The Flesh and the Fiends (1960) User Reviews (50)

Possibly Peter Cushing's finest performance on film

[Jason-38 · 8/10 · 15 May 1999]

THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS followed in the wake of the success of Hammer Films' early successes. Although not actually a Hammer Film Production, it shares many stylistic points with Hammer. However, the script is a largely accurate version of the history of the body snatchers, Burke and Hare, and their main customer, Dr. Robert Knox.

Although there are memorable performances in this film, it is Peter Cushing's work as Dr. Knox that ultimately stands out. During the 1820's in Edinburgh, Scotland, Dr. Knox illegally bought cadavers from Burke and Hare. In spite of every reason to be suspicious of Burke and Hare, Dr. Know persisted in obtaining cadavers from them for medical lectures. To Dr. Knox, the training of competent doctors took precedent over ethical considerations.

In a remarkable scene in the denouement, a little girl in the street begs alms from Dr. Knox. Cushing tells her that he doesn't have any money with him, but if she will step over to his house he will give her some. The little girl politely declines the offer, saying, "Oh, no, you might be Dr. Knox." Cushing's unspoken response is truly unforgettable. It makes you realize that Peter Cushing was really a fine actor. What a pity his talent was too often wasted in pictures that were beneath him.

Funny and Fiendish

[funkyfry · 7/10 · 10 October 2002]

Now that this film has been restored for DVD by Image Entertainment, it is a joy to watch -- nice but not flashy photography and directing, and masterful but not overbearing acting make this a good find. But it's not quite as satisfying as "The Body Snatcher" on the same Burke/Hare theme because it doesn't engage the dark undertones of the human psyche through its sadistic "graverobbers" as much as the Karloff film, but instead dwells more on the scientific ethics issues. Still, some sick, slightly scary scenes with Pleasence. Cushing is excellent as always. If you saw this on video or TV, you might want to give it a second look (like I did) on DVD because it looks a whole lot better.

Macabre story of coffins and corpses...this is great stuff!

[The_Void · 8/10 · 18 December 2005]

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!

Underrated creepy and atmospheric historical thriller.

[Infofreak · 25 November 2002]

I'll leave it up to others to debate whether 'Mania' (a.k.a. 'The Flesh and the Fiends') is technically a horror movie. While dealing with horrific events, and told in a fashion with plenty of creepy moments, I would still say it isn't horror myself. Whatever you classify it as it is a seriously underrated thriller with strong performances from an above average cast. Director John Gilling went on to make the Hammer classic 'The Plague Of Zombies' later in the 1960s, and stars Peter Cushing ('Twins Of Evil') and Donald Pleasence ('Halloween') both made a strong impact on the horror genre, so fans will be interested to see this for those reasons alone. Cushing is excellent as the stubborn and driven Dr. Knox who needs a steady supply of corpses to dissect, and Pleasence plays the slimy William Hare, who along with his equally creepy colleague William Burke (George Rose), gleefully fills that need. The only problem is that Burke and Hare have no qualms about where the corpses come from, or whether they need a little "help" along the way. Burke and Hare were real body snatchers, but I have no idea just how historically accurate the events depicted in this movie are. But it certainly is entertaining and worth watching for the terrific performances by Cushing, Pleasence and Rose, and also for Billie Whitelaw ('The Omen') who has a small but important supporting role as the love interest for one of Dr. Knox's medical students (John Cairney - 'Jason And The Argonauts').

I felt somewhat baited and switched here...

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 17 February 2016]

With Peter Cushing as Dr. Knox billed as the lead, I felt that he did not get nearly enough screen time to justify the billing. The film starts out promisingly with Dr. Knox lecturing medical students in anatomy, scoffing at his fellow physicians for their hypocrisy and old fashioned ways, and receiving cadavers from two questionable fellows - Hare (Donald Pleasance) and Burke (George Rose)- as subjects for the study of his students and himself.

This is where he goes wrong. He is paying for cadavers thinking them the product of morgue or grave robbing. Hare and Burke just see that they can get eight guineas per corpse. And every human being is a potential corpse. So why work so hard to dig them up if you can just find some homeless person with no friends or family, offer them a drink and a warm place by the fire for awhile and strangle them? Nobody will miss them and poof! Eight guineas! This is the rather predictable path similar films and even episodes of Night Gallery have trodden. What makes it good are the times that Cushing is on screen and his brilliant portrayal of a morally ambiguous figure, and the rather odd and unexpected ending that seems somewhat classist. Let's just say this couldn't have been made in the USA at the time because of the production code.

The rather tiresome parts are the romances between minor characters that at first don't seem to have much purpose - actually one romance does - and the excessive footage in the bawdy pubs of impoverished London.

Without Peter Cushing, I'd rate this a 5/10 - quite mediocre. With him it jumps a star to a worthwhile 6/10.

Any bodies for sale?

