
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praised
Cushing's performance as a "most effective study in single-minded integrity which knits the film together admirably."
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purchases human corpses for research from a murderous pair named Burke and Hare. The film is based on the true case of
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The film was brought in on time and without going over budget (which Baker recalls as being around the £55,000 mark)
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To minimize any similarities to Gilling's previous film (and to the then-unproduced script on the same subject by
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outshine the House of Hammer.... The film is lacking in outright grue and gore but the tone is perfect."
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The Anatomy of Robert Knox: Murder, Mad Science and Medical Regulation in Nineteenth-Century Edinburgh
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The film has been described as a "box office disappointment," or a film which did "average business."
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using the British theatrical cut, but a later 1965 re-release by Pacemaker Pictures under the title
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rated the film as "average", writing: "Busy, grisly shocker whose best asset is its period feel."
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Meanwhile, drunken miscreants William Burke and William Hare discover that a lodger at Burke's
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Christopher Gullo (2004). "Chapter 3: Mr Television and the New Karloff (1950s)".
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Christopher Gullo (2004). "Chapter 3: Mr Television and the New Karloff (1950s)".
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In recent years, it has enjoyed something of a stronger critical reappraisal as a
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are legally available to the medical profession, necessitating the use of
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praised the acting as "first rate," and added, "The production values of
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In his autobiography, Cushing – famed for his portrayal of
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uses stark black-and-white imagery to startling effect."
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which includes the promise to "never do harm to anyone."
481:(1948) about Burke and Hare. At that time, however, the
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Mary Patterson who is also well known to the killers.
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Writer/ Producer John Gilling, along with producers
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825:. Eastbourne: Sussex Academic Press. p. 16.
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740:
1363:
501:, which would eventually be produced in 1985 as
913:British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959
872:(312): 37. 1 January 1960 – via ProQuest.
578:British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959
291:and sold their bodies for anatomical research.
945:"DVD Savant Reviews: The Flesh And The Fiends"
1422:Cultural depictions of William Burke and Hare
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847:The British Independent Horror Film 1951-70
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511:to rewrite Gilling's original screenplay.
287:, who murdered at least 16 people in 1828
192:94 minutes (UK and USA theatrical version)
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721:British Film Institute Collections Search
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1402:Biographical films about serial killers
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475:Gilling had previously written the film
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272:. It was written by John Gilling and
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54:John Gilling (story and screenplay)
13:
943:Erickson, Glenn (12 August 2001).
14:
1463:
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16:1960 British film by John Gilling
194:95 minutes (Continental version)
1387:British historical horror films
904:
798:In All Sincerity, Peter Cushing
743:In All Sincerity, Peter Cushing
443:as medical student (uncredited)
1397:Films directed by John Gilling
1101:Mother Riley Meets the Vampire
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852:
814:
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685:
1:
1447:English-language horror films
1442:Films scored by Stanley Black
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483:British Board of Film Censors
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303:Dr. Knox is a highly skilled
1452:English-language crime films
1432:1960s English-language films
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537:he contracted as an infant.
413:Philip Leaver as Dr. Elliott
404:June Powell as Maggie O'Hara
279:19th-century medical doctor
145:Regal Film Distributors (UK)
35:UK theatrical release poster
7:
1392:British serial killer films
775:Sothcott, Jonathan (2001).
692:Sothcott, Jonathan (2001).
639:
618:
10:
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1277:The Pirates of Blood River
1141:Three Steps to the Gallows
884:Radio Times Guide to Films
860:"The Flesh and the Fiends"
849:Hemlock Books 2013 p 61-67
717:"The Flesh and the Fiends"
1427:Films about grave-robbing
1382:1960s serial killer films
1325:The Plague of the Zombies
1055:
886:(18th ed.). London:
865:The Monthly Film Bulletin
663:The Doctor and the Devils
647:The Greed of William Hart
550:The Monthly Film Bulletin
521:The Curse of Frankenstein
504:The Doctor and the Devils
478:The Greed of William Hart
468:that was not produced by
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171:24 January 1961
160:2 February 1960
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1245:The Flesh and the Fiends
1007:The Flesh and the Fiends
996:The Flesh and the Fiends
985:The Flesh and the Fiends
974:The Flesh and the Fiends
800:. Xlibris. p. 139.
778:The Flesh And The Fiends
745:. Xlibris. p. 140.
695:The Flesh And The Fiends
613:The Flesh and the Fiends
487:The Flesh and the Fiends
383:as Dr. Geoffrey Mitchell
228:The Flesh and the Fiends
24:The Flesh and the Fiends
1301:The Brigand of Kandahar
911:Quinlan, David (1984).
