The Elephant Man

Darling, don't be difficult. Let's take our sweet...

lovely children on an outing.

You can't do this. I know my rights.

I have the authority to close you down, and I'm doing just that.

This exhibit degrades everybody who sees it and the creature himself.

He is a freak! How else will he live?

Freaks are one thing. This is entirely different.

This is monstrous and should not be allowed.

These officers will see to it you're on your way soon. Good day!

Move along please.

Hold it there, sir.

Come this way.

On the move again...

my treasure.

We'll be seeing a lot more of these machine accidents...

- Mr. Hodges. - Yes, sir.

Abominable things, these machines. You can't reason with them.

What a mess!

Pull on the rope.

Irons, please.

Who is it?

- Excuse me, Mr. Treves, sir. - Yes, what is it?

- I found it. - Good. Did you see it?

All right. I'll see you in a moment. Thank you.

Who's that?

- A friend of mine. - Oh, yes.

- What are you up to? - Nothing.

Come on, Freddie!

Nothing of any importance.

Can you tell me where Cleeves Street is?

'Round back, to the left, then to the right. Straight through.

Thank you.

Are you the proprietor?

And who might you be, sir?

Just one of the curious. I'd like to see it.

I don't think so. No, sir, we're...

closed.

Now, I'd pay handsomely for a private showing.

Are you the proprietor?

Handsomely? Who sent you?

- I beg your pardon? - Never mind.

I'm the owner.

Life...

is full of surprises.

Consider the fate...

of this creature's poor mother...

struck down...

in the fourth month of her maternal condition...

by an elephant, a wild elephant.

Struck down...

on an uncharted African isle.

The result...

is plain to see.

Ladies and gentlemen...

the terrible...

Elephant Man!

- Stand up. - Stand up!

Turn around.

Turn around! Turn around!

Yes...

you'll bring him to me tomorrow morning at 10:00, Mr...

Bytes.

He'll be there.

Good.

Here's my card, and I'll send a cab.

All right?

We have a deal.

We understand each other.

More than money has changed hands.

We understand each other completely, my friend.

Yes, well, thank you, Mr. Bytes.

Tomorrow.

Cor! What a stink!

I'm looking for Mr. Frederick Treves...

please, ma'am.

Very well. I'll-I'll send for him.

Nurse... Oh, Mr. Treves, sir, this...

- This... - Yes. Thank you.

Yes, I was expecting him.

- Yes, are you the cab driver? - Yes, sir.

- Anyone else with you? - No, sir. Just this gentleman.

- Thank you for your troubles. - Not at all, sir.

My pleasure.

Thank you.

Will you come this way, please?

Mrs. Mothershead, I'll be in my room, and I'm not to be disturbed.

- All right? - Of course, sir.

Will you come with me, please?

You heard what the doctor said!

Go on.

My name is Frederick Treves...

and I'm a surgeon here at the London Hospital.

And...

I lecture in anatomy at the medical college.

I'd like very much to examine you so that...

Would that be all right?

Please.

First I'd like to ask you a few questions.

Would that be all right?

Your owner tells me... I mean the man who looks after you tells me...

that you're English and your name is John Merrick.

John Merrick. Is that right?

I tell you what. I think I'll ask you a question...

and you shake your head like this for "no."

Have you always been the way you are now?

Are you in any pain?

Are your parents still alive?

Do you understand me?

Your father and your mother, are they dead?

Freddie, what are you doing for...

Oh, I'm dreadfully sorry. I had no idea you had...

Freddie, what the hell have you got in there?

You'll know soon enough, at the meeting of the Society.

Until then, I beg of you not a word to anyone, please.

All right, if you insist. But you must have quite a find in there.

- I don't know what I've got. - Nothing of any importance, eh?

Not a word, please, Fox. Not a word.

All right.

Thank you.

It's all right.

I think I'll examine you now.

I'll leave the questions till later.

All right?

Will you take your hat off now, please?

Don't be frightened.

I simply want to look at you.

Take your hat off. Don't be frightened.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

Mr. Thomas, Mr. Rogers.

Pull the curtains aside.

He is English...

he is 21 years of age...

and his name is John Merrick.

Gentlemen, in the course of my profession I have come upon...

many lamentable deformities of the face due to injury or disease...

as well as mutilations...

and contortions of the body depending upon like causes.

But at no time have I met with such...

a perverted or degraded version of a human being as this man.

I draw your attention to the insidious conditions affecting him.

- Can you see over there? - Yes.

extreme enlargement of the skull...

right upper limb, which is totally useless...

the alarming curvature of the spine.

- Would you turn around, please? - Turn around, please.

The looseness of the skin...

and the varying fibrous tumors that cover 90% of the body.

And there is every indication that these afflictions have been...

in existence and have progressed rapidly since birth.

The patient also suffers from chronic bronchitis.

As an interesting side note...

in spite of the aforementioned anomalies...

the patient's genitals remain entirely intact and unaffected.

Thank you.

And his left arm is perfectly normal, as you see.

So then, gentlemen, owing to this series of conditions...

the congenital skull exostosis, extensive papillomatous growth...

large pendulous masses in connection with the skin...

the great enlargement of the right upper limb...

involving all the bones, the massive distortion of the head...

and the extensive area covered by papillomatous growth...

the patient has been called the Elephant Man.

Thank you.

You never mentioned his mental state.

Oh, he's an imbecile, probably from birth.

The man's a complete idiot.

I pray to God he's an idiot.

Where have you been?

Out.

How can I eat with a noise like that?

Bytes, don't!

Where have you been? What did you do?

- Our man is sick. Come right away. - What is it?

Like this.

What did you do with him? He's been like this all night.

He was fine when he left here. Now look at him.

Yes, I intend to.

- What happened? - He fell!

He falls.

Looks like he's had a very severe fall.

He's a clumsy soul.

Never looks where he's going.

But that's all right. He has me to take care of him.

Why is he sitting up like this? He needs rest.

Well, that's how he sleeps.

If he lies down, he'll kill himself.

His head's too big.

All right. This man belongs in a hospital.

Can't you treat him here?

Listen, he's my livelihood.

We're business partners, he and I.

He's the greatest freak in the world.

Yes, now you listen. You won't have much of a livelihood if he dies.

Now, stop wasting my time. I'm going to fetch a cab.

I truly, truly appreciate this, my friend.

Listen. There are a lot of things I could do for you.

You see, I move in the proper circles for this type of thing.

In fact, anything at all...

if you take my meaning.