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Summary

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.

Cast

Anthony Hopkins

Frederick Treves

John Hurt

John Merrick

Anne Bancroft

Mrs Kendal

John Gielgud

Carr Gomm

Wendy Hiller

Mothershead

Freddie Jones

Bytes

Michael Elphick

Night Porter

Hannah Gordon

Mrs Treves

Helen Ryan

Princess Alex

John Standing

Fox

Dexter Fletcher

Bytes' Boy

Lesley Dunlop

Nora

Phoebe Nicholls

Merrick's Mother

Pat Gorman

Fairground Bobby

Claire Davenport

Fat Lady

Orla Pederson

Skeleton Man

Patsy Smart

Distraught Woman

Frederick Treves

Alderman

Stromboli

Fire Eater

Richard Hunter

Hodges

James Cormack

Pierce

Robert Lewis Bush

Messenger

Roy Evans

Cabman

Joan Rhodes

Cook

Nula Conwell

Nurse Kathleen

Tony London

Young Porter

Alfie Curtis

Milkman

Bernadette Milnes

1st Fighting Woman

Brenda Kempner

2nd Fighting Woman

Carol Harrison

Tart

Hugh Manning

Broadneck

Dennis Burgess

1st Committee Man

Fanny Carby

Mrs Kendal's Dresser

William Morgan Sheppard

Man in Pub

Kathleen Byron

Lady Waddington

Gerald Case

Lord Waddington

David Ryall

Man With Whores

Deirdre Costello

1st Whore

Pauline Quirke

2nd Whore

Kenny Baker

Plumed Dwarf

Chris Greener

Giant

Marcus Powell

Midget

Gilda Cohen

Midget

Lesley Scoble

Siamese Twin

Teri Scoble

Siamese Twin

Eiji Kusuhara

Japanese Bleeder

Robert Day

Little Jim

Patricia Hodge

Screaming Mum

Tommy Wright

First Bobby

Peter Davidson

Second Bobby

John Rapley

King In Panto

Hugh Spight

Puss In Panto

Teresa Codling

Princess In Panto

Marion Betzold

Principal Boy

Caroline Haigh

Tree

Florenzio Morgado

Tree

Victor Kravchenko

Lion / Coachman

Beryl Hicks

Fairy

Michele Amas

Horse

Lucie Alford

Horse

Penny Wright

Horse

Janie Kells

Horse

Lydia Lisle

Merrick's Mother

David Lynch

Man in the Bowler Hat in the Mob Chasing Merrick (uncredited)

Harry Fielder

Policeman (uncredited)

Jack Armstrong

Man at Lecture (uncredited)

Ralph G. Morse

Young Aristocrat (uncredited)

Fred Wood

Injured Man (uncredited)

Adam Caine

Kid at Train Station (uncredited)

Tony Clarkin

Thug from Pub (uncredited)

Dave Cooper

Man in crowd (uncredited)

Chick Fowles

Man in Pub (uncredited)

Juba Kennerley

Committee Member (uncredited)

Eric Bergren

Lyra Box Player #1 (uncredited)

Christopher De Vore

Lyra Box Player #2 (uncredited)

Jay McGrath

Man at Lecture (uncredited)

Henry Roberts

Man at Lecture (uncredited)

Kevin Schumm

Kid at Train Station #2 (uncredited)

Ian Selby

Courtier (uncredited)

Guy Standeven

Committee Member (uncredited)

Reg Thomason

Lecture Assistant (uncredited)

Jill Goldston

Nurse (uncredited)

Norman Gay

Doctor (uncredited)

Barrie Holland

Man in Crowd (uncredited)

Crew

Director, Screenplay

David Lynch

Book

Ashley Montagu

Book

Frederick Treves

Screenplay

Eric Bergren

Screenplay

Christopher De Vore

Reviews

Wuchak

July 2, 2020

_**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