[macabro357 · 6/10 · 17 July 2003]

(aka: MANIA)

This is sort of a variation of the Val Lewton film, THE BODY SNATCHER (1945) starring Boris Karloff with the original story written by Robert Louis Stevenson.

This version is quite good (although I still prefer the earlier film) with an effectively creepy atmosphere that has the look of a Hammer flick, even though Hammer Studios didn't participate in this one.

Peter Cushing plays a medical professor who employs grave robbers (Donald Pleasance and George Rose) in order to steal freshly buried corpses for his medical anatomy classes. The robbers get greedy for more money so they start killing people in order to supply more fresh corpses. At first it's done without the doctor's knowledge, but then when some evidence turns up casting doubt upon the whole affair, he turns a blind eye about it and doesn't seem to care.

We all know justice prevails in the end although I thought the last minute of the film where Cushing restores faith in his students, looked a little too down-pat to me. But only the lower classes suffer the consequences while the upper class gets off scot-free, right?

The Image DVD has both the censored UK version and the Continental version that contains scenes of barmaids with their tops slipping down exposing their breasts. You can also tell because the quality of these deleted scenes is grainer that the film as a whole. I guess they needed something racier for the continental audiences to watch, although Billie Whitelaw gets to keep her top on. Bummer.

The widescreen b/w print is in fair condition with some bad splices and flaking in some scenes, but it's a vast improvement over the old Sinister Cinema VHS tape that was floating around a few years back. Other extras include posters and stills.

6 out of 10

THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS {U.K. and Continental Versions} (John Gilling, 1959) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 10 November 2006]

Solid, well-crafted but rather patchy cinematic treatment of the saga of notorious 19th Century "Resurrectionists" Burke and Hare and their unorthodox employer Dr. Robert Knox; in the vein of Hammer horror (featuring two of their most notable participants in Cushing and Gilling) though the lack of color makes it seem a half-hearted attempt (even if, with an eye on the low-budget, it was probably a conscious choice by the film-makers as the intentions were clearly of a serious undertaking)!

Anyway, the best thing about the film - apart from the vivid recreation of the era - are the performances of Peter Cushing (as the cold Dr. Knox, not unlike Baron Frankenstein), Donald Pleasance (an impressive early performance as the oily but quick-thinking Hare - his come-uppance is especially eerie) and Billie Whitelaw (as the proverbial "tart with a heart of gold" who ends up as one of the victims); Burke is played as a scurrilous but jovial brute (but who murders with the apparent complicity of his own wife) by character actor George Rose. Dr. Knox's condescending attitude towards his fellow colleagues also provides a number of entertaining confrontation scenes (my favorite line is during their face-off at his house, when he brusquely terminates the discussion by instructing them to "incline their heads slightly to the left...{in order to} observe the door...{and could they} please use it!"); Cushing, of course, is equally commanding while addressing his lectures or when scrutinizing the newest corpse.

The film makes a fine, though essentially unpleasant, companion piece to the more literate and subtle THE BODY SNATCHER (1945); the theme was again handled (by another horror veteran, Freddie Francis) a quarter of a century later in THE DOCTOR AND THE DEVILS (1985) - while Gilling himself had contributed to the script of an earlier variation, THE GREED OF WILLIAM HART (1948), starring Tod Slaughter! By the way, the producing team of Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman (who doubled as cinematographer) also brought to the screen the nefarious deeds of other historical figures such as JACK THE RIPPER (1959) and THE HELLFIRE CLUB (1961; upcoming on DVD from Dark Sky Films).

Image's DVD also includes the "Continental Version" which contains about a minute of more explicit violence and nudity (in the many tavern sequences) - though this only helps render it even more unsavory than it already is! The prints are distractingly soft throughout, and the severe widescreen ratio (2.35:1) hampers somewhat the viewer's complete involvement (at least on a normal T.V. screen); the "Continental Version" fares even worse, showing more damage and having rather scratched audio to boot! Unfortunately, the liner notes by Jonathan Sothcott were not available with my copy: it's probable that the disc was initially released as a snapper-case (with the essay on the inner sleeve) but was then dropped when re-issued in the more manageable keep-case!

Grim British Horror Masterpiece

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 9/10 · 22 November 2008]

"The Flesh And The Fiends" of 1960 (other sources say 1959) is a grim, creepy, terrifying and often sad masterpiece of British Horror cinema, that no lover of the genre could possibly afford to miss. John Gilling's film is based on the true case of William Burke and William Hare who supplied the surgeon Dr. Robert Knox with fresh corpses in Edinburgh of the 1820s. The film has a very creepy, chilling Gothic atmosphere, and yet it accomplishes to seem frighteningly real. The story is incredibly macabre, and what makes it even more frightening is the fact that the morbid events in this film actually took place. In Edinburgh of the 1820s, the Medical University is supplied with too little corpses to properly instruct its students. Determined to provide the best possible conditions for research, the ambitious and brilliant Dr. Knox (Peter Cushing) engages corpse-snatchers to supply his University with fresh bodies. Two of the grave robbers, William Hare (Donald Pleasence) and William Burke (George Rose), however, have their very particular methods to bring in corpses that are especially fresh...

