Where to watch The Elephant Man (1980)
It can also be rented or bought from AppleTV.
In Victorian London, a surgeon rescues a severely disfigured man who has been exploited as a sideshow attraction. As he receives care and encounters people from different social circles, his intelligence, sensitivity, and desire for dignity gradually come into focus.
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Freddie Jones, Michael Elphick, Hannah Gordon, Helen Ryan, John Standing, Dexter Fletcher, Lesley Dunlop
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Trivia & production notes
- Producer Jonathan Sanger acquired the script from writers Christopher De Vore and Eric Bergren after his babysitter handed it to him.
- Mel Brooks financed the film through Brooksfilms, his newly formed production company, after reading the script in one sitting and becoming emotionally moved by it.
- David Lynch was introduced to the project through Mel Brooks' personal assistant Stuart Cornfeld, who suggested him after Brooks had never heard of him before.
- Mel Brooks watched David Lynch's Eraserhead at a 20th Century Fox screening room to decide if Lynch could direct, and the viewing convinced him to hire Lynch.
- Mel Brooks requested not to be credited as executive producer so audiences would not expect a comedy based on his involvement.
- David Lynch cast John Hurt as John Merrick after watching The Naked Civil Servant, while Hurt was simultaneously waiting between takes on Heaven's Gate due to director Michael Cimino's perfectionism.
- John Hurt's makeup took seven to eight hours to apply each day and two hours to carefully remove, based on direct casts of the real Merrick's body from the Royal London Hospital.
- John Hurt would arrive at 5 am to have makeup applied, then shoot scenes from noon until 10 pm, working only alternate days due to the physical strain.
- David Lynch originally attempted to design the makeup himself but the design failed, leading Christopher Tucker to take over the role.
- Composer John Morris opposed Lynch's use of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, predicting the piece would be overused in future films and lose its emotional impact.
Adapted from the Wikipedia article The Elephant Man (1980 film), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Rewritten for StreamShack; errors are ours — tell us about them.
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