The Elephant Man

The Elephant Man (1980)

Timing: 2:4 (124 min)

8.047/10
3869

8.114/10
79137

8.2/10
281000

All about film

Video 17

Photo 113

Actors and characters

Release date

1980-10-09

Country

United States, United Kingdom

Production

Paramount, Brooksfilms

Genre

Drama, History

Budget

$5 000 000

Revenue

$26 053 311

Website

Director

David Lynch

Actors

Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Freddie Jones, Michael Elphick, Hannah Gordon, Helen Ryan, John Standing
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Jonathan Sanger, Mel Brooks, Mel Brooks, Stuart Cornfeld

Operator

Freddie Francis

Composer

John Morris

Artist

Audition

Maggie Cartier

Editing

Anne V. Coates
All team (41)

• In the episode where John is pursued by an angry mob, David Lynch can be spotted among the extras descending after the hero into the underpass.
• The Elephant Man's real name was Joseph, not John, as written in Treves' book. The reason for the name change remains unknown.
• John Hurt's makeup was created based on a preserved body of Joseph Merrick kept at the Royal London Hospital. Applying the makeup took 12 hours each day.
• Doctors still debate the nature of Joseph Merrick's disfigurement. Most scientists believe he suffered from Proteus syndrome, which causes abnormal growth of the head, bones, and skin. However, it's possible that Merrick was affected by neurofibromatosis—a very rare disease that can also cause bone deformation and the growth of benign tumors.
• Producer Mel Brooks, primarily known as a comedy director, deliberately removed his name from the credits to avoid giving viewers the wrong impression of the film.
• The film is based on Frederick Treves' book "The Elephant Man" and, in part, on Ashley Montagu's "The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity".
• In the scene where John is pursued by an angry mob, David Lynch can be spotted among the extras descending after the hero into the underground passage.