The Abominable Dr. Phibes - Revision history

Kurt: /* Music */

2024-09-28T03:02:30Z

Music

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	The film's [[Film score\|incidental score]] was composed by [[Basil Kirchin]] and includes 1920s-era [[source music]], most notably "[[Charmaine (song)\|Charmaine]]" and "[[Darktown Strutters' Ball]]".		The film's [[Film score\|incidental score]] was composed by [[Basil Kirchin]] and includes 1920s-era [[source music]], most notably "[[Charmaine (song)\|Charmaine]]" and "[[Darktown Strutters' Ball]]".

	[[File:Dr Phibes LP cover.~~jpg~~\|thumb\|right\|''Dr. Phibes'' 1971 soundtrack LP]]		[[File:Dr Phibes LP cover.webp\|thumb\|right\|''Dr. Phibes'' 1971 soundtrack LP]]
	One of several music-related errors or anachronisms within the film's storyline is the song overlaid as a recorded performance by one of the ostensibly mechanized musicians of "Dr. Phibes' Clockwork Wizards."<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/DrPhibesClockworkWizards "Dr. Phibes Clockwork Wizards"] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319105612/https://www.facebook.com/DrPhibesClockworkWizards \|date=19 March 2015 }}.</ref> The pianist in this simulated [[Animatronics\|animatronic]] band "sings" "[[One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)]]". Although the film's plot is set in England in the 1920s, this particular song did not exist until 1943, when [[Harold Arlen]] and [[Johnny Mercer]] wrote it as part of their film score for ''[[The Sky's the Limit (1943 film)\|The Sky's the Limit]]''. [[Fred Astaire]] sang the [[jazz standard]] for the first time in that musical comedy. Likewise, the melody of the song "[[You Stepped Out of a Dream]]", written by [[Nacio Herb Brown]] (music) and [[Gus Kahn]] (lyrics) and first published in 1940, accompanies a scene depicting Dr. Phibes and Vulnavia dancing together in the ballroom of his mansion. Other musical anachronisms are Vulnavia's playing "[[Close Your Eyes (Bernice Petkere song)\|Close Your Eyes]]" (1933) on the violin, or her placing in a car a music box that plays "[[Elmer's Tune]]" (1941).		One of several music-related errors or anachronisms within the film's storyline is the song overlaid as a recorded performance by one of the ostensibly mechanized musicians of "Dr. Phibes' Clockwork Wizards."<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/DrPhibesClockworkWizards "Dr. Phibes Clockwork Wizards"] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319105612/https://www.facebook.com/DrPhibesClockworkWizards \|date=19 March 2015 }}.</ref> The pianist in this simulated [[Animatronics\|animatronic]] band "sings" "[[One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)]]". Although the film's plot is set in England in the 1920s, this particular song did not exist until 1943, when [[Harold Arlen]] and [[Johnny Mercer]] wrote it as part of their film score for ''[[The Sky's the Limit (1943 film)\|The Sky's the Limit]]''. [[Fred Astaire]] sang the [[jazz standard]] for the first time in that musical comedy. Likewise, the melody of the song "[[You Stepped Out of a Dream]]", written by [[Nacio Herb Brown]] (music) and [[Gus Kahn]] (lyrics) and first published in 1940, accompanies a scene depicting Dr. Phibes and Vulnavia dancing together in the ballroom of his mansion. Other musical anachronisms are Vulnavia's playing "[[Close Your Eyes (Bernice Petkere song)\|Close Your Eyes]]" (1933) on the violin, or her placing in a car a music box that plays "[[Elmer's Tune]]" (1941).

