The Abominable Dr. Phibes

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

3 corrected entries

(3 votes)

Corrected entry: Dr. Phibes kills Dr. Hargreaves at a costume ball by crushing his head inside a frog mask. But one of the plot's main points is that Dr. Phibes is presumed dead following the car crash in Switzerland many years ago. So whose house is the costume ball at? If Phibes is presumed dead by all his friends and colleagues, why would they show up to a party at his house? Or did Phibes simply crash someone else's party, knowing (or hoping) that Dr. Hargreaves would be there?

Correction: Yes, one presumes that's exactly what happened.

Corrected entry: Dr. Phibes drains Dr. Longstreet's blood out of him while Vulnavia performs a violin solo. Later, when Dr. Longstreet's corpse is discovered and the police question his housekeeper Mrs. Frawley, she says that she heard a violin playing in the street "about half past 2 in the morning". But earlier, when Vulnavia was sitting outside playing her violin, it was broad daylight.

Correction: This is not a movie mistake. When Terry Thomas is being bled dry Vulnavia is playing the violin in the room; the housekeeper probably assumed that it was coming from outside as who would be playing it in the house at 2 am. The second scene is when Vulnavia is playing the violin outside during the day, and this is immediately after the plane crash.

Corrected entry: Dr. Kitaj dies when dozens of rats enter his plane while he's flying it. Their biting and scratching causes him to lose control of the plane and crash. But before Dr. Kitaj gets in the plane, an airfield supervisor checks out the plane for him. How did the supervisor miss the stash of rats inside?

Correction: The airfield supervisor was probably only checking mechanical aspects of the plane, not the plane's contents.

Myridon

Plot hole: The police Inspector recounts the murders, comparing them to the ten Biblical plagues of Egypt, and he states that in keeping with this theme Dr. Kitaj was killed by rats. First, Dr Kitaj dies in a plane crash. Okay, he was attacked by rats in flight but nobody would know that - his plane crashes in a huge, violent fireball and nobody would find any rat remains after that. Second, there was no plague of rats in ancient Egypt! (Go ahead, look it up). Even if the police had made the connection between the mysterious deaths and the ancient plagues they would not make the connection here.

More mistakes in The Abominable Dr. Phibes

Dr. Anton Phibes: Where can we find two better hemispheres, without sharp north, without declining west? My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears, and true plain hearts do in thee faces rest. Within twenty-four hours, my work will be finished, and then, my precious jewel, I will join you in your setting. We shall be reunited forever in a secluded corner of the great elysian field of the beautiful beyond.

More quotes from The Abominable Dr. Phibes

Trivia: Phibes was originally much more devious and unlikeable in the original script, but his character was slightly mellowed out in subsequent drafts, which made his motives clearer and based on losing his wife, and removed any violence not aimed at his targets.

TedStixon

More trivia for The Abominable Dr. Phibes

Question: One of the doctors Phibes blames for his wife's death during an operation is Dr. Hargreaves, whose head is crushed inside a frog mask during a costume ball. But earlier, while introducing himself to Phibes, Dr. Hargreaves says he is a psychiatrist ("headshrinker"). Why would a psychiatrist be present during an operation to save someone's life?

Answer: A psychiatrist is still an M.D., and still went to medical school. Perhaps this one had some knowledge of the case, or was simply on hand to provide assistance.

wizard_of_gore

Answer: To treat anticipated shock.

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