888:Immediate Media Company
344:
294:
1417:Films set in Edinburgh
1412:Films set in the 1820s
1407:Films about physicians
1261:Fury at Smugglers' Bay
410:as Inspector McCulloch
1317:Where the Bullets Fly
1269:The Shadow of the Cat
1109:The Voice of Merrill
1061:Escape from Broadmoor
890:. 2017. p. 327.
599:. Reviewing the 2001
526:were misunderstood."
220:approximately £55,000
821:Bates, A.W. (2010).
331:turn King's Evidence
240:The Fielndish Ghouls
1437:1960s British films
1237:The Bandit of Zhobe
1093:The Frightened Man
783:Image Entertainment
781:(DVD Liner Notes).
700:Image Entertainment
698:(DVD Liner Notes).
634:The Fiendish Ghouls
605:Image Entertainment
516:Victor Frankenstein
1349:La cruz del diablo
1341:The Mummy's Shroud
1069:A Matter of Murder
1047:Films directed by
979:TCM Movie Database
917:B.T. Batsford Ltd.
353:as Dr. Robert Knox
1377:1960 horror films
1359:
1358:
1293:The Scarlet Blade
1181:Tiger by the Tail
1149:Destination Milan
1117:Deadly Nightshade
832:978-1-84519-381-2
417:George Woodbridge
389:as Mary Patterson
224:
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135:Triad Productions
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1309:The Night Caller
1197:The Gamma People
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671:Burke & Hare
655:Burke & Hare
588:Film and Filming
395:as Chris Jackson
371:as William Burke
363:Donald Pleasence
339:Hippocratic Oath
270:Donald Pleasence
237:; also known as
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365:as William Hare
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674:(Comedy, 2010)
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570:Guide to Films
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509:Leon Griffiths
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408:Andrew Faulds
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260:and starring
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1049:John Gilling
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952:. Retrieved
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785:. p. 1.
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585:
577:
575:
565:
564:
557:
556:
548:
547:
544:
528:
519:
513:
502:
499:Dylan Thomas
496:
486:
476:
474:
470:Hammer Films
458:Monty Berman
451:
423:Garard Green
399:Melvyn Hayes
393:John Cairney
381:Dermot Walsh
335:
327:
319:
314:graverobbers
298:
278:
258:John Gilling
256:directed by
249:) is a 1960
245:
244:
239:
238:
233:
232:
227:
226:
225:
188:Running time
147:Valiant (US)
103:Monty Berman
72:Monty Berman
59:(screenplay)
45:John Gilling
18:
1333:The Reptile
1213:High Flight
954:14 November
949:DVDtalk.com
726:31 December
603:release by
568:Radio Times
429:Esma Cannon
369:George Rose
281:Robert Knox
254:horror film
179: (U.S.)
94:George Rose
64:Produced by
41:Directed by
1372:1960 films
1366:Categories
915:. London:
679:References
518:in 1957's
448:Production
231:(US title
175:1961-01-24
164:1960-02-02
127:Production
111:Jack Slade
51:Written by
607:, critic
597:cult film
541:Reception
305:anatomist
301:Edinburgh
289:Edinburgh
168: (UK)
108:Edited by
1205:Interpol
1077:No Trace
990:AllMovie
640:See also
619:Versions
535:smallpox
531:Dr. Knox
431:as Aggie
310:cadavers
299:In 1828
209:Language
116:Music by
78:Starring
977:at the
559:Variety
251:British
212:English
199:Country
173: (
162: (
129:company
1352:(1975)
1344:(1967)
1336:(1966)
1328:(1966)
1320:(1966)
1312:(1965)
1304:(1965)
1296:(1963)
1288:(1963)
1280:(1962)
1272:(1961)
1264:(1961)
1256:(1960)
1248:(1960)
1240:(1959)
1232:(1959)
1224:(1958)
1216:(1957)
1208:(1957)
1200:(1956)
1192:(1956)
1189:Odongo
1184:(1955)
1176:(1955)
1168:(1954)
1160:(1954)
1152:(1954)
1144:(1953)
1136:(1953)
1128:(1953)
1125:Recoil
1120:(1953)
1112:(1952)
1104:(1952)
1096:(1952)
1088:(1951)
1080:(1950)
1072:(1949)
1064:(1948)
923:
894:
829:
804:
749:
666:(1985)
658:(1971)
650:(1948)
217:Budget
1285:Panic
626:Mania
234:Mania
1001:IMDb
956:2016
921:ISBN
892:ISBN
827:ISBN
802:ISBN
747:ISBN
728:2023
628:and
566:The
456:and
345:Cast
308:few
295:Plot
268:and
243:and
1010:at
999:at
988:at
601:DVD
576:In
460:of
1368::
947:.
935:^
870:27
868:.
862:.
761:^
719:.
472:.
276:.
264:,
1040:e
1033:t
1026:v
958:.
929:.
900:.
835:.
810:.
755:.
730:.
590:'
523:–
177:)
166:)
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