The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

When his wife loses her life during a medical operation, Dr. Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) seeks revenge on those who he believes are responsible.

Director: Robert Fuest

Cast: Vincent Price, Joseph Cotton, Virginia North, Terry Thomas, Peter Jeffery, Susan Travers

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some disturbing images

Run Time: 1hr 34min.

Fun Fact: Peter Cushing was originally cast as Dr. Vesalius. He turned the role down due to his wife being in poor health at the time. Cushing would go on to appear in the sequel.

Have you ever seen a film that is so unique that you can’t get enough of it or want to show others? A film that is so unique in a way that you consider it a hidden gem. Of course, you have! 

The Abominable Dr. Phibes is one of those unique films for me. It’s a beautifully crafted horror film that has its nice moments of suspense and thrills intertwined. Starring Vincent Price, we get a classic tale of revenge. Price portrays the lead character Dr. Anton Phibes who’s a jack of all trades. He’s a doctor, a scientist, biblical scholar, and an accomplished organist of all things. As viewers we view Phibes as a vigilante or anti-hero in a way. He feels like that those responsible for his wife’s passing should be held accountable. Once again Vincent Price knocks it out of the park in his role. He’s silent but when he talks it gives a creepy effect that will stick with you. I’m not going to spoil it because you will need to see it and hear it to get the full effect of it. Joseph Cotton portrays Dr. Vesalius and to be honest I think this was a miscast in a way. While doing some research I read that Cotton had moments of struggle through filming. It shows in some of his moments but also to be honest Cotton puts in a serviceable performance. While it is not his best work, he is still believable in certain scenes. To me Peter Cushing was the way to go here and it’s unfortunate that he couldn’t do the production.

What makes the film unique is its technical production. The sets, costumes, and colors are pleasant to look at. For the setting we get a unique blend of the 1920’s and 1970’s. The story is based in the 20’s but the everything looks like it would be out of the 70’s. Virginia North, who portrays the assistant to Dr. Phibes, has some cool looking costumes that both look elegant and retro at the same time. All the other costumes have the same effect on the other characters. The real treat is the home of Dr. Phibes. Its massive and has all sorts of secrets to it. He has his own ballroom and a medical room all in one! Another nice touch is some of the makeup work on Vincent Price. There is a big reveal in the film’s climax that is just awesome to see. If you’re a horror fan you are going to love, it. 

Director Robert Fuest made some decisions that I thought fit well through the production. There are moments of silence through the film that leave impact. For the first ten minutes there is no dialogue. That leaves that opening scene more impactful. When a character finds out that a loved one is in peril, there is silence that brings the emotion more to life. There are moments where you can’t even hear anything that makes it more of a silent film in a way. When there is music it’s epic sounding especially coming from the organ playing. It’s loud and vibrant and will get the viewer excited. 

Overall, The Abominable Dr. Phibes is a unique film that I consider a hidden gem in the horror genre. We get cool looking costumes and sets sprinkled in through the film. We also get a nice blend of sound and silence as well that elevate the scenes that are presented to us. Vincent Price delivers another great performance as he always does. He’s but sympathetic and frightening as well. In one hand we want him to succeed in his quest and another we fear his next move. If you like retro looking horror or films in general, this is something for you. This was a film that I wanted to show my girlfriend for quite some time. She’s a Vincent Price and horror fan as well and she ended up liking it. Give it a shot because you will not be disappointed. 

Verdict: Hit