The Elephant Man

 

 

 

Screenplay by                             Christopher DeVore

                                                 Eric Bergren

                                                 David Lynch

 

Produced by                               Jonathan Sanger

 

Directed by                                David Lynch

 

 

 

Cast List:

 

Sir Anthony Hopkins               Dr. Frederick Treves

John Hurt                                 John Merrick

Anne Bancroft                          Mrs. Kendal

John Gielgud                            Carr Gomm

Wendy Hiller                            Mothershead

Freddie Jones                          Bytes

Michael Elphick                                  Night Porter

Hannah Gordon                                   Mrs. Treves

 

 

 

 

 

BLACK

 

FADE IN:

 

 

ABSTRACT DREAM

 

CLOSEUP of a gold framed miniature portrait of JOHN MERRICK'S MOTHER (tune or melody over her picture, heartbeat), which DISSOLVES TO CLOSEUP of real Mother smiling – a shadow comes over her face – CLOSEUP of elephant ears, trunks, faces moving.

 

Dark, heavy feet stomping – elephant trumpet – rearing up.

 

Powerful hit and the Mother falls – darker – trunk slides over Mother's face and breasts and stomach, leaving a moist trail.

 

 

MOTHER'S POV

 

Of elephant's mouth, eyes, skin – Mother's face twists and freezes in a blurred snap roll.

 

BLACK again – knock, knock sound – curtain opens to horrified faces.

 

CUT TO:

 

 

BLACK AND SILENCE

 

CIRCUS

 

FADE IN TO steam shooting out of a huge old half-rusted calliope. The music is very loud and raucous. Moving up and back we see the black awning entrance to the freak tent, where FREDERICK TREVES, Resident Surgeon and Lecturer on anatomy at the London Hospital, is standing with his back to us observing the posters of the freaks.

 

Coming along a muddy walkway at the side of the tent is Treves' wife, ANNE, and their TWO DAUGHTERS. The shrill., over-whelming music seems to engulf her. She looks discomfited, vulnerable, and protective of her daughters. The girls, oblivious to any fear, are finishing their chocolate sweets.

 

 

CLOSEUP

 

Of Treves looking at a poster.

 

He hears:

 

DAUGHTER #1

Poppa!

 

Treves turns and looks down to a chocolate-covered face. He smiles at the children and Anne.

 

Anne sees the dirty faces and begins cleaning one of them.

 

The other daughter looks into the freak tent.

 

DAUGHTER #2

Poppa... may we go in there?

 

ANNE

Alright... Your turn.

 

She turns the girl away from the freak tent and begins cleaning her face.

 

Her kerchief pulls and distorts the little daughter's face. Suddenly the girl sees a ring of elephants in the distance.

 

DAUGHTER #2

Oh, look M-ummy! Elephants!

 

ANNE

Oh, elephants! We'll go see them.

 

She stands.

 

­ANNE

(to Treves)

You won't be long?

 

TREVES

I'll join you shortly.

 

She takes the children off toward the elephants.

 

Treves watches them go for a moment, then turns and we go with him into the dark freak tent. He pauses to pay admission at a small booth, then disappears within.

 

 

DARKNESS

 

We hear what could be the trumpeting of an elephant.

 

Treves parts the black canvas and enters the main part of the tent. Off to his left he sees a man wrapped in a black cape, holding a conch shell aloft and blowing powerfully into it. The tent is dimly lit with lickering oil lamps. People mill about through the weaving corridors. To Treves' right, he sees a sign reading, "The Deadly Fruit of the Original Sin," over a small, very dark corridor.

 

Treves enters the passage and disappears into the shadows.

 

The corridor has a series of flaps and turns to disorient the spectator. Treves carefully pushes his way through and arrives at the inner chamber.

 

In a roped-off space stands a small stage set at eve-level, with curtains on three sides. On the stage is a bell jar filled with grey-murky fluid lit from behind with casts an eerie alow in the chamber. Suspended in the fluid is the life-sized body of a baby-doll with the attached head of a large snake. At the join of head and body is a blob of unidentifiable organic matter. It is obviously phony, but the effect is still very disquieting. At the bottom of the jar, in the muck, sits an apple with two large bites out of it. Behind the jar is a painting on the order of a religious triptych, portraying Adam on one side, Eve on the other, and the tree flowering over the jar.

 

Treves' impassive face is bathed in the watery glow. He studies the strange object with a critical eye. In the passage we hear movement, and an OLDER GENTLEMAN enters. He seems visibly impressed with "The Deadly Fruit of the Original Sin."

