The Flesh and the Fiends (1960): Cast & Plot
The Flesh and the Fiends is a 1960 horror film directed by John Gilling, starring Peter Cushing as Dr. Robert Knox, June Laverick and Donald Pleasence. It runs 1 hour 34 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 34m (94 min)
- Director
- John Gilling
- Genre
- Horror
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Triad Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Flesh and the Fiends About?
The premise of The Flesh and the Fiends without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
In 19th‑century Edinburgh, surgeon Dr. Robert Knox is desperate for bodies to advance his anatomical research. When conventional sources dry up, the unscrupulous pair William Burke and William Hare begin providing fresh cadavers—initially by grave‑robbing and soon by murder—to satisfy Knox’s experiments, revealing a chilling partnership between science and crime.
The Flesh and the Fiends Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- serial killer
- corpse
- cemetery
- grave robbing
- female topless nudity
- female full frontal nudity
- brief female full frontal nudity
- edinburgh scotland
- 19th century
- boarding house
- big natural breasts
- body snatcher
+38 more Show fewer
- one breast exposed
- topless in public
- public nudity
- suffocated to death
- quill pen
- public hanging
- blinded
- necrophilia
- doctor
- murder
- based on true story
- scotland
- angry mob
- guilt
- uncle niece relationship
- psychotronic film
- female nudity
- reference to burke and hare
- town crier
- body snatching
- pickpocketing
- year 1828
- top hat
- woman raises her skirt
- skirt
- passed out drunk
- woman naked under covers
- barefoot girl
- dead body laid out on a table
- senos desnudos
- wardrobe malfunction
- man holds his hand over a woman's mouth
- professor
- rat
- rowboat
- snuff
- implied sex
- woman's dress ripped off in public
The Flesh and the Fiends Cast & Characters
Peter Cushing leads the cast as Dr. Robert Knox, with June Laverick as Martha Knox and Donald Pleasence as William Hare. Directed by John Gilling; 22 actors are credited in all.
- Director John Gilling
-
Peter Cushing as Dr. Robert Knox - June Laverick as Martha Knox
-
Donald Pleasence as William Hare - George Rose as William Burke
Also Starring in The Flesh and the Fiends
· 18 more- Renée Houston Helen Burke
- Dermot Walsh Dr. Geoffrey Mitchell
- John Cairney Chris Jackson
- Billie Whitelaw Mary Patterson
- Michael Balfour Drunken Sailor
- Esma Cannon Aggie
- George Woodbridge Dr. Ferguson
- Melvyn Hayes Daft Jamie
- Andrew Faulds Inspector McCulloch
- Philip Leaver Dr. Elliot
- George Street Publican
- Beckett Bould Old Angus
- Garard Green Dr. Andrews
- Raf De La Torre Grave Robber
- Steven Scott Grave Robber
- George Bishop Blind Man
Show all 22 cast members Show fewer cast members
- June Powell Maggie O'Hara
- Marita Constantinou
More from John Gilling
More films directed by John Gilling: Cross of the Devil, The Mummy’s Shroud, Where the Bullets Fly and The Reptile.
The Flesh and the Fiends Plot Summary
What happens in The Flesh and the Fiends from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In What’s After the Movie, we explore the dark and intriguing history of Edinburgh in 1828, focusing on the notorious Dr. William Hare, a highly skilled anatomist known for drawing large crowds to his lectures on the human body. Despite his dedication to advancing medical knowledge, Dr. Knox often finds himself at odds with his conservative colleagues who oppose his methods. He is deeply respected by his students, who believe his work is vital for progress in the medical field. However, a significant obstacle they face is the scarcity of legal cadavers, as laws from that era restrict the availability of corpses for dissection. This legal limitation leads to the rise of “Resurrection men,” or graverobbers, who illegally supply bodies to the medical school, fueling a dangerous underground trade.
Full summary
The whole story of The Flesh and the Fiends, scene by scene
The Flesh and the Fiends Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 featurette.
- Featurette Joe Dante on THE FIENDISH GHOULS
How Well Do You Know The Flesh and the Fiends?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the main anatomist character in the film?
The Flesh and the Fiends Also Known As
17 alternative titles, including “Mania” and “The Fiendish Ghouls”.
- Also known as
-
- Mania
- The Fiendish Ghouls
- La carne y el demonio
- Orgía de Sangre
- O Monstro da Morgue Sinistra
- Parantava veitsi
- Kalmankauppiaat
- L'impasse aux violences
- Le jene di Edimburgo
- A Carne e os Demónios
- Carnea si demonii
- Плоть и демоны
+5 more Show fewer
- La carn i el dimoni
- Der Arzt und die Teufel
- 窃尸奇谭
- 광란의 매니아
- Ciała i biesy
Seen The Flesh and the Fiends?
Movies Like The Flesh and the Fiends
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Flesh and Blood Show, Flesh for the Beast and The Creeping Flesh.
-
The Flesh and Blood Show 1972 -
Flesh for the Beast 2003 -
The Creeping Flesh 1973 -
Flesh Feast 1970 -
The Flesh Eaters 1964 -
The Doctor and the Devils 1985 -
In the Folds of the Flesh 1970 -
The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein 1973 -
Beyond the Darkness 1979 -
Hands of the Ripper 1971 -
FleshEater 1988 -
The Body Beneath 1970
The Flesh and the Fiends FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Flesh and the Fiends, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Flesh and the Fiends?
The Flesh and the Fiends runs 1 hour 34 minutes (94 minutes).
When was The Flesh and the Fiends released?
The Flesh and the Fiends was released on February 2, 1960.
Who directed The Flesh and the Fiends?
The Flesh and the Fiends was directed by John Gilling.
More films by John Gilling Who is in the cast of The Flesh and the Fiends?
The Flesh and the Fiends stars Peter Cushing as Dr. Robert Knox, June Laverick as Martha Knox and Donald Pleasence as William Hare, among 22 credited actors.
Does The Flesh and the Fiends have a post-credit scene?
No. The Flesh and the Fiends has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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