Who was the Elephant Man and where did he live?
What is the setting of the Elephant Man? The Elephant Man Setting 19 th Century, London Most of story takes place in the London Hospital Characters John Merrick “Elephant Man” Dr. Frederick Treves. Click to see full answer. Considering this, what is the theme of the Elephant Man? The theme of The Elephant Man is man's inhumanity to man.
Is the Elephant Man based on a true story?
Synopsis. In 19th Century Victorian England, Dr. Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) wanders through an urban carnival in search of freak shows. He happens on a hideously deformed creature called The Elephant Man (John Hurt), and pays the owner Mr. Bytes (Freddie Jones) to examine it.
What is the name of the movie with the Elephant Man?
Dec 18, 2016 · THE ELEPHANT MAN CHAPTER SUMMARIES, SETTING & CHARACTERS 2. The Elephant Man is based on a true story. It is the story of the life of a man named Joseph Merrick, who lived in England in the 19th century. The novel presents Merrick’s life from the point where Dr Frederick Treves discovers him until his death. Merrick is not an ordinary man.
What is the main idea of the Elephant Man?
The Elephant Man, a one-act play by American playwright Bernard Pomerance, was first produced in London at the Hampstead Theatre in 1977. The play transferred to New York and played Off-Broadway in 1979, moving to Broadway three months later, where it ran successfully for two years. The play won many awards with its Broadway debut, including a New York Drama Critics’ …
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Oct 26, 2018 · The setting for The Elephant Man is late Victorian England; an understanding of this period is important for understanding the relationship that John Merrick had with his …
What year does The Elephant Man take place?
Joseph Merrick, in full Joseph Carey Merrick, also called the Elephant Man, (born August 5, 1862, Leicester, Leicestershire, England—died April 11, 1890, London), disfigured man who, after a brief career as a professional “freak,” became a patient of London Hospital from 1886 until his death.Apr 7, 2022
What is the plot of Elephant Man?
Dr. Frederic Treves (Anthony Hopkins) discovers Joseph (John) Merrick (John Hurt) in a sideshow. Born with a congenital disorder, Merrick uses his disfigurement to earn a living as the "Elephant Man." Treves brings Merrick into his home, discovering that his rough exterior hides a refined soul, and that Merrick can teach the stodgy British upper class of the time a lesson about dignity. Merrick becomes the toast of London and charms a caring actress (Anne Bancroft) before his death at 27.The Elephant Man / Film synopsis
Where was Elephant Man filmed?
The real-life story of Joseph Merrick (called 'John' in the film, and played by John Hurt), a man with appalling physical deformities who turned fear and loathing into acceptance, 'The Elephant Man' was filmed partly at Shepperton Studios and Wembley's Lee International Studios on soundstages.Mar 9, 2020
What disease did Joseph Merrick have?
Background: In 1986, two Canadian geneticists had demonstrated that Joseph Merrick, better known as the Elephant Man, suffered from the Proteus syndrome and not from neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), as was alleged by dermatologist Parkes in 1909.Feb 9, 2011
Why was the Elephant Man filmed in black-and-white?
“David felt two things,” said producer Jonathan Sanger, during an exclusive interview on the new edition. “First, black-and-white would help us get the period feel of the movie. Second, what might be repulsive in colour would be fascinating in black-and-white.”Apr 2, 2020
Was the Elephant Man filmed in black-and-white?
It was shot in black-and-white and featured make-up work by Christopher Tucker. The Elephant Man was a critical and commercial success with eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor.
Is the Elephant Man film based on a true story?
Treves' account is one of many retellings including Ashley Montagu's The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity (1971), and The True History of the Elephant Man: The Definitive Account of the Tragic and Extraordinary Life of Joseph Carey Merrick by Michael Howell and Peter Ford (1980).Dec 9, 2014
How old is Anthony Hopkins?
84 years (December 31, 1937)Anthony Hopkins / Age
Did Michael Jackson own the Elephant Man's bones?
IT'S no myth that Michael Jackson once tried to purchase John Merrick's skeleton – yet his bids of $500,000 and $1m were both rejected. Although he dismissed the story on Oprah Winfrey's talk show, it's notable that he also denied many other things in life.May 11, 2019
Where is Elephant Man's skeleton?
the Royal London HospitalHis skeleton has been preserved at the Royal London Hospital since his death. But author Jo Vigor-Mungovin says she has now discovered Merrick's soft tissue was buried in the City of London Cemetery after he died in 1890.May 5, 2019
Was Joseph Merrick married?