 

OLDER MAN

A wicked birth...

 

After a moment, Treves quietly leaves the inner chamber.

 

As he pushes his way through the corridor, the noise grows and becomes a cacophony of strange sounds. He exits and hears a booming roar and the rush of air as a series of twelve candles, mounted in a row on a ten-foot stand, are blown out by "THE INCREDIBLE WIND-MAN." His BARKER steps up and talks to the people.

 

BARKER

Ladies and Gentlemen, his lungs are larger than this mammoth blacksmith's bellows. So great is his power of exhalation, rivaling even that of the Great North Wind, that he will now challenge two grown men to attempt to hold the bellows shut as he applies the mighty blast of his herculean breath! Are there any volunteers?

 

A few people raise their hands. The Barker scans the crowd and then points over the heads of the volunteers to TWO MEN toward the back.

 

BARKER

Ah! I see two likely lads! Come forward! Come forward! Pit your strength against the Mighty Wind-Man!

 

During the above, The Incredible Wind-Man removes his cape, revealing his great barrel chest and pot-belly supported by spindly, white, hairless legs. As the Barker sets the "Volunteers," the Wind-Man walks about the small platform, huffing and puffing and blowing on the conch shell.

 

The "Volunteers" set, the Wind-Man steps up to the end of the bellows, takes an enormous breath, and twirls his black handlebar moustache as a signal to the Barker.

 

BARKER

Gentlemen... Are you ready?

 

THE LADS

Yes we are... Right... etc.

 

BARKER

Ladies and Gentlemen!... Let the demonstration begin!!

 

The Wind-Man clamps his mouth to the bellows, and with great show begins to exhale, savagely stamping his feet. The Two Lads struggle obviously, and then pretend to be forced apart.

 

The Barker triumphantly lifts the WindMan's hand. The Wind-Man ceases to blow, removes his lips from the bellows and the Two Lads instantly collapse together on the floor.

 

BARKER

Ladies and Gentlemen!... "THE INCREDIBLE WIND-MAN"!!!

 

The crowd cheers, while the Wind-Man puts the conch shell to his lips and proudly stamps his feet, circling about the Two Lads.

 

Amidst this applause, Treves smiles indulgently. He moves on, looking for something genuine.

 

TWO BOBBIES move through the crowd, intent upon a certain destination. Treves conveys a casual interest in them.

 

Treves moves on to a BEARDED LADY who combs her beard, busily chewing tobacco and spitting into a spittoon.

 

Treves continues to work his way through the crowd. Up ahead he sees the Bobbies.

 

BOBBIES

Make way! Make way!

 

They round a corner.

 

WOMAN (V.O.)

Oh yes they are, they're yours alright.

 

We hear the laughter of a crowd.

 

Treves moves closer to see a FAT LADY seated in a chair on the next platform. On each knee she holds a DWARF. They are dressed as babies. A SKELETON MAN stands beside her.

 

SKELETON MAN

I refuse to believe it! I will not accept it! Those babies are simply too ugly, they cannot be mine!

 

The crowd laughs uproariously.

 

SKELETON MAN

I don't want them! Get rid of them! I don't want to see them!

 

FAT LADY

Darling, don't be difficult! Let's take our sweet lovely children on an outing.

 

SKELETON MAN

We'll take these miserable whelps on an outing, alright! We'll take them to the zoo... WHERE THEY WILL STAY!

 

From the direction the Bobbies have gone, we hear several screams.

 

FAT LADY

(pausing at the screams)

Children save yourselves! Prevail upon your Pappa!

 

The two Dwarves get down from her knees and approach the Skeleton Man. They kneel and tug at his thin legs.

 

DWARVES

Poppa! Poppa! Poppa, please!

 

At this point, a FATHER holding his YOUNG SON in his arms passes by Treves. The Young Boy clutches his Father's neck in fear, hiding his face.

 

FATHER

(out loud, to no one in particular)

This is too much! They should not allow it! They should not allow it!

 

Treves, very curious now, along with several others, make their way around the corner.

 

Before him, Treves sees an agitated crowd staring at something that from his point of view he cannot see. Brushing past him is a WOMAN pulling a small, confused and frightened LITTLE GIRL. Getting closer to the commotion, he sees four BOBBIES standing with a well-dressed alderman, arguing with the OWNER of this particular exhibit.

