1980
Doctor Frederick Treves rescues John Merrick, a severely deformed man, from a Victorian freak show and brings him to the London Hospital, where he discovers Merrick's hidden intelligence and gentle nature. Merrick becomes a beloved resident, befriending staff and the actress Mrs. Kendal, but is abducted by his former owner, Bytes, and forced back into the circus. After escaping and returning to the hospital, Merrick attends a theater performance where he receives a standing ovation, fulfilling his dream of acceptance. Later that night, Merrick deliberately lies down to sleep on his back, a position fatal for his condition, and passes away peacefully.
Save the Cat beat sheet
London surgeon Frederick Treves discovers John Merrick, the Elephant Man, and brings him into the hospital.
Open full beat sheetFrederick Treves is listed as Surgeon. A compassionate surgeon at the London Hospital who discovers and cares for Merrick. In the parsed data, Frederick Treves is connected to 55 scenes, 165 dialogue lines, 167 text mentions, first appearing around scene 1.
55 scenes / 165 dialogue linesJohn Merrick is listed as Protagonist. A man with severe physical deformities who is highly intelligent and sensitive. In the parsed data, John Merrick is connected to 54 scenes, 80 dialogue lines, 95 text mentions, first appearing around scene 24.
54 scenes / 80 dialogue linesCarr Gomm is listed as Hospital Chairman. The administrator of the London Hospital. In the parsed data, Carr Gomm is connected to 16 scenes, 63 dialogue lines, 72 text mentions, first appearing around scene 27.
16 scenes / 63 dialogue linesMrs. Mothershead is listed as Matron. A stern but ultimately caring hospital matron. In the parsed data, Mrs. Mothershead is connected to 16 scenes, 27 dialogue lines, 33 text mentions, first appearing around scene 19.
16 scenes / 27 dialogue linesNight Porter is listed as Antagonist. A corrupt hospital employee who abuses Merrick. In the parsed data, Night Porter is connected to 13 scenes, 26 dialogue lines, 26 text mentions, first appearing around scene 7.
13 scenes / 26 dialogue linesBytes is listed as Antagonist. The cruel owner of the freak show who exploits Merrick. In the parsed data, Bytes is connected to 12 scenes, 34 dialogue lines, 37 text mentions, first appearing around scene 5.
12 scenes / 34 dialogue linesAnne Treves is listed as Treves' Wife. Supportive and kind wife of Frederick Treves. In the parsed data, Anne Treves is connected to 12 scenes, 31 dialogue lines, 31 text mentions, first appearing around scene 14.
12 scenes / 31 dialogue linesBroadneck is listed as Committee Member. A rigid and unsympathetic member of the hospital committee. In the parsed data, Broadneck is connected to 6 scenes, 9 dialogue lines, 13 text mentions, first appearing around scene 40.
6 scenes / 9 dialogue linesNora Ireland is listed as Nurse. A kind nurse at the London Hospital. In the parsed data, Nora Ireland is connected to 6 scenes, 3 dialogue lines, 3 text mentions, first appearing around scene 25.
6 scenes / 3 dialogue linesMrs. Kendal is listed as Actress. A famous actress who befriends Merrick. In the parsed data, Mrs. Kendal is connected to 4 scenes, 8 dialogue lines, 14 text mentions, first appearing around scene 51.
4 scenes / 8 dialogue linesTreves visits a freak show and observes various exhibits, eventually encountering the Elephant Man's display.
Frederick Treves, Anne Treves, BytesTreves performs surgery on a machine accident victim while teaching students.
Frederick TrevesA messenger boy informs Treves that he has located the Elephant Man.
Frederick TrevesTreves meets with the Owner to arrange a private viewing of the Elephant Man.
Frederick Treves, BytesTreves sees the Elephant Man for the first time.
John Merrick, Frederick Treves, BytesTreves attempts to communicate with Merrick.
John Merrick, Frederick TrevesTreves attempts to communicate with the hooded figure, but is interrupted by Fox.
Frederick Treves, John Merrick, Night PorterTreves and Fox discuss the mysterious figure.
Frederick Treves, Night PorterTreves returns to find the figure hiding and attempts to examine him.
Frederick Treves, John MerrickTreves has the figure photographed.
Frederick Treves, John MerrickTreves presents John Merrick to the medical society.
Frederick Treves, John MerrickTreves measures Merrick and prepares for his departure.
Frederick Treves, John MerrickTreves and Fox watch Merrick leave.
Frederick Treves, Night Porter, John MerrickTreves returns home to his wife.
Frederick Treves, Anne TrevesBytes abuses Merrick.
Bytes, John MerrickThe Boy informs Treves that Merrick is sick.
Frederick TrevesTreves finds Merrick injured and decides to take him to the hospital.