On 29 May 1873, fewer than three years after the death of her youngest son William, Mary Jane Merrick died from bronchopneumonia. Joseph Rockley Merrick moved with his two children to live with Mrs. Emma Wood Antill, a widow with children of her own. They married on 3 December 1874.
What is neurofibroma?
Neurofibromas are benign (noncancerous) tumors that grow on nerves in the body. They consist of an overgrowth of nerve tissue along with blood vessels and other types of cells and fibers.
What does Silcock ask Merrick to do?
Fascinated, he asks Silcock to let him take Merrick to the London Hospital. He has to pay Silcock a sum of money. They discuss how to bring the Elephant Man to the hospital without people seeing him. 6. CHAPTER 2 THE CARD. 7. Early in the morning, Dr Treves brings a cab to take Joseph Merrick to the hospital.
What is the time frame of the story of the Times?
TIME The story in the novel takes place between the time Dr Treves discovers joseph Merrick in 1884 and Merrick’s death in April, 1890. This time frame is within the period known as the Victorian era. The Times was the most important newspaper during this period. England was a peaceful and wealthy country.
What happened to Merrick in 1890?
Six months after his summer holiday in April 1890, Dr Treves finds Merrick dead in his bed. Merrick normally slept sitting in bed with his heavy head on his knees. That night, he wanted to sleep on his back like a normal person. When his heavy head slipped off the bed, his neck broke.
What does the letter to Merrick say about his ugliness?
The letter describes Merrick’s ugliness but also explains that he is an interesting man, a ‘good, quiet man’ who ‘can read and write’ and who ‘ think a lot’. 11. The letters asks the readers to help give Merrick a home. After a weeks, the hospital receives fifty thousand pounds from king and generous people.
Where does Merrick go after the Elephant Man disappears?
People fear him but they pay to look at him. Dr Treves takes Merrick to the hospital where he examines Merrick but is unable to help. The Elephant Man disappears after that. Two years later, Merrick turns up at the hospital. With generous donations from the public, Merrick gets a home at the hospital.
What is the story of Joseph Merrick?
It is the story of the life of a man named Joseph Merrick, who lived in England in the 19th century. The novel presents Merrick’s life from the point where Dr Frederick Treves discovers him until his death. Merrick is not an ordinary man. He suffers from a disease that causes him to be deformed.
Who is the shopkeeper in Elephant Man?
He pays the shopkeeper, Simon Silcock, extra money to see the deformed man of once. Dr Treves meets Joseph Merrick the Elephant Man in a cold dark room at the back of the shop. The doctor studies the deformed man’s appearance. He is surprised that the Elephant Man’s left hand is as beautiful as a woman’s.
What is the elephant man about?
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. The Elephant Man is a 1980 British-American historical drama film about Joseph Merrick (whom the script calls John Merrick), a severely deformed man in late 19th-century London.
What happened to Merrick in the show?
Merrick is forced to be an "attraction" again, but during a "show" in Belgium, Merrick, who is weak and dying, collapses, causing a drunken Bytes to lock him in a cage and leave him to die. Merrick manages to escape from Bytes with the help of his fellow freakshow attractions.
What is Steven Wilson's favorite movie?
Musician Steven Wilson has stated The Elephant Man to be his favorite film of all time. In season 3, episode 21 of The Simpsons, " Black Widower ", Lisa daydreams of Aunt Selma 's new boyfriend as the Elephant Man. British TV presenter Karl Pilkington often has cited it as his favorite film.
What was the best movie of the 1980s?
The Elephant Man has since been ranked among the best films of the 1980s in Time Out (where it placed 19th) and Paste (56th). The film also received five votes in the 2012 Sight & Sound polls.
Where is Joseph Merrick in the show?
Frederick Treves, a surgeon at the London Hospital, finds Joseph Merrick in a Victorian freak show in London's East End, where he is kept by Mr. Bytes, a greedy, sadistic, and violent ringmaster.
When was the movie Lime Green Box released?