 

A distraught, almost hysterical WOMAN is ineffectually striking the Owner with her fists about his head and shoulders, crying weakly and incoherently.

 

WOMAN

Beast, Beast...

 

Treves is just about to see whatever it is that is causing the alarm, when one of the Bobbies says:

 

BOBBY

No! That's right out! Drop the curtain!

 

As the curtain drops, Treves just glimpses baggy trouser cuffs and two horribly deformed, root-like feet. The distraught Woman has been pulled away from the Owner and is sobbing on a Bobby's shoulder.

 

OWNER

You can't do that! I've got my rights!

 

ALDERMAN

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

 

In the crowd, Treves notices a YOUNG BOY staring open-mouthed, blankly at the curtain. Treves pushes through the glut of people to join the Boy and get a better view. The curtain is actually a large canvas.

 

On it is a life-sized portrait, crudely painted, of a creature that could only be possible in a nightmare. It is the figure of a man turning into an elephant. The transformation, however, is not complete; there is still more of the man than beast. Palm trees in the background suggest the jungle habitat in which this Perverted object might have once roamed.

 

Filled with curiosity, Treves moves toward the curtain.

 

ALDERMAN

This exhibit degrades all who see it, as well as the poor creature himself.

 

OWNER

He's a freak! How else can he live?

 

ALDERMAN

Freaks are one thing. No one objects to freaks, but this is entirely different. This is monstrous, and ought not to be allowed. These officers will see to it that you are on your way as soon as possible. Good day.

 

The alderman turns and leaves the tent.

 

OWNER

(to himself)

... Movin' again!

 

He shakes his head in disgust.

 

Now at the canvas, Treves tries to lift the edge to get a peek inside the wagon, but the meaty hand of the Owner clamps down on his wrist.

 

OWNER

Have a care, guv'nor.

 

The two men look at each other for a solid moment.

 

TREVES

Forgive me...

 

Treves backs away and returns his gaze to the painted canvas.

 

FADE TO BLACK

 

 

OPERATING ROOM – THE LONDON HOSPITAL

 

We see a bellows pumping air into the open grate of a cast-iron stove. We hear moaning in the background. The coals flare to a fierce glow. From the mouth of the stove protrude the handles of several cauterizing irons, their heads imbedded in the coals. Up above the irons, Treves stands by a waist-high coerating table covered with black leather. His face is illuminated by an oil lantern held by a nurse.

 

The room is fairly dark owing to the oppressive overcast sky seen through two windows. There is also a large sink, a cupboard containing dressings, gags, manacles, emetics and other unattractive things, and two hard chairs.

 

TWO STUDENTS and two other DOCTORS, MR. FOX and MR. HILL, are present. The two Students are pulling with constant pressure on a rope tied to the patient's leg. Treves and Mr. Fox are working on a chest wound caused by a machine accident. There are gear-wheel marks getting progressively deeper as they near a great open gash. Mr. Hill places a cotton mask over the patient's nose and mouth and applies drops of chloroform. The patient struggles, but soon his moans subside and he is unconscious.

 

TREVES

How long has this man been here?

 

FOX

Three quarters of an hour.

 

TREVES

Mmmm. Hodges, Pierce come closer. Mr. Hill, take hold of the rope please. It's a machine accident. I expect you'll be seeing a good deal of this.

 

The two medical Students come forward. They stare uneasily at the gaping wound, which bubbles each time the man takes an agonized breath.

 

Treves and Fox quickly and expertly tend the wound as Hodges and Pierce look on.

 

TREVES

(off handedly)

Abominable things these machines. One can't reason with them.

 

FOX

What a mess.

 

Treves now notices that the student's faces have gone a trifle ashen.

 

TREVES

What got you into medicine, Hodges?

 

HODGES

My father, sir. He's built quite a successful practice. I home to take it over one day.

 

TREVES

Is that your case as well, Pierce?

 

PIERCE

Yes sir. Though of course I do have a great desire to help my fellowman.

 

Treves smiles at them knowingly.

 

TREVES

Of course you do realize that medicine has changed quite a bit since your father's time. In those days we didn't even wash our coats. In fact, the sign of a truly accomplished surgeon – was his black operating coat, so stiff with dried blood and pus that it could stand up by itself in the corner. I've still got mine upstairs... You don't mind blood, do you?

 

HODGES & PIERCE

Oh no, sir.

 

TREVES

Good, that's one thing we've always plenty of.

