The Flesh and the Fiends (1959)
Director: John Gilling
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
A somewhat rickety old chiller (to the backdoor of Dr Knox's Edinburgh medical academy come the 'Resurrectionists') not helped by the stiff second leads, Laverick and Walsh, but much enlivened by the black-comic caperings of Pleasence (Ulster accent and rolling eyes) and Rose (a very simple-minded killer) as the body-snatchers Hare and Burke. The film, written by John Gilling and Leon Griffiths, is notably cold-hearted when it comes to the off-hand murders, young 'Daft' Jamie (Hayes), for instance, being strangled in a pig pen, amid the squealing of the porkers. Incidental pleasures include Billie Whitelaw, as a noisy trollop, and Renee Houston, as Mrs Burke, a most businesslike murderess.Author: JPy
Cast & crew
Director: John Gilling
Producer: Robert Baker, Monty Berman
Cast: Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasence, George Rose, Billie Whitelaw, June Laverick, Renee Houston, Dermot Walsh, Melvyn Hayes full cast
Genre(s): Horror
Duration: 97 mins
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