There have been many releases of the film on VHS, Betamax, CED, LaserDisc, and DVD. The DVD version was released on December 11, 2001 by Paramount Home Entertainment. The version released as part of the David Lynch Lime Green Box includes several interviews with John Hurt and David Lynch and a Joseph Merrick documentary. This material is also available on the exclusive treatment on the European market as part of Optimum Releasing 's StudioCanal Collection. The film has been available on Blu-ray since 2009 throughout Europe and in Australia & Japan but not in the US (however the discs will play in both region A & B players ).
Who suggested David Lynch to Sanger?
Brooks' personal assistant, Stuart Cornfeld, suggested David Lynch to Sanger. Sanger met Lynch and they shared scripts they were working on ( The Elephant Man and Lynch's Ronnie Rocket ). Lynch told Sanger that he would love to direct the script after reading it, and Sanger endorsed him after hearing Lynch's ideas.
What does Treves show about society?
In order for him to succeed in his goals with Merrick, society must be willing to accept what he is offering, and the play shows time and again that society is, due its privilege and decay, almost a carnival in itself. By exploiting Merrick, Treves also shows just how corrupt and diseased society itself is.
What is Merrick's deformity?
Merrick’s deformity itself suggests a larger issue in Treves’ Victorian London. Though Merrick is arguably the main character in the play, much of the thematic expression comes from Treves’ character. Though Treves both exploits and cares for Merrick, he is seen as a symptom of his time.
Why did Ross abandon Merrick?
When Merrick is eventually abandoned by Ross in Brussels because he has become a liability, the police find Treves’ card on Merrick.
How many scenes are there in the play The Last Six Years?
The play is divided into twenty-one scenes that depict the last six years of Merrick’s life. Merrick lived in London during the latter part of the nineteenth century, which is known as the Victorian Period.
Who wrote the elephant man?
Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Plot Summary of “The Elephant Man” by Bernard Pomerance . A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.
Where is symbolic disfigurement seen?
The symbolic disfigurement can also be seen in London society, which is so intent on sensationalizing Merrick and his predicament at the expense of not seeing him as a human being. Perhaps most tellingly, the moral decay as disfigurement is seen in Treves himself and his complex stance with Merrick.
Who is the doctor who rescued Merrick?
Merrick is exhibited and exploited by a man named Ross, a crooked carnival manager, until he is eventually rescued by another of the play’s main characters, Fredrick Treves, a young doctor who initially pays to study Merrick’s strange condition.
What did Merrick have?
In addition to his cranial deformity, Merrick also suffered from grayish skin growths, a curved spine, and a severely enlarged right arm and hand. Though DNA studies on his skeleton have been undertaken to ascertain the exact cause of these abnormalities, the work has been stymied by the repeated bleaching the bones have undergone.
How did Joseph Carey Merrick die?
Though the exact cause is unclear, it is believed that he died as a result of the weight of his head, due either to spinal dislocation or asphyxiation from pressure on his airway.
What was the circumference of the elephant man?
Measured by doctors at the time as having a circumference of 36 inches, Merrick’s malformed head was one of many deformities that people came to gape at as he toured England as a human oddity. Billed at the time as “ Half-a-Man and Half-an-Elephant ,” Merrick’s life entered the American popular consciousness when “The Elephant Man” debuted on ...
What is Merrick's condition?
However, the current thinking is that Merrick may have suffered from Proteus syndrome. Named after a shape-shifting Greek sea god, this very rare (fewer than 500 known cases) syndrome causes unchecked growth in some parts of affected individuals’ bodies, leaving other areas normal.
Who plays Joseph Carey Merrick?
Joseph Carey Merrick’s facial disfigurement made him a human oddity in Victorian England. As Bradley Cooper plays him on Broadway, we look back at Merrick’s life of pain and bravery.
Who was the original elephant man?
Philip Anglim, who starred in the original Broadway cast of “The Elephant Man,” received a nomination for Best Actor at 1979’s Tony Awards, an accomplishment Cooper would doubtless be glad to duplicate (hopefully going home with the trophy this time around).
Is Merrick's disease genetically normal?
Those with the disease have some cells that are genetically normal and some with the mutation. This discordant growth certainly sounds consistent with Merrick’s condition. After police closed the exhibit in which Merrick was put on public display, his circumstances grew progressively more dire.