 

 

HALLWAY

 

A hospital MESSENGER BOY, dressed in a blue uniform and a can is making his way down the hall. He stops and looks into an operating room much like the one we have just seen.

 

Inside, the room is empty. The Boy closes the door and continues on to another operating room. The Doctors move with great urgency around the operating table. Blood is draining down into a white porcelain bowl. A Woman can be heard moaning. The Boy looks carefully, but finally closes the door and continues on his way.

 

 

TREVES' OPERATING ROOM

 

There is a hissing sound and steam from the cauterizing of the wound comes up obscuring part of Treves' face. The patient is being held down firmly by the other men.

 

The door opens and Treves looks up. The Boy pops his head in.

 

BOY

Excuse me, Mr. Treves, sir.

 

TREVES

Yes?

 

BOY

I found it.

 

TREVES

(studying the Boy carefully)

Did you see it?

 

The Boy shakes his head slowly, "No."

 

TREVES

I'll be with you in a moment ...

 

The Boy closes the door.

 

FOX

(quietly)

I say Freddie, what are you about?

 

TREVES

Oh nothing... nothing of any great importance.

 

 

AERIAL SHOT

 

From third floor of the London Hospital looking down on the hospital square.

 

Below, Treves is walking briskly across the square, through a gate and into the slums beyond.

 

The aerial shot is actually FOX'S POV, and now we see Fox filled with curiosity, watching the figure from a window.

 

Looking down from above and to the side of him, we follow Treves walking through a cobblestone street still wet from a recent rain, covered with horse manure and filth of all sorts. The air is smoky from meat burning fires. Rounding a corner, we see and approach the painted canvas sign of "The Elephant Man" covering the front of a small, dingy shop. The door of the shop is windowless and padlocked. Treves walks into the picture, studies the whole scene for a moment, goes to the shoe door and finds that it is padlocked.

 

Treves tries to look under an edge of the canvas. To his left he sees a SZIALL BOY watching him intently.

 

TREVES

Do you know where the proprietor is?

 

He holds a coin out. The Boy nods, snatches the coin and I disappears around the corner.

 

Treves turns back to the canvas.

 

 

A PUB

 

A noisy pub, long and narrow. Benches run the length of the back wall, with small tables up against them. Men are clustered around the bar, talking in groups.

 

We see the Boy standing at one of the tables talking to the Owner, greedily consuming his lunch as he listens. The Boy gestures outside.

 

 

OUTSIDE THE PUB

 

The Boy comes out the door, quickly followed by the Owner hurriedly putting on his coat, fumbling with a riding crop, the last of his sandwich stuffed in his mouth.

 

 

AT THE CORNER

 

The Boy and the Owner are carefully looking around the corner at Treves still in front of the portrait.

 

OWNER

He's not a peeler...

 

BOY

No, I don It think so.

 

OWNER

No... I don't think so.

 

They walk into the street.

 

 

IN FRONT OF THE SHOP

 

The Owner and the Boy walk up to Treves.

 

TREVES

Are you the proprietor?

 

OWNER

And who might you be, sir?

 

TREVES

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

 

OWNER

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

 

Treves pulls a purse from his coat, extracts a coin and holds it out.

 

TREVES

I'd pay handsomely for a private showing. Are you the proprietor?

 

OWNER

Handsomely?... Who sent you?

 

TREVES

Pardon me?

 

OWNER

Never mind. I'm the owner.

 

He snatches the money.

 

 

INSIDE THE SHOP

 

Total darkness. We hear the sound of the padlock being removed. The door opens and light streams in. The canvas covering the windows at the front of the shop obscures all other light. The Owner enters, followed by Treves and the Boy. From his expression, as well as Treves', we can tell there must be an awful stench in the room.

 

No one says a word. The Boy closes the door, while the owner lights a small gas light. We can now see the shop. It is empty, grey with dust, cold and dank. Some old tins and a few shriveled potatoes occupy a shelf. The far end of the shop is blocked off by a curtain suspended from a cord by a few rings.

 

The Owner approaches it.

 

OWNER

Here we are sir.

(ticking it off by rote)

Life is full of surprises. Ladies and gentlemen, consider the fate of this creature's poor mother. In the fourth month of her maternal condition, she was struck down by a wild elephant.

(leering)

Struck down, if you take my meaning, on an uncharted African isle. The result is plain to see ladies and gentlemen... THE TERRIBLE ELEPHANT MAN!