Frederick Treves, Bytes, John MerrickTreves settles Merrick into the hospital.
Frederick Treves, John Merrick, Nora Ireland, Mrs. Mothershead, Carr GommTreves introduces Merrick to Mothershead, who begins caring for him.
John Merrick, Frederick Treves, Mrs. MothersheadA porter delivers water to Merrick's room; Mothershead takes it inside.
Mrs. MothersheadMothershead bathes Merrick while Treves observes and questions Merrick's past.
John Merrick, Frederick Treves, Mrs. MothersheadThe Night Porter bullies the young porter about Merrick.
Night PorterMerrick sleeps; the Night Porter wanders the hospital.
John Merrick, Night PorterTreves attempts to teach Merrick to speak.
John Merrick, Frederick Treves, Mrs. MothersheadTreves shows Mothershead that Merrick can speak.
John Merrick, Frederick Treves, Mrs. MothersheadBytes infiltrates the hospital.
BytesTreves asks Carr Gomm to let the committee meet Merrick.
Frederick Treves, Carr GommBytes confronts Treves; Carr Gomm intervenes.
Frederick Treves, Bytes, Carr GommTreves discusses his progress with Anne.
Frederick Treves, Anne TrevesTreves and his wife Anne discuss his moral dilemma regarding John Merrick's intelligence.
Frederick Treves, Anne TrevesThe Night Porter terrifies Merrick by bringing a woman into the ward.
John Merrick, Night PorterTreves leaves for work early in the morning.
Frederick Treves, Anne TrevesTreves prepares Merrick for the meeting with Carr Gomm.
John Merrick, Frederick TrevesTreves and Carr Gomm discuss Merrick's condition and the hospital's obligations.
Frederick Treves, Carr GommMerrick meets Carr Gomm and surprises him with his intelligence.
John Merrick, Frederick Treves, Carr GommTreves and Merrick discuss the interview.
John Merrick, Frederick TrevesCarr Gomm agrees to present Merrick's case to the committee.
Frederick Treves, Carr GommMothershead visits Merrick and acknowledges his intelligence.
John Merrick, Mrs. MothersheadThe Night Porter threatens Merrick.
John Merrick, Night PorterThe committee votes against keeping Merrick at the hospital.
Frederick Treves, Carr Gomm, BroadneckTreves and other doctors dine; Treves leaves after being mocked by his colleagues regarding Merrick.
Frederick Treves, Broadneck, Carr GommTwo charwomen clean a dusty room and discuss Merrick.
Treves visits Merrick and gives him a book; Merrick is disturbed by the news of moving.
John Merrick, Frederick TrevesThe Night Porter reads a letter about Merrick to the pub crowd, planning to exploit him.
Night PorterTreves escorts Merrick to his new room.
John Merrick, Frederick TrevesMerrick arrives at his new room and is relieved to find it is a hospital, not a workhouse.
John Merrick, Frederick TrevesTreves asks Carr Gomm about the public response to Merrick.
Frederick Treves, Carr GommNurses prepare to care for Merrick; Mothershead gives instructions.
John Merrick, Mrs. Mothershead, Nora IrelandMerrick visits Treves' home and meets Anne Treves.
John Merrick, Frederick Treves, Anne TrevesMerrick builds a model of St. Phillips; Nora visits and admires his work.
John Merrick, Nora IrelandTreves introduces Mrs. Kendal to Merrick.
John Merrick, Frederick Treves, Mrs. KendalMrs. Kendal explains the magic of the theater to Merrick and they recite Romeo and Juliet together.
John Merrick, Mrs. Kendal, Frederick TrevesBytes and the Night Porter conspire to exploit Merrick.
Bytes, Night PorterSociety women gossip about Mrs. Kendal's visit to Merrick.
A society woman decides not to visit Merrick because of her attire.
Merrick hosts society visitors.
John MerrickTreves and Mothershead argue about the visitors.
Frederick Treves, Mrs. MothersheadMerrick asks Treves if he can be cured.
John Merrick, Frederick Treves, Nora IrelandTreves discusses the dressing bag with Mothershead.
Frederick Treves, Mrs. MothersheadThe Night Porter taunts Merrick.
John Merrick, Night PorterTreves questions his own morality.
Frederick Treves, Anne TrevesTreves burns his surgeon's coat.
Frederick TrevesCarr Gomm and Broadneck discuss the committee's response.
Carr Gomm, BroadneckCarr Gomm receives a letter from the Royal family.
Carr Gomm, Mrs. MothersheadThe committee meets to decide Merrick's fate.
Carr Gomm, Frederick Treves, BroadneckMerrick works on his cathedral model.
John MerrickPrincess Alexandra arrives at the hospital.
Princess Alexandra intervenes on Merrick's behalf.