Aditionally to the terrifying and fascinating story and the gloomy atmosphere, "The Flesh And The Fiends" also profits from a brilliant cast. The great Peter Cushing, was doubtlessly one of the most remarkable and brilliant actors the World of Horror has ever seen (and ever will see), and he is once again excellent in the role of the dedicated scientist - a role that is familiar to Cushing, who is probably most famous for his portrayal of Baron Victor Frankenstein in the Hammer films. Dr. Knox is not a bad man as such, but his obsession for the good cause makes him forget most of his scruples. The arguably greatest performance in this film, however, comes from Donald Pleasence (another favorite actor of mine), who delivers an ingenious portrayal of evil as the unscrupulous Willaim Hare. Equally great is George Rose in the role of the more simple-minded part of the murderous duo, William Burke. The great black and white cinematography provides a gloomy general mood. The cinematographic style of the film is often compared to earlier Horror classics of the 1940s rather than to those of the late 50s and early 60s, and one can see why. The film's theme, however, and the uncompromising manner it is brought to screen, is unspeakably macabre for its time. The film provides terrifying Horror as well as tragic Drama and a very realistic insight in early 19th century society. I guess I am not standing alone when i declare Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasence two of my favorite actors. "The Flesh And The Fiends" is arguably the most brilliant film in either man's career, which is saying quite something regarding the variety of ingenious films Cushing ("Dracula", "The Curse Of Frankenstein", "Horror Express" etc.) and Pleasence ("Phenomena", "Prince Of Darkness") have been part of. Along with another Historical Horror masterpiece, Michael Reeves' "Witchfinder General" (starring Vincent Price), "The Flesh And The Fiends" is probably the most mature, serious and sophisticated British Horror film ever brought to screen, and an absolute priority for every Horror lover to see. 10/10

Ressurectionists -- REAL ressurectionists.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 13 July 2009]

A surprisingly effective retelling of the adventures and ultimate fates of the two grave robbers and murderers -- William Burke (George Rose) and William Hare (Donald Pleasance) -- and Dr. Knox, the lecturer on anatomy (Peter Cushing) who was complicit in their crimes.

At the time, the mid-1800s in Edinburgh, Scotland, it was difficult for medical schools to come by cadavers for dissection. They were forced to wait for hangings and sometimes chafed at the long intervals between executions. The raggedy and snaggletoothed Burke and Hare, among many other "ressurectionists", collected dead bodies off the streets and sold them to Knox in an excess of zeal to advance the progress of medical science. The bodies would otherwise have wound up in pauper's graves. And there WERE dead bodies found on the streets. There is no poverty like the poverty of a northern city in the grip of unfettered industrialism.

However, if a thing is worth doing well, it's worth doing in extremes. Burke and Hare made the short and simple step from collecting dead bodies, through grave robbing, to murder. Knox is portrayed as a cold-blooded scientist who believes neither in the soul nor in the guilt of his two enablers.

I don't know how closely the script follows the historical events, but it's convincingly done, even if the budget is a bit low. The sets look a little perfunctory. The cobbled, crooked night-time streets of the city are nicely on display but there was no provision for fussy extras like street lamps or street litter or intimate nooks and crannies and cheap shops. The lighting seems to come from nowhere and what we're looking at appears to be a rather stark movie set instead of an atmospheric Edinburgh street.

Burke and Hare eventually go too far -- knocking off victims that are well known and fondly thought of by some of the community -- but they don't really change. The arc of character belongs to Cushing's Dr. Knox. He's openly insulting to other figures in the medical profession. He seems not devoted to helping humanity, but holds them in contempt. Until, after the trial of Burke and Hare, he stoops down in a city square when a tattered little girl asks him for alms. He has no money but invites her to accompany him to his home where he will give her some cash. "Oh, no!," she replies, "You might sell me to Dr. Knox." That does it for Knox. He discovers his compassionate side.

It would have been more effective if we'd seen his devotion to medicine but in fact his lectures have been as cold and distant as the rest of his character. Before this epiphany he's been a pretty unlikable snot, treating his students pitilessly.

The performances are all rather good. Pleasance is a charming, unpretentious, treacherous psychopath, a little like Long John Silver. Rose is the dummy who gets hanged because he didn't know how to play "the prisoner's dilemma" to his best advantage. Billy Whitelaw is sexy, almost feral, as the hard-drinking tart being courted by one of the medical students. She overacts much of the time but, when reined in by her instincts or the director, she delivers some thoughtful lines. But then no one's performance is so bad that it's outstanding.

I said that the sets and the set dressing didn't really evoke the Edinburgh of the 1840s and maybe that's a good thing. The cities of the period really stank -- literally. Endiburgh could be smelled miles away and was known as "Auld Reekie." In the absence of any social programs, poverty, drunkenness, poor health, and quick death were rampant on the foul streets. Women in particular were disenfranchised. Without a man, many of them wound up as prostitutes. The same conditions prevailed in London, making whores easy prey for Jack the Ripper.

