The Flesh and the Fiends (1960)
Edinburgh, 1827. Criminal low life's Burke and Hare hit upon the idea of selling the bodies of the recently deceased to eminent surgeon Dr. Knox. Although ill at ease with the idea Knox agrees to the deal as cadavers are needed to allow medicine and surgery to move forward. Unfortunately for Knox, Burke and Hare decide grave robbing and ultimately cold blooded murder are the way to go for the freshest bodies.
The film has a surprisingly fine cast for a non Hammer Gothic horror. Produced by Triad productions on the back of cinematic successes with Jack the Ripper and Blood of the Vampire, The Flesh and the Fiends boasts Peter Cushing headlining as Dr Knox, Cushing was both an inspired and obvious choice given the character of Knox isn't a million miles away from Cushing's Baron Frankenstein in 1957's The Curse of Frankenstein. Joining Cushing from that production was Melvyn Hayes (he played the young Victor in Curse), Billie Whitelaw, George Rose and Donald Pleasence as the fiends Burke and Hare. The characters of Burke and Hare are clearly the villains from the off set. Neither have any sympathetic tendencies and both are nasty pieces of work you wouldn't wish to come across. Having said that its great testament to both the script and the direction that in his final scenes i felt really sorry for Hare as it became clearer it wouldn't end too well for him.
An underrated film by many, possibly little seen as well, The Flesh and the Fiends has superb production values, the Edinburgh street sets are quite wonderful, and the film is blessed with some rather fine if understated photography. John Gilling, who would later go on to direct the Hammer classics The Reptile and Plague of the Zombies, has a flair for creating tension. The stalking and murder of Whitelaw and the release of Hare from police custody are both as riveting as any film you care to mention from the period. For its time the film is fairly violent, scenes of additional violence and buxom tavern girl nudity were added for the European market . The nudity is brief and doesn't actually add anything to the viewers enjoyment of the film.
The films only real minus points are the fact that the star billed Cushing isn't actually in the film that much. A lot of the story is centered on the relationship of one of his students (John Cairney) and his ultimately doomed relationship with serving girl / hooker, Whitelaw. Whilst these parts aren't bad you do wish for more Cushing on screen.
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26th March 2025, 06:47 PM
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