What did Merrick do to escape life?
In 1884, Merrick decided to try to profit from his deformities and escape life in the workhouse. He contacted Sam Torr, the proprietor of a Leicester music hall called the Gaiety Palace of Varieties, and they devised a plan to secure him a spot in a human oddities show. Merrick was soon exhibited as “The Elephant Man, Half-Man, Half-Elephant” to great success in Leicester and Nottingham before eventually traveling to London that November. He wore a cape and veil to conceal his deformities in public, but was often harassed by mobs as he traveled. In London, the Elephant Man exhibit was housed across the street from the London Hospital and was frequently visited by medical students and doctors interested in Merrick’s condition.
What age did Joseph Merrick become an elephant man?
At a young age Joseph Merrick began to develop physical deformities that became so extreme that he was forced to become a resident of a workhouse at age 17. Seeking to escape the workhouse several years later, Merrick found his way into a human oddities show in which he was exhibited as "The Elephant Man.".
Why did Merrick wear a cape?
He wore a cape and veil to conceal his deformities in public , but was often harassed by mobs as he traveled. In London, the Elephant Man exhibit was housed across the street from the London Hospital and was frequently visited by medical students and doctors interested in Merrick’s condition.
What happened to Merrick in the show?
The show met with only mediocre success, however, and Merrick’s manager there eventually robbed him of his life savings and abandoned him. After finding passage on a ship back to England in June 1886, Merrick was mobbed by a crowd at Liverpool Street Station in London and taken into custody by the police.
Why did Merrick leave school?
His father remarried to their landlady less than a year later, and Merrick left school to seek work, eventually finding a job rolling cigars in a factory . But within two years, his right hand had become so deformed that he could no longer do the work and was forced to leave.
How did Merrick die?
He died from a broken vertebra on April 11, 1890, at the age of 27.
Where did Merrick go to live?
When one day his father beat him severely for not earning enough money, Merrick went to live with an uncle briefly before becoming a resident at the Leicester Union Workhouse at age 17. Merrick found life in the workhouse intolerable, but unable to find any other means of supporting himself, he was forced to stay.
What is the significance of Lynch's dream of visiting the Cathedral?
Lynch shifts through the finer details of the building, exploring its structure along with John, fulfilling his dream of visiting the cathedral. It’s a beautiful moment that marks a dream coming true for John, but it also serves as an indicator for John’s clouded mindset, which in turn leads to his eventual death.
What happened to John's head when he removed the pillows from his bed?
First, upon realizing the highest point he can possibly reach, John commits suicide. It’s theory that would be equally tragic to John’s story, the alternate theory seems much more plausible and fitting.
What does John do when he moves away from his cathedral?
As John moves away from his cathedral, he studies a picture on the wall, featuring a woman sleeping soundly in bed. The picture had been referred to once earlier in the film, with John speaking of his desire to sleep like a normal human being, despite knowing that doing so would trigger asphyxia.
What is John's gaze into the Victorian landscape?
It’s safe to assume that John’s gaze into the masterfully constructed Victorian landscape serves as a parallel to his own construction of the cathedral, to which he immediately looks down upon as he realizes it to be his best attainable view.
Who accepted John's escape into his mother's arms?
But upon being accepted by Frederick, Marge Kendal , and the rest of the Victorian elite, John’s escape into his mother’s arms not only reflects the sympathetic light he’s held over her for years, but also his own self-acceptance, in both his place in society and his appearance.
Who played Laura in Twin Peaks?
In Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, it was Laura’s (Sheryl Lee) escape from her father and the ghost spirit Bob. And for John in The Elephant Man, Heaven becomes the acceptance from his mother. Earlier in the film, John spoke of the shame he would feel if his mother were to look upon him.
Did Frederick attempt to integrate John into the social circle?
John could never truly become a respectable citizen, Frederick attempted to integrate John into the social inner circle, where people would meet John to satisfy their own pompous egos and, in turn, lie to John about the delight of his company.
How did Merrick die?
Merrick also received visits from the wealthy ladies and gentlemen of London society, including Alexandra, Princess of Wales. Although the official cause of his death was asphyxia, Treves, who performed the postmortem, said Merrick had died of a dislocated neck. The exact cause of Merrick's deformities is unclear.