Well, that's reality, but this is cinema and, as such, is pretty good. More artful, in my opinion, is Val Lewton's inexpensive effort from RKO, "The Body Snatchers," its demonic overtones notwithstanding.

"We make no apologies to the dead....It is all true"

[Coventry · 10/10 · 7 July 2005]

With this seemly arrogant but honest message showing on the screen, the film opens at a dark Edinburgh cemetery where two vicious figures lift a cadaver from its grave... "The Flesh and the Fiends" tells the true story of William Burke and William Hare, corpse-suppliers to the ambitious surgeon and university professor Dr. Robert Knox. From what I've read in factual biographies and works of reference (yes, I find this stuff so intriguing that I study it on the side), the screenplay is rather accurate and faithful when it comes to the basic re-telling of the murder cases. Burke and Hare's modus operandi as well as their negotiations with Dr. Knox really were this clumsy and unscrupulous while Knox damn well knew about the suspicious methods of the two, but he couldn't care less as long the study-objects he received were fresh and supplied regularly. I reckon that writer/director John Gilling then added some fictional elements to his film, like the characterizations of the main roles, since Hare's persona is almost blackly comical and Dr. Knox' attitude is stubborn and typically obnoxious like nearly every scientist in horror cinema. Still, the escalation of the tragedy is truthfully illustrated with Burke and Hare getting into the body-snatching business coincidentally at first, but quickly specializing in it because of the good cash money and eventually even converting to murder in order to deliver the most 'quality'.

"The Flesh and the Fiends" isn't just a great historical film, it also is a praiseworthy horror achievement with a uniquely grim atmosphere and very convincing acting performances. John Gilling terrifically revives a 19th century Edinburgh with its low-perspective inhabitants (drunks, beggars and thieves...) and ominous bars and alleys. The murders are very mean and cold-heartedly illustrated (the death of a young unintelligent boy, strangled amid squealing pigs is particularly unsettling) which probably makes this film the most disturbing of the entire 50's decade. Peter Cushing is excellent in the - for him - familiar role of brilliant doctor but it especially are Donald Pleasance (hypocrite and self-centered) and George Rose (a simple-minded killer) who impress as Hare and Burke. The supportive roles are somewhat stiff and they bring forward redundant sub plots, like the romantic interactions between Knox' daughter Martha and her doctor-lover Geoffrey. The typically Scottish accents are a joy to listen to and the eerie black and white photography emphases the already very chilling tone. This movie is still incomprehensibly underrated and unknown. Maybe because it's not a Hammer production or maybe because the substance was considered controversial for a long period of time. Fact remains that this old shocker is far better than most contemporary horror gems and everybody who has an interest in the obscure should urgently check it out!

We are students of Hippocrates, but some of us are hypocrites.

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 9 August 2009]

John Gilling's (The Mummy's Shroud) film is listed as a horror film, but it is really an exciting thriller about an anatomy teacher (Peter Cushing) and grave-robbers (Donald Pleasence - Halloween, Dracula, & George Rose).

Billie Whitelaw (Hott Fuzz, The Omen), with two BAFTA wins and four more nominations, plays a prostitute that falls for one of the medical students (John Cairney).

The grave-robbers find that it is easier just to kill someone and sell them, than to dig them up. It wasn't long before Mary (Whitelaw) had a spat with Chris (Cairney) and fell into the clutches of the murderers.

Imagine Chris' surprise when she shows up on the slab in class the next day.

Soon, the grave-robbers were committing murders to cover up their murders.

Excellent performances by Pleasence, who got what he deserved in a weird sense, Cushing, and Dermot Walsh, as Cushing's assistant. A fascinating story that is supposedly based upon a true event.

The Deathless Story of Burke and Hare

[myboigie · 10/10 · 8 October 2005]

This is quite possibly the finest British horror-film ever made--except that it is entirely-true. The Flesh and the Fiends is nothing-less than a fairly truthful accounting of the original 'bodysnatchers,' Burke and Hare who resorted-to-murder after running-out of 'fresh' corpses for a Dr. Thomas Knox, of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a scandalous-story that would never have been possible were it not for antiquated religious-notions that it was unholy to disinter the dead--even if approved by the deceased and their survivors--for the purposes of medical-inquiry. Shot in an shadowy-expressionist black, there are few films that top this in the horror-canon. Hammer had some great films, but this is really the capper. Burke and Hare just wanted money to drink and whore. In the squalor of early-industrial Britain, there were precursors to Jack the Ripper, and Burke and Hare could have taught Jack a few-lessons.

