The Abominable Dr. Phibes

Vincent Price (House on Haunted Hill, Dragonwyck) plays Doctor Anton Phibes, a brilliant musician, and theologian whose wife died on the operating table. Now he seeks revenge on the doctors and nurses who operated and failed to save her life. Being helped by his beautiful, mute assistant Vulnavia, (Virginia North; On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Some Girls Do), he constantly stays one step ahead of Scotland Yard and uses his knowledge of theology to murder each of his victims following the plagues of Egypt.

Distributed by American International Pictures, The Abominable Dr. Phibes is one of Vincent Price’s great horror movie roles. His natural suaveness makes the character elegant and charming as he commits his atrocities. Even though this film has its campy elements, the character of Dr. Phibes is truly memorable. He is horribly disfigured from a car crash (that occurred shortly after his wife’s passing) and cannot speak without the use of acoustical devices of his own creation. In fact, we don’t hear him speak until over 30 minutes into the film. While crazy, he is methodical and focused; with each murder, he enjoys being one step closer to his ultimate goal. Topping all that are the creative ways that he eliminates his victims, making him a complete psychopath and a perfect horror icon to fill a gap between Bela Lugosi’ s Dracula and Robert Englund’s Freddy Krueger. He purports to have all the charm and pathos of a Universal Monster coupled with the viciousness of an 80’s slasher killer.

Much is not known about Phibes until it is discovered by Inspector Trout (Peter Jeffery; The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Countess Dracula) of Scotland Yard, who is constantly trying to stop Phibes. It slowly develops the Phibes’ character throughout the film, keeping you hooked. You want to discover more about the character while you wait until he does away with his next victim. His character even becomes somewhat endearing as one may sympathize with his motives for murdering the doctors he blames for his wife’s death.

While this movie has its roots in horror, it is about as campy as it can get without completely breaking out of the genre and falling into straight comedy. Doctor Phibes lair is filled with camp, containing items and decor that include rotating theatrical backdrops, a clockwork band, and large, lighted, red-tubed organ, and more. He and his assistant move, dress, “talk” in exaggeration as if their entire lives are a stage performance. It all works together wonderfully to create his style and makes him a standout character. In The Abominable Dr. Phibes, the camp in the film gives us a chuckle right before or after someone dies, and those lighthearted moments help raise the horrors a bit higher than if they stood alone. It also makes the Phibes character charming and even sympathetic.

The viewer does have to remember a few things when watching this film. First, it was made in 1971 so the makeup, costumes, and special effects are practical and dated, but still a lot of fun, (remember that Doctor Phibes’ makeup is supposed to look like makeup). Second, certain moments are a real stretch to believe, with killing methods being a bit unrealistic and Phibes’ and his assistant’s movements seemingly supernatural (i.e. entering and exiting crime scenes and police guarded areas with no suspicion from the officers). Finally, even though he has one of the most recognizable voices in film and radio, Vincent Price, while on-screen, doesn’t speak until half an hour into the film and even then the voice is dubbed in. However, none of these really detract from the film enough to put it in a “bad movie” category.

Some of the other great actors who starred in The Abominable Dr. Phibes include Joseph Cotton (Citizen Kane, Soylent Green) as Doctor Vesalius, Virginia North, Terry-Thomas, Hugh Griffith, and Peter Jeffery. Their talents combine to make a great cast of characters that support and move the film’s plot. There really wasn’t a weak player in the cast.

If you are a fan of Vincent Price, you need to see this film. If you are not, this is still a great movie to add to a watch list. It has great actors, an interesting story, and an icon for horror in Doctor Phibes. It spawned a sequel, and firmly connected Vincent Price as a prince of the horror genre. So pop it into your player, turn off your robot band, sit back on your couch, and save me some popcorn!

Check out our other reviews of the Phibes franchise!

Dr. Phibes Rises Again!

Rating:

Jack Savage:

A nice bridge between classic horror and the slashers of the eighties. To me, Doctor Phibes is the precursor to characters like Freddy Krueger and Jigsaw. An absolutely fun horror film with a touch of comedy and a great performance by Vincent Price.

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