Kurt at 02:52, 28 September 2024

2024-09-28T02:52:34Z

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	\| image = Abominablephibes1.jpg		\| image = Abominablephibes1.jpg
	\| alt =		\| alt =
	\| caption = ~~Theatrical release poster~~		\| caption =
	\| director = [[Robert Fuest]]		\| director = [[Robert Fuest]]
	\| writer = {{Plainlist\|		\| writer = {{Plainlist\|

Kurt at 00:37, 28 September 2024

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	~~{{Short description\|1971 British film by Robert Fuest}}~~
	~~{{Use British English\|date=March 2016}}~~
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=July 2024}}~~
	{{Infobox film		{{Infobox film
	\| name = The Abominable Dr. Phibes		\| name = The Abominable Dr. Phibes
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	==External links==		==External links==
	~~{{Wikiquote}}~~
	* {{IMDb title}}		* {{IMDb title}}
	* {{AllMovie title}}		* {{AllMovie title}}
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	* ''[https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150047275 The Abominable Dr. Phibes]'' at the [[British Film Institute]]		* ''[https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150047275 The Abominable Dr. Phibes]'' at the [[British Film Institute]]
	* {{TCMDb title}}		* {{TCMDb title}}

	~~{{Robert Fuest}}~~
	~~{{Book of Exodus}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Abominable Dr. Phibes, The}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Abominable Dr. Phibes, The}}

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2024-09-28T00:22:08Z

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← Older revision	Revision as of 19:22, 27 September 2024
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en>Ser Amantio di Nicolao: /* External links */ add Category:English-language crime films

2024-09-19T22:22:47Z

External links: add Category:English-language crime films

New page

{{Short description|1971 British film by Robert Fuest}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Abominable Dr. Phibes
| image = Abominablephibes1.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Robert Fuest]]
| writer = {{Plainlist|
* James Whiton
* [[William Goldstein]]
}}
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Louis M. Heyward]]
* Ronald S. Dunas
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Vincent Price]]
* [[Joseph Cotten]]
* [[Hugh Griffith]]
* [[Terry-Thomas]]
* [[Virginia North]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Norman Warwick]]
| editing = Tristam Cones
| music = [[Basil Kirchin]]
| studio = [[American International Productions]]
| distributor = [[Anglo-EMI Film Distributors]]
| released = {{Film date|df=y|1971|04||United Kingdom}}
| runtime = 94 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| gross = $1.5 million<ref>{{cite book |last1=Parish |first1=James Robert |author-link1=James Robert Parish |last2=Whitney |first2=Steven |url=https://archive.org/details/vincentpriceunma0000pari/page/n163/mode/2up |title=Vincent Price Unmasked |location=New York |publisher=Drake Publishers |year=1974 |page=131 |isbn=978-0-87749-667-0 |url-access=registration}}</ref> or $1,827,000<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/americanfilmdist0000dona/page/301/mode/2up|title=American Film Distribution: The Changing Marketplace |last=Donahue |first=Suzanne Mary |location=Ann Arbor, Michigan |publisher=[[UMI Research Press]] |year=1987 |page=301 |isbn=978-0-8357-1776-2 |url-access=registration}} Note: Figures are for [[distributor rentals]] in the United States and Canada.</ref>
}}
'''''The Abominable Dr. Phibes''''' is a 1971 British [[comedy horror]] film directed by [[Robert Fuest]], written by James Whiton and [[William Goldstein]],<ref name="BFIsearch">{{Cite web |title=The Abominable Dr. Phibes |url=https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150047275 |access-date=20 August 2024 |website=British Film Institute Collections Search}}</ref><ref name=tcm /> and starring [[Vincent Price]] and [[Joseph Cotten]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6bf3d3cd|title=The Abominable Dr. Phibes|publisher=[[British Film Institute]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712173120/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6bf3d3cd|archive-date=2012-07-12}}</ref> Its [[Art Deco]] sets, [[Black comedy|dark humour]], and performance by Price have made the film and its sequel ''[[Dr. Phibes Rises Again]]'' [[Cult film|cult classics]].<ref name=tcm>{{cite web|last=Weber|first=Eric|url=http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/114213%7C0/The-Abominable-Dr-Phibes.html|title=The Abominable Dr. Phibes|publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|access-date=3 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217195343/http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article/?cid=114213|archive-date=17 December 2007}}</ref> The film also features [[Hugh Griffith]] and [[Terry-Thomas]], with an uncredited [[Caroline Munro]] appearing as Phibes's wife.