Britain's early-industrial poverty spawned rampant-licentiousness, disease and violence. When human-life is considered worthless, you get a tendency for crime and murder of this type. Groan all-you-want, but these were the fruits of a form of gross economic-inequality that prevails today. And for those who don't know, Great Britain in the 1820s was the time of Charles Dickens. Dr. Knox was one of numerous aristocratic-doctors of his day who had to resort to the employ of bodysnatchers to obtain fresh-cadavers for his anatomical-research. Because of this, Flesh and the Fiends is also a tale of scientific-ethics--with a wrongheaded-ending! Dr. Knox was definitely aware at some point that Burke and Hare were murdering human-beings for money (this all paid-handsomely at the time), to provide him bodies. It doesn't get much darker than this. Would we even bat-an-eye today? In Houston (circa 1960s-1970s), the coroner's office was selling the cadavers of homeless Black men to the Department of Energy for radiation-experiments. Today, there are organized-crime groups who snatch-organs from the living and the dead for the highest-bidders! Egads, bodysnatching never-ended.The film: it was produced by a tiny independent English studio called 'Independents-International', and is regarded as their best-film.

Directed by Hammer-director John Gilling, it was also a minor-hit, and is easily one of Peter Cushing's best-performances. Also noteworthy, is Donald Pleascence's performance of the deadly Hare, which is very nuanced. Cushing's performance is also nuanced, illustrating the moral-dilemma that Knox must have felt utilizing the kind-of cadavers Burke and Hare provided him. How can you lose with a movie that has him and Peter Cushing?! Everything about The Flesh and the Fiends is convincing, even for such a low-budget thriller. The original-negatives of the film were located in the 1990s, so most of the editions on DVD are superb, and contain the 'Continental version' that has plenty of flesh (and fiends) on-display. What a wild-romp, and yet what a chilling-parable of the abuses-of-power in a rotten-era of human-history. It's sad how things aren't very different. You could do worse than to watch this on those cold, Autumn-nights. This is a movie for true horror-lovers who realize horror is of human-origin. Be-sure to check the Brooksfilm (Mel's old-company) version of this story, 'The Doctor and the Devils' (1985). It's pretty good, too, though not-as-good as this. When I saw it as a kid, I thought it was about Jack the Ripper!

"This one's as fresh as a new cut cabbage"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 7/10 · 16 March 2021]

The story of William Buke and William Hare and Dr Robert Knox, this is a well told tale with suspense, tension, drama and a bit of black comedy. There are several narrative strands woven together seamlessly, and filmed in atmospheric black and white with perfect use of the widescreen format. Stanley Black provides an ideal film score. John Gilling directed a range of genre films well and this undoubtedly is one of his best.

It also must be one of the best performances by Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasence. Cushing as Knox is single minded and determined to carry out his zealous purposes for humanity. He also has a nice line in sardonic humour. Pleasence as Hare is impish and cunning and chilling. Both actors play characters whom you don't like but you can't take your eyes off them.

Also excellent in support are George Rose as Burke, Renee Houston as Helen Burke, Billie Whitelaw as the wayward Mary, John Cairney as the medical student Jackson and Melvyn Hayes as Daft Jamie. The murder of the latter is particularly gruelling, The murder of Aggie is also grim, with Hare capering around almost in glee. (Aggie was played by the delightful Esma Cannon which seemed to make it even worse. The fiends!) The crowd scenes are well staged too.

Fully recommended.

Oldschool Horror British Style

[Tweetienator · 5/10 · 14 November 2022]

From time to time I like to dig out one of the old ones, dust it off and raise it from the cruel (or merciful) domain of oblivion. The Flesh and the Fiends is one of those many pleasures that I guess, only are remembered or known by a few these days. Anyway, if you enjoy to watch those old-school horror movies before gore entered and changed the game forever, you may try this one boldly: it got a fine production, an interesting story (based on some real events) and last but not least, it got Peter Cushing. No doubt, no Blitzkrieg here but rather some slow Gothic creep machine. Last note: this one is still shot in black and white.

Another Look at the West Port Murders

[theowinthrop · 6 April 2004]

Aside from Jack the Ripper and Dr. Crippen, the Burke and Hare Case of Scotland (1827 - 28) is the most popular subject for true crime films set in Great Britain. The three best known versions of this story in film are Val Lewton's THE BODYSNATCHER, the present film (MANIA), and THE DOCTOR AND THE DEVILS (based on a play by Dylan Thomas). They all stick to the basics, which are that a prominent Edinburgh doctor buys bodies from two men (supposedly "Resurrectionists" - grave robbers - but actually murderers)for his anatomy classes. In terms of following the story, MANIA is closest to the actual facts of the Burke and Hare case, even down to the final victims (i.e. Daft Jamie). The three central actors are Cushing (as Knox), Rose (ironically himself a murder victim a quarter century later - as Burke), and Pleasance (as Hare). All three give good performances. A gruesome story, with some occasional good black humor touches. Daft Jamie dies because he threatens to go to the police unless he is paid off. In watching him walk away, Rose says to Pleasance what he makes of that threat. Pleasance answers, "It means Daft Jamie isn't as daft as we thought!" The authors of the screenplay included the so-called comuppance of Hare, who turned "King's Evidence" against his partner (which is why only Burke hanged). According to legend Hare was blinded by a gang who recognized him (though not with a torch but by casting him into a lime pit). Actually, it is more likely he died peacefully in old age, but life is not always fair. The film also ends making it look like Knox has been forgiven. Well, his students did forgive him (he was a brilliant instructor of anatomy), but he was driven out of his city, his country, and ended his day in London working in a clinic (and also being a showman of some Ojibbaway Indians touring England)!

