Professor Emmanuel Hildern (Peter Cushing), an emotionally unstable anthropologist, relates the film’s events from an asylum cell in Victorian London.
We see in flashback how a prehistoric skeleton Emmanuel found on an expedition to New Guinea regenerates and resurrects an ancient evil. The creature turns out to be Shish Kang, the legendary “Evil One”.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel’s adult daughter Penelope (Lorna Heilbron) goes impressively insane after her father injects her with a serum derived from the creature’s blood in an attempt to “immunise” her from evil.
Christopher Lee is superb as Emmanual’s unpleasant half-brother, James, the owner of the asylum who is experimenting to discover the origins of madness and who steals the skeleton.
Directed by Freddie Francis, The Creeping Flesh looks like a Hammer production but was actually made by Tony Tenser’s Tigon British and World Film Services, who also produced Witchfinder General (1968) and Blood on Satan’s Claw (1970).
Professor Emmanuel Hildern Peter Cushing Dr James Hildern
Christopher Lee Penelope Hildern
Lorna Heilbron Waterlow
George Benson Lenny
Kenneth J Warren Inspector
Duncan Lamont Doctor Perry
Hedger Wallace Carter
Michael Ripper Emily
Catherine Finn Young Aristocrat
Robert Swann Young Doctor
David Bailie Karl
Maurice Bush Sailor
Tony Wright Female Assistant
Marianne Stone Whore
Alexandra Dane Emmanuel’s Wife
Jenny Runacre
Director
Freddie Francis
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