Creeping Flesh, The (1973)

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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