 

The rings rattle back, and the curtain is omen. We see a bent figure crouching on a stool, covered by a brown blanket. In front of it on a tripod is a large brick, heated from below by a Bunsen burner. From the blanket protrudes a perfectly normal left arm and hand warming itself over the brick. It does not move when the curtain is drawn.

 

Treves steps closer. The Owner, watching his every move, turns-and smiles at him. He bangs his riding crop on the wall and yells to the crouched figure, as if speaking to a dog.

 

OWNER

Stand up!

 

The Boy, excited by his own fear, mimics the Owner.

 

BOY

Stand up!

 

The figure comes forward and lets the blanket fall to the ground and we see the ELEPHANT MAN himself.

 

Treves, his eyes wide with horror and wonder, his mouth frozen open, steps backward in an instinctive movement of self preservation.

 

The Owner laughs.

 

The Elephant Man is naked to the waist, his feet are bare and he wears a pair of worn trousers from a fat man's dress suit. He is a little below average height, and looks shorter from the bowing of his back. His head is enormous and misshapen, as big around as a man's waist. From his brow projects a huge bony mass, almost obscuring his right eve. His nose is a nose of flesh, recognizable only from its position.

 

From the upper jaw projects another mass of bone protruding from the mouth like a stump, turning the upper lip inside out, making a slobbering aperture. It almost gives the impression of a rudimentary trunk or tusk. On top of his head is a handful of lank, black hair. At the back of it hangs a bag of spongy skin, resembling cauliflower. These loathsome growths cover his back and hang down to the middle of his thighs. The right arm is enormous and shapeless, the hand like a knot of tuberous roots. His left arm is not only normal, but delicately shaped, with fine skin and a hand that any woman might envy. From his chest hangs another bag of flesh, like the dewlap of a lizard. His legs are also grossly deformed, his feet great stumps. Behind him, as painted in the portrait, are two crudely constructed palm trees.

 

The Owner harshly raps again.

 

OWNER

Turn around!

 

The Elephant Man begins to turn. The boy filled with malicious glee at seeing the monster obey, screams.

 

BOY

Turn around! Turn around!

 

The Elephant Man completes his turn and comes to rest.

 

We see a CLOSEUP of the Elephant Man looking at Treves. His face is utterly devoid, and incapable, of expression.

 

We see the Elephant Man's eyes. He closes them.

 

 

OUTSIDE THE SHOP

 

The Owner is locking up.

 

Treves, facing the street, drinks in the fresh air. He is trying to forget his shock, put everything into focus.

 

He looks at the garish portrait again.

 

Treves produces his purse.

 

The Owner, smelling money, turns.

 

Treves hands him several coins.

 

TREVES

So you'll bring him to me, tomorrow, 10:00 a.m.? Mr.... ?

 

OWNER

Bytes. Mr. Bytes. He'll be there.

 

TREVES

I'll send a cab. Here is my card.

 

Treves hands the Owner a card. The Owner, greasy and dirty, shakes Treves' hand and squeezes his arm.

 

OWNER

Now we got a deal... We understand each other... guy. We understand each other completely.

 

The Owner gives Treves the evil look of a conspirator.

 

Treves walks off, disoriented.

 

The Owner reads the card and smiles at Treves walking away down the street.

 

 

DISSOLVE TO OUTSIDE THE SHOP

 

A CABMAN is knocking on the door of the shop, staring at the portrait. The door opens, revealing a figure in a floor-length black cloak. On his head is an extremely large hat, cut to the lines of a yachting cap. A grey-flannel curtain hangs from the bottom of the cap all the way around, hiding his fade. There is a horizontal slit in front for the eyes. On the figure's feet are large, bag-like slippers. The only part of the body seen at all is the left arm and hand, which protrudes from the cloak, holding a crude walking stick. The figure seems to loathe being in the open. We can just barely see in the darkness within the Owner standing to one side of the door, obviously enjoying the surprise on the Cabman's face. The Owner steps abruptly into his view.

 

OWNER

Don't just stand there. Help him up.

 

The Cabman, does so, while a small, curious crowd forms. The Owner gives the Cabman the card. The Cabman jumps up onto the seat and off they go.

 

 

THE RECEIVING ROOM – LONDON HOSPITAL

 

The receiving room is a bare hall, painted stone color. It has rows of benches and a long desk where entries are made, and certificates and other papers are issued. It is a cold, harsh place.

 

CABMAN

Not at all, sir. My... pleasure.

 

He exits.