This is a fine, notable and intriguing terror movie based on the actual characters of the nasty gravediggers Burke and Hare

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 9 March 2022]

Nice film boasts a main and support cast are frankly magnificent , here standing out the starring trio : Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasence, George Rose , doing equally compelling turns . A suspenseful and interesting terror romp about two men go into business supplying Edinburgh medical college with cadavers by robbing graves . Good Horror flick with with excellent dark and light atmosphere creating an eerie and ghastly scenario . It is set in 1828, Edinburgh , Scotland, murderers William Hare (Donald Pleasence) and William Burke (George Rose) provide corpses to surgeon Dr. Knox (Peter Cushing) who does medical research on cadavers he buys them , without questioning the unethical procurement methods .Meanwhile , an obstinate officer begins to suspect the origin of the numerous corpses Hare and Burke deliver . The peculiar couple of no-count grave robbers and murderers who are supplying fresh anatomical specimens to esteemed professor Dr. Knox of the Edinburgh Medical College in 19th century Scotland by embarking on a lucrative killing spree . Along the way, one of Knox's students, Chris Jackson (John Cairney) , meets barmaid Mary Patterson (Billie Whitelaw) when he goes to the tavern to pay off the grave robbers and become involved with her . As Burke and Hare decide to embrace and continue a proactive approach and embark on a grisly slaughter more and more horrible . Then Dr. Geoffrey Mitchell (Dermot Walsh) starts suspecting the weird origin of the several bodies from Hare and Burke . Murder was their business!.Coffins Looted! Cadavers Dissected! No Job Too Small. No Body Too Big. No Questions Asked. They're making a killing. True love costs an arm and a leg. The pimps and the prostitutes and the body-snatchers. The brothels and dens of iniquity.

A scary and violent yarn about two heinous grave-robbers providing dead bodies for illegal medical research in charge of Dr. Knox , including terrific acting from Donald Pleasence and George Rose as sinister gravediggers , they create authentic macabre set pieces as well as displaying frightening and panic. This true story has been adapted a number of times , in fact this engaging tale was adapted by prestigious writer Robert Louis Stevenson himself in the novel The Body Snatcher . In Burke and Hare (2010) medical experimets meet terror movie with extreme violence and nudism at the time. Tension , horror, thriller , and eerie scenes appear lurking , menacing in graveyard , dark slums , home stairs , rooms and cementery . All characters in the story are present and partially correct , with Donald Pleasence and George Rose actually doing very well as the eponymous and disturbing duo and both of whom share compellingly the astonishingly creepy as well as sadistic scenes together . And Peter Cushing is on hand to ham it as the stubborn scientist Dr Knox. This pair really convey the whole sleaziness/perversity of the subject, and do so in a fun way , too ; it's a good double-act . As Donald Pleasence and George Rose give deliciously hammy portrayals , displaying a lively and engaging chemistry as our titular gruesome twosome, while Peter Cushing is perfect , as always as Dr. Robert Knox . And enjoyable secondary cast contributing likable turns , such as : Billie Whitelaw lending appropriate support as the shrewish Mary Patterson , June Laverick as Martha Knox , Renee Houston as Helen Burke , Dermot Walsh as Dr. Geoffrey Mitchell , John Cairney as student Chris Jackson , Melvyn Hayes, among others . The film gets the adequate and evocative atmosphere in luxurious black and white , thanks to cameraman Monty Berman. Being well produced by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman who financed a lot of terror movies with their company : Triad Productions . The motion picture was competently directed by John Gilling . He was a good craftsman , a notorious writer/producer/director with a long career who made movies of all kinds of genres such as : The Gilded Cage, The Guilty Person, The Embezzler, Double Exposure, Escape by Night, Recoil , Deadly Nightshade , The Voice of Merrill, The Frightened Man , The Quiet Woman ; but he standed out in Horror genre , such as : The Plague of the Zombies, Panic , The Mummy's Shroud , The Gamma People, Mother Riley Meets the Vampire , Devil's Cross, The Reptil and The Flesh and the Fiends.

This Buke and Hare story has been also rendered in the following films : ¨The Body Snatcher¨ (1945) by Robert Wise with Boris Karloff , Bela Lugosi, Henry Daniell ; ¨The Flesh and the Fiends¨ (1960) by John Gilling with Peter Cushing, June Laverick , Donald Pleasence , George Rose ; ¨Burke & Hare¨ (1972) by Vernon Sewell with Darren Nesbitt , Harry Andrews , James Hayter , Yutte Stensgaard . And Burke & Hare (2010) by John Landis with Simon Pegg , Andy Serkis , Tom Wilkinson , Michael Smiley, Tim Curry , Bill Bailey , among others.

