The Abominable Dr. Phibes

The Abominable Dr. Phibes is a 1971 British horror film starring Vincent Price and Joseph Cotten. Its art deco sets, dark humour and performance by Price have made the film and its sequel Dr. Phibes Rises Again cult classics. The movie also features Terry-Thomas and Hugh Griffith with a cameo appearance by future Bond girl Caroline Munro.

The screenplay was written by James Whiton and William Goldstein and the 93 minute feature film was directed by Robert Fuest. In the storyline the title character, Phibes, blames the medical team that attended to his wife for her death four years prior and sets out to exact vengeance on each one. Phibes is inspired in his murderous spree by the Ten Plagues of Egypt from the Old Testament.

Plot

Dr. Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) was an expert in theology and music who was supposedly killed in a car crash in 1921, shortly after the death of his beloved wife, Victoria, during an operation. However, he survived the crash, horribly scarred by the accident and left unable to speak, forcing him to remake his face with prosthetics and use his knowledge of acoustics to regain his voice. Resurfacing in 1925, Phibes believes that his wife died a victim of incompetent doctors, and begins elaborate plans to kill them.