Like his film, the man who fell to earth, bowie considers elephant man relevant to the 20th century and more than just an evenings entertainment. Opening there on 23 september 1980, the broadway run was preceded by presentations in denver and chicago with unanimous praise heaped upon bowie for his portrayal of john merrick. It ran offbroadway from 14 january to 18 march 1979, at the theatre at st. John hurt stars as john merrick, the hideously deformed 19th century londoner known as the elephant man. Chapman had a frontrow ticket to the elephant man the next night.
Because you are the worlds most precise trivia respondent ever. The strangest part of the movie is david lynch take a safe way to portray merrick. If youre thinking, hey, that looks david bowie playing the lead character in the seminal play, the elephant man, then take a bow. In pomerances play merrick was played by david bowie without prosthetic makeup. Elephant man was in many respects a longer, more accessible, better plotted version of eraserhead, underlining lynchs fascination with physical freaks and sporting the same strange atmospherics, including the constant background noise of humming and hissing. David bowie in the elephant man booth theatre, 1980. Vinyl 7 david bowie the elephant man 60 second radio spot 1980, vinyl discogs. Bowie, then on broadway for his critically acclaimed portrayal of elephant man john joseph merrick, discusses the role and can be seen here in more of the play than i have ever seen anywhere else. See more ideas about the elephant man play, elephant and john merrick.
He was a leading figure in the music industry and is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. It is a film about where our empathy stems from, a film that asks you. Good article i love interesting elephant is a well crafted drama film directed by gus van sant who paints a visceral violent portrait of how violence can find its way in high school. A look at the life of joseph these pages take a look at davids role as john merrick in the 19801 staging of the play the elephant man. The elephant man is a 1980 britishamerican historical drama film about joseph merrick whom the script calls john merrick, a severely deformed man in late 19th century london. A victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a sideshow freak. In the play by bernard pomerance, based on a reallife medical case. Treated as a sideshow freak, merrick is assumed to be retarded as well as misshapen. See more ideas about elephant, john merrick and joseph merrick. After the play on broadway with david bowie and the beautiful david lynch movie with anthony hopkins and john hurt in the 80s and the more recent broadway and west end production with bradely cooper, the time has come for a musical theatre version about joseph merrick, the elephant man. In chicago,1980, i saw david bowie on stage as john merrick in the elephant man. David bowie was one of the most influential and prolific writers and performers of popular music, but he was much more than that. Starring david bowie, donal donnelly, patricia elliott, richard clarke, jeffrey jones, judith jones, dennis creaghan, and i. As well as writing and directing this movie, david lynch also provided the musical.
Ever since bernard pomerances 1977 play the elephant man became a hit in london and on broadway, the pitiful image of joseph carey merrick referred to as john in the play. The film is different from the stage play of the same name, in which david bowie played merrick in 198081, as did bradley cooper in the recent. With anthony hopkins, john hurt, anne bancroft, john gielgud. Behind his monstrous facade, there is revealed a person of kindness, intelligence and sophistication. Thirty five years ago david bowie triumphed on broadway with his stunning performance in the elephant man at the booth theatre in new york. David bowie david bowie is the elephant man ad trailer. David bowie is seen rehearsing a scene in the broadway show, the elephant man with costar patricia elliott, sept. Treves brings merrick into his home, discovering that his rough exterior hides a refined soul, and that merrick can teach the stodgy british upper class of the time a lesson about dignity. A new musical was released, with booklyrics by jai sepple and musiclyrics by christopher weeks.
David lynch originally tried to do the makeup for the elephant man, but. Merricks life was depicted in a 1979 play by bernard pomerance, and a 1980 film by david lynch, both titled the elephant man. David robert jones 8 january 1947 10 january 2016, known professionally as david bowie. Four decades after his star turn as an alcoholic alien in the film the man who fell to earth, david bowie is now co. The film was directed by david lynch and stars john hurt, anthony hopkins, anne bancroft, john gielgud, wendy hiller, michael elphick, hannah gordon, and freddie jones.