A gritty and well-cast horror-drama

[Prichards12345 · 7/10 · 11 June 2012]

The Flesh And The Fiends gives us the oft-told story of Burke And Hare - with a surprising amount of accuracy and some excellent performances.

First of all we have Peter Cushing as Dr. Knox, a somewhat ruthless medical lecturer who is not exactly scrupulous as to where he gets his bodies for medical dissection. And it's a tribute to the mighty Cushing that his Knox is utterly different from his Baron Frankenstein. He gives a layered and fascinating performance, only at the end of the movie displaying a conscience in a marvellous scene with a street gamin.

And in George Rose and Donald Pleasence we have a Burke and Hare to savour. True their accents are not exactly authentic but the mixture of callous cunning and rank stupidity they display has never been bettered. Pleasence in particular is a delight as the cowardly Hare. And then there's the excellent Billie Whitelaw - years before The Omen - giving an erotically charged turn as the girlfriend of a young medical student at Knox's academy.

The film itself recreates 1820's Edinburgh brilliantly, and is superbly photographed. John Gilling, later responsible for the Hammer classic Plague of The Zombies, directs with a sure hand. The budget appears somewhat higher than your average 50s British horror movie - some well stocked crowd scenes are included here. The film doesn't stint on the horror, either. Perhaps the only real fault is the occasional lag in pace - the 95 minute running time could possibly have done with some slight trimming here and there. All told this is a splendidly realised and watchable horror drama.

"We are students of Hippocrates, but some of us are hypocrites."

[bensonmum2 · 7/10 · 23 April 2006]

From what I've read, this movie comes as close as any to featuring a reasonably realistic and true-to-life presentation of the Burke and Hare story. For those unfamiliar with the story, Burke and Hare were grave robbers in 19th Century Scotland. The bodies they stole were sold to a doctor to be used in anatomy classes. Burke and Hare discovered that murder was a much easier and a more profitable way of filling the doctor's demand for fresher bodies. The movie features two horror icons – Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasence – in performances that I consider to be among the best of their careers. The movie may be a little slow and "talky" for audiences used to the MTV style editing, but this only added to the atmosphere as far as I'm concerned. Burke and Hare's total disregard for human life effectively adds a "nastiness" to the movie that I often find missing from British movies from this period.

Juicy, macabre, intelligent gem

[darren shan · 10/10 · 28 August 2007]

Peter Cushing plays a lecturing doctor in 19th century Edinburgh who must buy fresh corpses to teach his students about the mysteries of anatomy. While the emphasis is on the doctor and the moral dilemmas he faces, Pleasance and Rose steal the show as Burke & Hare, no-goods who hit on the idea of providing their own, surprisingly fresh corpses ...

This is an unbelievably vivid horror tale, gruesome and perverse, years ahead of its time. It has some weaknesses, and a most peculiar ending, but Cushing and Pleasance give two of their best ever performances, Rose matches them, and a young Billie Whitelaw is memorable also. Despite being a film from the 50s, this is absolutely NOT for the squeamish! An overlooked minor masterpiece, every bit as important to its genre as PSYCHO or NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.

Trivia: Although "Psycho" is widely credited with being the first film to feature the actual sound of a stabbing taking place, if memory serves me right, this one might have beaten it to the punch by a year ... I'd be grateful if anyone else could confirm this.

Probably the best Burke and Hare film

[dbborroughs · 7/10 · 2 November 2009]

Sterling casts highlights one of the better versions of the Burke and Hare story of the grave robbers who turn to murder to keep the flow of bodies flowing for the anatomy professor. Here the cast includes Donald Pleasance as one of the grave robbers, Peter Cushing as the doctor buying their wares and the always wonderful Billie Whitelaw as a tavern girl caught up in the ghoulish proceedings. More thriller than straight on horror movie the film has more than enough atmosphere for five or six of these films and it really helps to keep things interesting in the oft told tale. I really like this version a great deal and place near the top of the heap. Very much worth a look.

Pretty good British horror.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 8/10 · 23 December 2002]

Peter Cushing plays the doctor who needs bodies in this fine adaptation of the Burke and Hare grave robbing case.Donald Pleasance and George Rose are both excellent as the infamous grave robbers.The film is truly atmospheric-full of packed bars,foggy streets and deep shadows-and the performance by Peter Cushing is simply amazing-Cushing is probably one of the most recognizable faces in the horror genre.The film has an eerie cinematic style reminiscent more of films from the 1940's than 1959.The first half of Gilling's story moves extremely slow,but the second half has some gruesome murder scenes.A must-see for fans of British horror!