How did Mary Jane Merrick die?
On 29 May 1873, fewer than three years after the death of her youngest son William, Mary Jane Merrick died from bronchopneumonia. Joseph Rockley Merrick moved with his two children to live with Mrs. Emma Wood Antill, a widow with children of her own. They married on 3 December 1874.
What was Merrick's deformity?
The exact cause of Merrick's deformities is unclear. In 1986 it was conjectured that he had Proteus syndrome. DNA tests on his hair and bones in a 2003 study were inconclusive. Merrick's life was depicted in a 1979 play by Bernard Pomerance, and a 1980 film by David Lynch, both titled The Elephant Man.
What is the name of the pamphlet that Joseph Carey Merrick wrote?
A pamphlet titled "The Autobiography of Joseph Carey Merrick" was created, outlining Merrick's life to date. This biography, whether written by Merrick or not, provided a generally accurate account of his life. It contained an incorrect date of birth but, throughout his life, Merrick was vague about when he was born.
What was Joseph's class system?
The class system determined which department or ward he would reside in as well as the amounts of food he would receive. Joseph was classed as class one for able bodied males and females. On 22 March 1880, only 12 weeks after entering, Merrick signed himself out of the workhouse and spent two days looking for work.
What was Merrick's father's job?
She was a Sunday school teacher, and his father worked as an engine driver at a cotton factory, as well as running a haberdashery business.
Where was Joseph Merrick born?
Joseph Carey Merrick was born on 5 August 1862 at 50 Lee Street in Leicester, to Joseph Rockley Merrick and his wife Mary Jane (née Potterton). Joseph Rockley Merrick (c. 1838–1897) was the son of London-born weaver Barnabas Merrick (1791–1856) who moved to Leicester during the 1820s or 1830s, and his third wife Sarah Rockley.
Overview
Production
Jonathan Sanger, the film's producer, optioned the script from the writers Christopher Devore and Eric Bergren after receiving the script from his babysitter. Sanger had been working as Mel Brooks' assistant director on High Anxiety. Sanger showed Brooks the script, whereupon he decided to help finance the film through Brooksfilms, his new company. Brooks' personal assistant, Stuart Cornfeld, suggested David Lynch to Sanger.
Plot
Frederick Treves, a surgeon at the London Hospital, finds John Merrick in a Victorian freak show in London's East End, where he is kept by Mr. Bytes, a greedy, sadistic, and violent ringmaster. His head is kept hooded, and his "owner", who views him as intellectually disabled, is paid by Treves to bring him to the hospital for examination. Treves presents Merrick to his colleagues and highlights his monstrous skull, which forces him to sleep with his head on his knees, since if he …
Cast
• Anthony Hopkins as Frederick Treves, a doctor who takes John from the freakshow to work in the hospital
• John Hurt as John Merrick, an intelligent, friendly and kind-hearted man who is feared by most people in his society because of his severe deformity
• Hannah Gordon as Ann Treves
Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 93% based on 54 reviews, with an average score of 8.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "David Lynch's relatively straight second feature finds an admirable synthesis of compassion and restraint in treating its subject, and features outstanding performances by John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on 16 critic reviews, …
Home media
There have been many releases of the film on VHS, Betamax, CED, LaserDisc, and DVD. The DVD version was released on December 11, 2001 by Paramount Home Entertainment. The version released as part of the David Lynch Lime Green Box includes several interviews with John Hurt and David Lynch and a Joseph Merrick documentary. This material is also available on the exclusive treatment on the European market as part of Optimum Releasing's StudioCanal Collecti…
Soundtrack
The musical score of The Elephant Man was composed and conducted by John Morris, and it was performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1980, the company 20th Century Fox Records published this film's original musical score as both an LP album and as a Cassette in the United States. Its front cover artwork features a masked John Merrick against a backdrop of smoke, as seen on the advance theatrical poster for the film.
Cultural influence
The Jam's former bassist Bruce Foxton was inspired strongly by the film, and in response wrote the song "Freak" with the single's cover even making a reference to the film.
Actor Bradley Cooper credits watching the film with his father as a child as his inspiration to become an actor. Cooper played the character on Broadway in 2013.
Musician Steven Wilson has stated The Elephant Man to be his favourite film of all time.