The Flesh and the Fiends

Plot

Mania is the venerable Burke and Hare story, previously cinematized by producer Val Lewton as The Body Snatcher. Peter Cushing plays a respectable 19th-century Edinburgh doctor who needs fresh cadavers in order to continue his crucial research. Since the exhuming of bodies for medical purposes is illegal, Lee must rely upon grave-robbers George Rose and Donald Pleasance for his corpse supply. What Lee doesn't know is that Rose and Pleasance frequently cut out the middleman by "creating" their own corpses. The good doctor catches on when the latest cadaver turns out to be his own fiancee. Its excessively violent climax has prevented Mania from being shown completely intact on commercial television. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Cast

• Peter Cushing - Dr. Robert Knox
• June Laverick - Martha
• Donald Pleasence - William Hare
• Dermot Walsh - Dr. Geoffrey Mitchell
• Renee Houston - Helen Burke

George Rose - William Burke; Billie Whitelaw - Mary Patterson; John Cairney - Chris Jackson; Melvyn Hayes - Daft Jamie; Geoffrey Tyrrell - Old Davey; Beckett Bould - Old Angus; George Bishop - Blind Man; George Woodbridge - Dr. Ferguson; Philip Leaver - Dr. Elliott; John Rae - Rev. Lincoln; Esma Cannon - Aggie; Raf dela Torre - Baxter; Michael Balfour - Drunken Sailor; George Street - Barman; Michael Mulcaster - Undertaker; Jack McNaughton - Stallholder; Andrew Faulds - Inspector McCulloch

Credit

John Elphick - Art Director, John Gilling - Director, Jack Slade - Editor, Stanley Black - Composer (Music Score), Monty Berman - Cinematographer, Robert S. Baker - Producer, Monty Berman - Producer, John Gilling - Screenwriter, Leon Griffiths - Screenwriter

Previous:	The Flesh and Blood Show (1972 Film), The Flesh Is Weak (1957 Film)
Next:	The Fleshtones: Live at Hurrah! (1980 Film), The Flight Before Christmas (2008 Film)

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