''The Abominable Dr. Phibes'' is a 1971 British dark
comedy horror
Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary genre, literary, television genre, television, and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as able to be categorized under three ty ...
film, produced by Ronald S. Dunas and
Louis M. Heyward
Louis M. "Deke" Heyward (born Louis Mortimere Horowitz, June 24, 1920 – March 26, 2002) was an American movie producer, producer and film and television screenwriter.
Life and career
Born in New York City to Henry Horowitz and Rose Klein, i ...
, directed by
Robert Fuest, written by William Goldstein and James Whiton,
and starring
Vincent Price and
Joseph Cotten. Its
art deco sets,
dark humour, and performance by Price have made the film and its sequel ''
Dr. Phibes Rises Again
''Dr. Phibes Rises Again'' is a 1972 British horror-dark comedy film, produced by Louis M. Heyward, directed by Robert Fuest, that stars Vincent Price and Robert Quarry. The film is a sequel to ''The Abominable Dr. Phibes'' (1971). After seeking ...
''
cult classics
A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in ...
.
The film also features
Terry-Thomas and
Hugh Griffith
Hugh Emrys Griffith (30 May 1912 – 14 May 1980) was a Welsh film, stage, and television actor. He is best remembered for his role in the film '' Ben-Hur'' (1959), which earned him critical acclaim and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Acto ...
, with an uncredited
Caroline Munro appearing as Phibes' wife.
The film follows the title character, Dr Anton Phibes, who blames the medical team that attended to his wife's surgery four years prior for her death and sets out to exact vengeance on each one. Phibes is inspired in his murderous spree by the
Ten Plagues of Egypt
The Plagues of Egypt, in the account of the book of Exodus, are ten disasters inflicted on Biblical Egypt by the God of Israel in order to convince the Pharaoh to emancipate the enslaved Israelites, each of them confronting Pharaoh and one of h ...
from the