The Elephant Man (1980)

Starring Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, and John Gielgud.  Cinematography by Freddie Francis. Edited by Anne V. Coates.  Produced by Jonathan Sanger.  Written by Christopher De Vore, Eric Bergren, and David Lynch.  Directed by David Lynch.

Dr. Frederick Treves (played by Anthony Hopkins) contacts a carnival exhibitor named Bytes (played by Freddie Jones), asking to see what has been heralded as the “greatest freak in the world”.  Bytes presents him with John Merrick (played by John Hurt), a young man so incredibly deformed that he is referred to as “The Elephant Man”. Treves arranges for Merrick to be brought to the London Hospital where he is thoroughly examined and presented at a Pathological Society meeting. Merrick is brought back to Bytes who, in a drunken rage, attacks him and beats him severely.  Merrick is then returned to the hospital and looked after by Dr. Treves, who is beginning to see the man inside the horrible exterior.

After its long and arduous production, Eraserhead was a success and David Lynch’s status had been elevated from an obscure art student to a celebrated filmmaker.  But there was a new problem; where the hell do you go after a film like Eraserhead?  Many involved in the film industry where interested, but few were willing to take the financial chance to find out.

Lynch was actually working as a roofer when Stuart Cornfeld, an ambitious young producer, contacted him. The two rookie filmmakers began meeting frequently to discuss ideas for a future collaboration.  The pair soon came in contact with another unseasoned pro, producer Jonathan Sanger, who owned the rights to a script written by the fledgling writing pair of Christopher De Vore and Eric Bergren.

The script was a somewhat modified biopic based on the life of Joseph Carey Merrick, also known as “The Elephant Man”. The story had a blend of physical abnormality, industry, and emotion that seemed tailor-made for a filmmaker the likes of Lynch. With the creative team assembled, all The Elephant Man needed was money and it would eventually come, albeit from the most unpredictable of sources.

Both Sanger and Cornfeld had worked with Mel Brooks on his film High Anxiety.  Knowing that he had a soft spot for up-and-coming filmmakers Sanger presented The Elephant Man script to Brooks, told him that Lynch would be directing, and asked him if he would like to be involved. Brooks, who was fascinated with Eraserhead, loved the new screenplay and help arrange for a five million dollar budget.  So in October of 1979, Lynch and his team were off to London to shoot their film.

Despite concerns about how he would fit into mainstream cinema, Lynch prevailed and handled the pressures of his first big budget feature gracefully.  The Elephant Man is a beautiful picture, well written, and nicely played.  Lynch was also properly recognized for his efforts, earning his first Academy Award nomination for best director.  Lynch was now beginning to create a niche for himself that he would perfect over his next few projects.

Budget: $5,000,000

Total US Gross: $26,010,864

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 124 Minutes

US Release Date: 10/10/80

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Awards:

Academy Awards: 
Nominated for best art direction/set decoration, costume design, score, editing, screenplay based on previous material, actor, director, and picture.

Golden Globes: 
Nominated for best screenplay, actor, director, and dramatic picture. 

Directors Guild of America: 
Nominated for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures. 

Writers Guild of America: 
Nominated for Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium.

Tagline: I Am Not An Animal!  I Am A Human Being! I… Am… A Man!

Quote: “People are frightened by what they don't understand.”