The film follows the title character, Dr Anton Phibes, who blames the medical team that attended to his wife's surgery four years earlier, for her death and sets out to exact vengeance on each one.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishhorrorfilms.co.uk/abominable.shtml|title=The Abominable Doctor Phibes (1970)|website=British Horror Films|access-date=3 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106093037/http://www.britishhorrorfilms.co.uk/abominable.shtml|archive-date=6 November 2014}}</ref> Phibes is inspired in his murder spree by the [[Plagues of Egypt|Ten Plagues of Egypt]] from the [[Old Testament]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Firsching|first=Robert|url=https://allmovie.com/movie/the-abominable-dr-phibes-v608/review|title=The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) – Robert Fuest {{!}} Review|publisher=[[AllMovie]]|access-date=15 November 2019|archive-date=15 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115051208/https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-abominable-dr-phibes-v608/review}}</ref> although some plagues were dropped, new ones added and they are ordered differently from in the Bible.

==Plot==
Dr. Anton Phibes, a famous concert organist with [[doctorate]]s in both music and [[theology]], is believed to have been killed in a car crash in Switzerland in 1921, while racing home upon hearing of the death of his beloved wife, Victoria, during surgery. Phibes survived the crash, but was horribly scarred and left unable to speak. He remade his face with [[prosthetics]] and used his knowledge of [[acoustics]] to regain his voice. Resurfacing secretly in London in 1925, Phibes believes his wife was a victim of her doctors' incompetence, and begins elaborate plans to kill those he believes are responsible for her death.<ref>{{cite book |last =Rovin |first =Jeff |author-link =Jeff Rovin |url =https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofsu0000rovi_h5r9/page/100/mode/2up |title =The Encyclopedia of Super Villains |publisher =[[Facts on File]] |year =1987 |location =New York |isbn = 978-0-8160-1356-2 |pages=101–102 |url-access=registration}}</ref>

Aided in his quest for vengeance by his beautiful and silent assistant Vulnavia, Phibes uses the [[Plagues of Egypt|Ten Plagues of Egypt]] as his inspiration, wearing an [[amulet]] with [[Hebrew letters]] corresponding with each plague as he conducts the murders. After three doctors have been killed, Inspector Trout, a detective from [[Metropolitan Police Service|Scotland Yard]], learns that they all had worked under the direction of Dr Vesalius, who tells him the deceased had been on his team when treating Victoria, as were four other doctors and one nurse. Trout discovers one of Phibes's amulets (torn off during a struggle) at the murder scene of the fourth doctor, which takes place while he is interviewing Vesalius. He first takes it to the jeweller who made it, then to a [[rabbi]] to learn its meaning. Now believing Phibes may still be alive, Trout and Vesalius go to the Phibes mausoleum at [[Highgate Cemetery]]. Inside, they find a box of ashes in Phibes's coffin, but Trout deduces they are probably the remains of Phibes's chauffeur. Victoria's coffin is empty.

The police are unable to prevent Phibes from killing the remaining members of Vesalius's team, so they focus their efforts entirely on protecting Vesalius himself. Phibes kidnaps Vesalius's son Lem, then calls Vesalius and tells him to come alone to his mansion on Maldene Square if he wants to save his son's life. Trout refuses to let him go, so Vesalius knocks the inspector unconscious and races to Phibes's mansion, where he confronts him. Phibes tells him his son is under [[anaesthesia]] and prepared for surgery. Phibes has implanted a key near the boy's heart that will unlock his restraints. Vesalius has to surgically remove the key within six minutes (the same time Victoria was on the operating table) to release his son before acid from a container above Lem's head is released and kills him. Vesalius succeeds and moves the table out of the way. Vulnavia, who was ordered to destroy Phibes's mechanical creations, is surprised by Trout and his assistant; backing away, she is drenched with the acid and killed.

