Director: Robert Fuest
Starring: Vincent Price, Joseph Cotten, Virginia North
Doctor, scientist, organist, and biblical scholar Anton Phibes seeks revenge on the nine doctors he considers responsible for the death of his wife.
From what we learn throughout the movie, Dr Anton Phibes’ wife was treated by nine doctors, but they failed to save her life. Not able to speak after a car crash, Phibes invented a way to have his voice heard by using a speaker, or rather what appears to be a gramophone. Horribly scarred, he uses prosthetics and make-up to appear normal.
Out for vengeance, Phibes kills the doctors one by one in the most horrific ways. I must be honest, these killings were highly improbable and by no means realistic, but this is a horror comedy after all and many of the kill scenes were more funny than horrible. I believe this was done intentionally. Being a lighthearted film, it goes with the territory.
The detectives trying to crack the case mostly serve as comic relief characters and therefore not to be taken seriously. They discover Phibes is killing the doctors according to the Ten Plagues of Egypt, and must now try to protect the doctors who are marked for death.
Would I watch it again? I don’t think so.
Paul's Movie Reviews 