The bodies add up quickly in this Road to Hades pairing for the gruesome twosome.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 26 October 2018]

The team of Donald Pleasance ("Halloween") and George Rose (veteran musical comedy star) create a deadly duo here as they procure bodies for doctor Peter Cushing's medical class on performing autopsies. Cushing is secondary to the story, appearing quite a bit at the beginning and the end, but not much in the middle, that section devoted to the real life Burke and Hart's reign of terror in using nefarious means to get bodies. I've seen two other variations of this story: the 1945 Val Lewton classic "The Body Snatcher" (quite fictionalized, but undoubtedly influenced by the story) and the 1948 Z grade British horror film "The Greed of William Hart" (aka "Horror Maniacs") with England's own early master of the macabre, Tod Slaughter. "The Body Snatcher" is a classic under any circumstance, while "The Greed of William Hart", greatly edited in its public domain print, is only memorable to Tod Slaughter fans. This version, however, utilizing the names of both Burke and Hart (dubbed over with different names in a re-release version of "Greed"), makes no bones about exploring the horrific ways in which these two men from the slums of Edinburgh make a living.

While no film version of an actual event like this can ever be completely accurate, from what I've read, this is pretty close, and it is indeed very chilling. The very first murder (with a drunken old lady as the victim) is deviously crafted, both by Burke and Hart and the writers in the way which they present her demise. An encounter with a drunken prostitute is also quite chilling. But the most profound and disgusting is the murder of simpleton Melvyn Hayes who reminded me of Toby from "Sweeney Todd" with his eagerness to please and the way he is thanked for information he provides. That sequence is extended to the point of making its viewers quiver, ending up in a pen of pigs. There were several moments in this when my jaw truly dropped. There's not really much detail as to what occurred at Burke and Hart's trial, only the outcome, and the final scene for Donald Pleasance's Hart is quite ironic. I could see Rose's Burke in real life going out to face his execution like John Wayne Gacy, showing absolutely no regret and cursing up a storm at those about to flip the switch, or in Rose's case, pull the lever. The end of the two main villains, however, is not the end of the film, as the last reel dedicates itself to showing how society's anger at the events impacted the previously respected Dr. Knox. Cushing is extremely classy throughout, and when he confesses the truth to his wife (June Laverick), it is quite chilling. A great showy supporting performance comes from Renee Houston as Rose's wife, who knew exactly what the two were doing and didn't seem to mind, as long as she says here, "women like that are done away with".

Surprisingly brilliant.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 9/10 · 17 January 2006]

What a nice surprise this movie was. Director John Gilling surely knows how to make a well build up thriller with a slow pace but never a dull moment.

The movie is extremely well written and has some at times incredibly good dialog. The fact that this movie is based on the true story of Burke and Hare-, two murderers who sold their victims to professor Knox, who uses them for his research, makes the movie even more interesting to watch.

This movie is not really an horror movie, I would prefer to describe it as a dark-thriller. The movie doesn't have any scares but it has some well build up tension and a great thriller-story. I think it is more because of the fact that Cushing and Pleasance are in this, that people consider this a horror movie. But please, when watching this movie, don't expect a movie with walking death people or Cushing in a role of a 'Frankenstein' like professor.

The movie is shot in atmospheric black & white. It was wonderful to see both Cushing and Pleasance in black & white for a change. My only complaint about the style is that it is a bit too dark at times, which makes the movie sometimes hard to follow.

Peter Cushing is most certainly good in his role as Dr. Robert Knox but it really is Donald Pleasence who uplifts the movie with his performance. This might very well be the best performance of him I have ever seen in a movie. He plays a slimy-tramp who is the lead-murderer of the movie. His character is portrayed so powerful and believable without ever going over-the-top.

It really is the way the movie is build up and the wonderful directing by John Gilling that makes this movie an absolutely great thriller that deserves to be better known.

9/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Horror with poetry

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 16 October 2013]

Dr. Robert Knox (Peter Cushing) is an arrogant professor who is in need of fresh corpses to dissect. He buys corpses from lowlifes William Hare and William Burke. They engineer a scheme of killing the poor who stays at Burke's house then selling the bodies to Knox. This gets out of hand and Knox must face judgment.

This is an old black and white British horror. It's slow and not scary compared to more modern fare. The horror is more of the mind than of the gory variety. It is the horror of Dr Knox's ambition. Peter Cushing has nailed this character without making him a cartoon. He isn't evil but what he does has led to much evil. In the end, the system itself is shown to be complicit. It is horror with poetry.

so remarkably average...

[Jonny_Numb · 4/10 · 16 November 2005]

What a disappointment. "The Flesh and the Fiends" has a lot going for it, including a cast of familiar genre faces (Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasence, and Billie Whitelaw), decent production values, and a distinctly eerie atmosphere. Unfortunately, the story of an anatomy professor (Cushing) who uses fresh corpses brought in (and often killed) by two bums (including a pre-bald Pleasence) plays more as a straight drama than a horror film; there would be nothing wrong with this if the story had a hint of interest, but it doesn't. Stripping away the credentials of the cast, the film itself is slow, talky, and generally uninteresting. Sort of like an AIP film without the cheese, and a Hammer film without the fine polish.