Wild African elephants strike down Merrick's mother on an uncharted African island. Soon after, Merrick is born.
Frederick Treves, a surgeon at the London Hospital, … See more

• Anthony Hopkins as Frederick Treves, a doctor who takes John from the freakshow to work in the hospital
• John Hurt as John Merrick, an intelligent, friendly, kind-hearted … See more

A West End play of the same name was enjoying a successful Broadway run at the time of the film's production. The producers sued Brooksfilms over the use of the title. See more

The musical score of The Elephant Man was composed and conducted by John Morris, and it was performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1980, the company See more

Development
Producer Jonathan Sanger optioned the script from writers Christopher De Vore and Eric Bergren after receiving the script from his babysitter. … See more

Box office
The Elephant Man was a box office hit, grossing $26 million in the United States. In Japan, it was the second highest-grossing foreign film … See more

Michael Jackson used excerpts from the film in his song "Morphine" from the 1997 remix album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix See more