Convinced that he has accomplished his vendetta, Phibes retreats to the basement to inter himself in a stone [[sarcophagus]] containing the [[Embalming|embalmed]] body of his wife. He proceeds to drain his blood while simultaneously replacing it with embalming fluid and lies down in the sarcophagus next to Victoria. The coffin's inlaid stone lid lowers into place, concealing it. Trout and the police arrive but cannot find Phibes. They recall that the "final curse" was darkness just before the basement goes dark.

==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Vincent Price]] as Dr. Anton Phibes
* [[Joseph Cotten]] as Dr. Vesalius
* [[Hugh Griffith]] as the rabbi
* [[Terry-Thomas]] as Dr. Longstreet
* [[Peter Jeffrey]] as Inspector Harry Trout
* [[Derek Godfrey]] as Crow
* [[Norman Jones (actor)|Norman Jones]] as Sgt. Tom Schenley
* [[John Cater]] as Superintendent Waverley
* [[Aubrey Woods]] as Goldsmith
* [[John Laurie]] as Darrow
* [[Maurice Kaufmann]] as Dr. Whitcombe
* [[Sean Bury]] as Lem Vesalius
* [[Susan Travers (actress)|Susan Travers]] as Nurse Allen
* [[David Hutcheson]] as Dr. Hedgepath
* [[Edward Burnham]] as Dr. Dunwoody
* [[Alex Scott (actor)|Alex Scott]] as Dr. Hargreaves
* [[Peter Gilmore]] as Dr. Kitaj
* [[Virginia North]] as Vulnavia
* [[Caroline Munro]] as Victoria Regina Phibes, Phibes's wife (uncredited)
}}

==Production==
The film began as a script by writers James Whiton and William Goldstein. Studio [[American International Pictures]] purchased the script, seeing it as a good vehicle for their biggest star, [[Vincent Price]].<ref name=comedy>{{cite book|title=Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914–2008 |url=https://archive.org/details/comedyhorrorfilm00hall|url-access=registration |last=Hallenbeck |first=Bruce G.|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-7864-5378-8|pages=94–96}}</ref> Director [[Robert Fuest]] rewrote most of the script, altering Dr Phibes (who in the original script abused his assistant Vulnavia) to be more sympathetic. He also opted to add in some deliberate humour, since critics often razed Price for over-the-top performances, and changed the death of Dr Kitaj by rats to take place on a plane instead of on a boat. Fuest found the boat death implausible, questioning why Kitaj could not save himself by simply jumping into the water.<ref name=comedy/> [[Peter Cushing]] was originally cast as Dr Vesalius, but bowed out due to the illness of his wife and was replaced by [[Joseph Cotten]].<ref name=comedy/> The film was shot on the "20s era" sets at Elstree Studios in [[Hertfordshire]]. The cemetery scenes were shot in [[Highgate Cemetery]] in London.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://movie-locations.com/movies/a/abominable.html |title=The Abominable Dr Phibes film locations |website=The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations |access-date=24 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321012146/http://movie-locations.com/movies/a/abominable.html |archive-date=21 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="Reeves">{{cite book |last=Reeves |first=Tony |url=https://archive.org/details/worldwideguideto0000reev_m6b9/page/8/mode/2up |title=The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations |publisher=[[Titan Books]] |year=2006 |pages=9–10 |isbn=978-1-84023-207-3 |url-access=registration}}</ref> The exterior of Dr Phibes's mansion was [[Immanuel College, Bushey|Caldecote Towers at Immanuel College]] on Elstree Road.<ref name="Reeves"/><ref>{{cite book|title=British Horror Film Locations|last=Pykett|first=Derek|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2008|isbn=978-0-7864-3329-2|page=12|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=atktMkuOvPwC&pg=PA12}}</ref>

==Music==
The music that Phibes plays on the organ at the beginning of the film is "War March of the Priests" from [[Felix Mendelssohn]]'s incidental music to Racine's play ''Athalie''.