Carr Gomm, Frederick Treves, BroadneckThe hospital committee votes to admit John Merrick permanently.
Frederick Treves, Carr Gomm, BroadneckTreves, Carr Gomm, and Mothershead inform Merrick he has a permanent home.
John Merrick, Frederick Treves, Carr Gomm, Mrs. MothersheadMerrick admires his new gifts and prepares to 'transform' himself.
John MerrickThe Night Porter recruits customers to see Merrick.
Bytes, Night PorterThe Night Porter brings a crowd to abuse and mock Merrick.
John Merrick, Bytes, Night PorterTreves discovers Merrick is missing.
Frederick Treves, Mrs. MothersheadTreves confronts the Night Porter.
Frederick Treves, Mrs. Mothershead, Night PorterMerrick is forced to perform the elephant call for a hostile crowd, fails, and collapses. Bytes abuses him.
John Merrick, BytesBytes, drunk and angry, throws Merrick into a monkey cage.
John Merrick, BytesThe circus freaks rescue Merrick from the cage.
John MerrickThe freaks lead Merrick through the woods.
John MerrickMerrick boards a train to London with the help of the freaks.
John Merrick"Mrs. Kendal, always at the forefront of fashion and form, was seen leaving The London the other afternoon. No, dear readers, the most facile actress of our day has not been taken ill, but rather said she was 'visiting a friend'. And who was the lucky recipient of this attention? Quick enquiries proved it to be none other than Mr. John Merrick, The Elephant Man, with whom our readers are undoubtedly familiar. After a chat of three-quarters of an hour, Mrs. Kendal was kind enough to leave Mr. Merrick with an autographed portrait of herself. Owing to a disfigurement of the most extreme nature, Mr. Merrick has never been properly presented to London society. But knowing that wherever Mrs. Kendal goes, others inevitably follow, the questions arises: Will London society present itself to him?"
He is English, he is twenty-one years of age and his name is John Merrick. Gentlemen, in the course of my profession I have come upon lamentable deformities of the face due to injury or disease, as well as mutilations and contortions of the body, depending upon like causes; but, at no time have I met with such a dreaded or perverted version of a human being as this man. I wish to draw your attention to the insidious conditions affecting this patient. Note, if you will, the extreme enlargement of the skull... and upper limb, which is totally useless. The alarming curvature of the spine... Turn him, please... the looseness of the skin, and the varying fibrous tumors that cover 90% of the body.
Gentlemen, may I make a suggestion. There are two small rooms off Bedstead Square that are no longer in use and would be admirably suited to Mr. Merrick's needs. I also propose to write a letter to The Times, appealing to their readers for assistance. Knowing the generosity of the British public, I feel we would have little trouble in raising the funds for his maintenance. Indeed, this hospital's rules do preclude the admission of incurables, but if ever there was an exception to the rule, it is this patient. So therefore, I propose, if Mr. Treves is finished, that we put it to a vote. All those in favor of keeping Mr. Merrick here?
It's very difficult to put into a nutshell, but I should say the theater is the shrine of the imagination, where one may suspend disbelief and travel anywhere in the world, to any time you desire. You may look over the shoulders of kings, unobserved, battle with ruthless tyrants, and marry the beautiful princess, all in the space of a few hours. Onstage you may be whoever you wish to be, do anything you please, and always, always live happily ever after. The theatre is all the brightest and best things of the world, Mr. Merrick. It is lights and music, gaiety and joy. It's... well, it's romance.
Which brings to mind my next point. The rules, gentlemen, the rules. In a society such as ours, it is of paramount importance that we not stray from the established order. Has that order not already been fearfully strained by allowing this... this... sideshow exhibit to take up residence, however temporary, in two very useful rooms, the purpose of which would be far better served in accommodating treatable patients, patients to whom this hospital was originally dedicated? I believe we have a duty...
He's doing very well. In fact that's why I came to see you. I think that if I were to present Mr. Merrick to the hospital committee, then they would have a chance to see for themselves not only the extraordinary nature of the disease, but of the man as well. If the committee had a chance to speak with him, hear him say a few words for himself, I'm sure they would see him as a patient, rather than as a violation of the rules.
...In light of these facts, our course is clear. The question is not whether to accept this creature as a patient, the question is when will those rooms be vacated for use by better qualified, more deserving cases? I move that this Elephant Man be removed from the premises immediately. We have a sacred duty to cure the sick, not care for circus animals. That is my last word on the subject. Mr. Chairman, shall we vote?
Gentlemen, John Merrick is not an animal, he is a man, fully aware of his condition. An intelligent, sensitive, literate man, with an intimate knowledge of the Bible. His horrible infirmities do not reduce him to anything less than what he is, a man; and it would be criminal if we of the London Hospital, his final refuge, the last place on earth where this man can find peace, were to cast him out.
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