The film's [[Film score|incidental score]] was composed by [[Basil Kirchin]] and includes 1920s-era [[source music]], most notably "[[Charmaine (song)|Charmaine]]" and "[[Darktown Strutters' Ball]]".

[[File:Dr Phibes LP cover.jpg|thumb|right|''Dr. Phibes'' 1971 soundtrack LP]]
One of several music-related errors or anachronisms within the film's storyline is the song overlaid as a recorded performance by one of the ostensibly mechanized musicians of "Dr. Phibes' Clockwork Wizards."<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/DrPhibesClockworkWizards "Dr. Phibes Clockwork Wizards"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319105612/https://www.facebook.com/DrPhibesClockworkWizards |date=19 March 2015 }}.</ref> The pianist in this simulated [[Animatronics|animatronic]] band "sings" "[[One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)]]". Although the film's plot is set in England in the 1920s, this particular song did not exist until 1943, when [[Harold Arlen]] and [[Johnny Mercer]] wrote it as part of their film score for ''[[The Sky's the Limit (1943 film)|The Sky's the Limit]]''. [[Fred Astaire]] sang the [[jazz standard]] for the first time in that musical comedy. Likewise, the melody of the song "[[You Stepped Out of a Dream]]", written by [[Nacio Herb Brown]] (music) and [[Gus Kahn]] (lyrics) and first published in 1940, accompanies a scene depicting Dr. Phibes and Vulnavia dancing together in the ballroom of his mansion. Other musical anachronisms are Vulnavia's playing "[[Close Your Eyes (Bernice Petkere song)|Close Your Eyes]]" (1933) on the violin, or her placing in a car a music box that plays "[[Elmer's Tune]]" (1941).

A [[Soundtrack album|soundtrack]] [[LP record|LP]] was released concurrently with the film's appearance, which contained few selections from the score, but rather was composed mostly of character vocalizations by [[Paul Frees]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/title/22580/Abominable+Dr.+Phibes,+The|title=Abominable Dr. Phibes, The – Soundtrack details|website=SoundtrackCollector|access-date=31 May 2013|archive-date=8 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408052546/http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/title/22580/Abominable+Dr.+Phibes,+The|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Lampley |first=Jonathan Malcolm |title=Women in the Horror Films of Vincent Price |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=2010 |page=160 |isbn=978-0-7864-3678-1}}</ref> A proper soundtrack was released on CD in 2004 by [[Perseverance Records]].

==Critical reception==
''[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]]'' wrote: "This is Robert Fuest's second AIP feature... and his flat, unimaginative visual style dominates every frame. It is the same patchwork mixture of clumsy compositions and endless close-ups which jarred in [[Wuthering Heights (1970 film)|''Wuthering Heights'']], where it made genuine [[Brontë family|Bronté]] locations look like a cut-price studio. Here it transforms some obviously expensive art-deco sets into a messy accumulation of props and obliterates all sense of period without adding anything itself. The basically conventional script is not much more inspired, contriving to be coy and tongue-incheek without ever being witty, so that one positively longs for the days when horror (and API) took itself seriously. This crassness in dialogue and direction is all the more irritating in that aspects of Dr. Phibes suggest that it might have been a reasonably intriguing film: much of the Thirties gadgetry and apparatus is attractively designed, and the pairing of Vincent Price with Joseph Cotten could in the right circumstances have amounted to a stroke of genius. Here, both are effectively emasculated by their roles, with Cotten given little to do and Price in a virtually non-speaking part (for the purposes of the plot he has to be seen to speak through an electronic socket in his neck). Phibes' ten elaborate curses give rise to a few macabre moments, but the last is rather more disturbing in its suggestion that a sequel is already imminent."<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1 January 1971 |title=The Abominable Dr. Phibes |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1305828443/5AD7CCB3F1B1410CPQ/1 |journal=[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]] |volume=38 |issue=444 |pages=179 |via=ProQuest}}</ref>

[[Howard Thompson (film critic)|Howard Thompson]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, "The plot, buried under all the iron tinsel, isn't bad. But the tone of steamroller camp flattens the fun."<ref>{{cite news |last=Thompson |first=Howard |author-link=Howard Thompson (film critic) |date=5 August 1971 |title=Price Is 'Abominable Dr. Phibes' |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=25}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' was generally positive, praising the "well-structured" screenplay, "outstanding" makeup for Vincent Price, and "excellent work" on the set designs.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=26 May 1971 |title=The Abominable Doctor Phibes |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=23}}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' gave the film three-and-a-half stars, calling it a "stylish, clever, shrieking winner", though he disliked "the lack of zip in the ending".<ref>{{cite news |last=Siskel |first=Gene |author-link=Gene Siskel |date=7 June 1971 |title=Dr. Phibes |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |at=Section 2, p. 16}}</ref> [[David Pirie]] of ''[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]]'' was negative, faulting director Robert Fuest's "flat, unimaginative visual style" and a script "contriving to be coy and tongue-in-cheek without ever being witty".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Pirie |first=David |author-link=David Pirie |date=September 1971 |title=The Abominable Dr. Phibes |magazine=[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]] |volume=38 |issue=452 |page=179}}</ref>

In 2002, critic [[Christopher Null]] called the film "Vincent Price at his campy best ... A crazy script and an awesome score make this a true classic."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/84dbbfa4d710144986256c290016f76e/51600685a63efbef88256c91000a2b11?OpenDocument |last=Null |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Null |website=FilmCritic.com |title=The Abominable Dr. Phibes |date=2002 |accessdate=8 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415080829/http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/84dbbfa4d710144986256c290016f76e/51600685a63efbef88256c91000a2b11?OpenDocument |archive-date=15 April 2009}}</ref>

In the early 2010s, ''[[Time Out London]]'' conducted a poll with several authors, directors, actors and critics who have worked within the horror genre to vote for their top horror films.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://timeout.com/london/film/best-horror-films|magazine=[[Time Out London]]|access-date=13 April 2014|title=The 100 best horror films|archive-date=8 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130408014326/http://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-100-best-horror-films-the-list|url-status=live}}</ref> ''The Abominable Dr. Phibes'' placed at number 83 on their top 100 list.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://timeout.com/london/film/the-100-best-horror-films-the-list?pageNumber=2|magazine=[[Time Out London]]|access-date=13 April 2014|title=The 100 best horror films: the list|author=DC|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511192918/http://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-100-best-horror-films-the-list?pageNumber=2|archive-date=11 May 2015}}</ref>

On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 40 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "''The Abominable Dr. Phibes'' juggles horror and humor, but under the picture's campy façade, there's genuine pathos brought poignantly to life through Price's performance."<ref name=RTrate>{{cite web|title=The Abominable Dr. Phibes|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/abominable_dr_phibes|publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=24 February 2024}}</ref> The film was not highly regarded by [[American International Pictures]]' home office until it became a box office success.<ref name="gary">{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Gary A. |title=The American International Pictures Video Guide |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=2009 |pages=9–10 |isbn=978-0-7864-3309-4}}</ref>

==Home video==
[[MGM Home Entertainment]] released ''The Abominable Dr. Phibes'' on [[DVD region code#1|Region 1]] DVD in 2001, followed by a tandem release with ''Dr. Phibes Rises Again'' in 2005. The film made its [[Blu-ray]] debut as part of [[Scream Factory]]'s Vincent Price box set on 22 October 2013.<ref>{{cite web|last=James|first=Jonathan|url=https://dailydead.com/scream-factory-announces-vincent-price-blu-ray-collection-including-the-abominable-dr-phibes-and-witchfinder-general/|title=Scream Factory Announces Vincent Price Blu-ray Collection, Including The Abominable Dr. Phibes and Witchfinder General|website=Daily Dead|date=26 April 2013|access-date=15 November 2019|archive-date=15 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115051207/https://dailydead.com/scream-factory-announces-vincent-price-blu-ray-collection-including-the-abominable-dr-phibes-and-witchfinder-general/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shoutfactory.com/product/vincent-price-collection|title=The Vincent Price Collection|publisher=[[Shout! Factory]]|access-date=4 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802172953/http://www.shoutfactory.com/product/vincent-price-collection|archive-date=2 August 2014}}</ref>

A limited edition two-disc set, ''The Complete Dr. Phibes'', was released in [[Blu-ray#B|Region B]] Blu-ray on 16 June 2014 by [[Arrow Films]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arrowfilms.co.uk/the-complete-dr-phibes/|title=The Complete Dr Phibes|publisher=[[Arrow Films]]|access-date=4 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150124044824/http://www.arrowfilms.co.uk/the-complete-dr-phibes/|archive-date=24 January 2015}}</ref> Both films were later reissued separately by Arrow and as part of the nine-film/seven-disc [[Blu-ray#B|Region B]] Blu-ray set ''The Vincent Price Collection'' on the Australian Shock label.<ref>{{cite web|last1=McCarthy|first1=J.H.|url=https://www.amazon.com/R3CVL1OWYZ0W6Y/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv|title=The Vincent Price Collection|publisher=Amazon|access-date=7 August 2017|archive-date=15 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515000612/https://www.amazon.com/R3CVL1OWYZ0W6Y/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv|url-status=live}}</ref>

The TV broadcast version of the film excises some of the more grisly scenes, such as a close-up of the nurse's locust-eaten corpse.

==Sequel==
A sequel, ''[[Dr. Phibes Rises Again]]'', was released in 1972. It was also directed by Fuest and also stars Price as Phibes. Several other sequels were proposed, including ''The Bride of Dr. Phibes'', but none were ever produced.<ref>{{cite web|last=James|first=Jonathan|url=https://dailydead.com/the-bride-of-dr-phibes-poster/|title=The Bride of Dr. Phibes Poster|website=Daily Dead|date=2012-12-01|access-date=2016-04-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115051206/https://dailydead.com/the-bride-of-dr-phibes-poster/|archive-date=15 November 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book |last= Gerosa |first= Mario |year= 2010 |title= Robert Fuest e l'abominevole Dottor Phibes |language= it |publisher= Edizioni Falsopiano |location= Alessandria, Italy |isbn=978-88-89782-13-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Humphreys |first=Justin |year=2018 |title=The Dr. Phibes Companion |location=Albany, Georgia |publisher=BearManor Media |isbn=978-1-62933-293-2}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Klemensen |first=Richard |title=The Definitive Dr. Phibes |magazine=Little Shoppe of Horrors |location=Des Moines, Iowa |date=October 2012 |issue=29}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{AllMovie title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{AFI film}}
* ''[https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150047275 The Abominable Dr. Phibes]'' at the [[British Film Institute]]
* {{TCMDb title}}

{{Robert Fuest}}
{{Book of Exodus}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abominable Dr. Phibes, The}}
[[Category:1971 films]]
[[Category:1971 black comedy films]]
[[Category:1971 comedy horror films]]
[[Category:1970s British films]]
[[Category:1970s English-language films]]
[[Category:1970s exploitation films]]
[[Category:1970s serial killer films]]
[[Category:American International Pictures films]]
[[Category:British black comedy films]]
[[Category:British comedy horror films]]
[[Category:British exploitation films]]
[[Category:British films about revenge]]
[[Category:British serial killer films]]
[[Category:Fiction about prosthetics]]
[[Category:Films about the ten plagues of Egypt]]
[[Category:Films based on the Book of Exodus]]
[[Category:Films directed by Robert Fuest]]
[[Category:Films scored by Basil Kirchin]]
[[Category:Films set in 1921]]
[[Category:Films set in 1925]]
[[Category:Films set in London]]
[[Category:Films set in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Films shot at EMI-Elstree Studios]]
[[Category:Films shot in Hertfordshire]]
[[Category:Mad scientist films]]
[[Category:English-language comedy horror films]]
[[Category:English-language crime films]]