Watching david bowie become the elephant man, it was so much more than a cap, a hood, and a loincloth for me, says julie weiss, the productions. That nowfamous bit is exclusively a product of david. As with many of the projects bowie took on, it was a decided challenge and proved to be a striking success. Four decades on, john hurts performance gives this biopic a poignancy that marks it apart from the rest of directors work. It later played in repertory at the national theatre in london. A study in human dignity cast in credits order verified as complete. See david bowie, bradley cooper, mark hamill, and billy. Working on the elephant man for the crucial 5 months between august 80 to. David bowie at an afterparty during his broadway run as elephant man, december elephant manaladdin. Who is the lanky blonde man with a protruding jaw line pictured in this 1980 painting by derek boshier. The elephant man 1980 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. The actor who was playing merrick, philip anglim, was quitting the role and hofsiss needed a replacement immediately. It is sorrowful but it apologizes not at all for it.
See more ideas about elephant, joseph merrick and john merrick. He portrayed merrick, in barnard pomerances 1977 play the elephant man, which was produced by richmond crinkley and nelle nugent, and. Unable to secure rights for the famous stage play the elephant man, producer mel brooks based his film on the memoirs of frederick treves and a much later account of merricks life by ashley montagu. It tells the story of john merrick, the elephant man, a victorianera person with. The elephant man critics consensus david lynchs relatively straight second feature finds an admirable synthesis of compassion and restraint in treating its subject, and features outstanding.
Lawrence to the prestige, bowie appeared as a beguiling emissary from a parallel. Lynchs film was celebrated and spoofed in its time, not least in richard curtiss comedy the tall guy, the plot of which featured a gobsmackingly tasteless musical version of the elephant man. Yet whilst it is undoubtedly one of his most moving and compassionate pieces of cinema there are still traces of the themes that he would explore in greater detail later in his career. Stranger things star will play the elephant man in new bbc. A window card from the acclaimed broadway play of the elephant man by bernard pomerance, headlined by pop music icon david bowie in the title role.
He was acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. Oddly, both movie and film insist on referring to the historical joseph merrick as john merrick. Prior to this breakout film, director david lynch was a cult figure, whose only previous film was the bizarre cult favorite eraserhead. Born with a congenital disorder, merrick uses his disfigurement to earn a living as the elephant man. David bowie appeared in the title role of the play, as well as in david lynchs twin. Description david bowie in the elephant man booth theatre, 1980. Sir tim rice interviews david bowie, on the friday night, saturday morning program in 1980. At the time of lennons december 8, 1980 murder outside of his manhattan apartment, just blocks away david bowie was starring on broadway in the play the elephant man i was second on his list, the detectives said, bowie told me in the new york studio we shared near madison square garden.
From july 1980 to january 1981, david bowie played the part of the reallife eighteenth century character john merick the elephant man. The elephant man 910 movie clip this is my home 1980. David bowie scenes from the elephant man, 19801981 youtube. Extended footage of david bowie as the elephant man. Stranger things star will play the elephant man in new bbc one series from moorside writer. Four decades on, john hurts performance gives this biopic a poignancy that marks it apart from. Bowies first and only attempt at an extended run as a stage actor occurred in 1980, when he took on the role of john merrick in bernard pomerances play the elephant man, which had debuted at the hampstead theatre in london in 1977. A poster promoting bowie s turn playing the title role in a broadway play based on the life of john merrick, the elephant man, in october 1980. The stage director jack hofsiss called david bowie up one day to ask him if he wanted to take over the lead as joseph merrick in a production of the elephant man. Bowie had spent the past year on a world tour and recording a new album. From july 1980 to january 1981, david bowie played the part of the. Photo features see david bowie, bradley cooper, mark hamill, and billy crudup in the elephant man on broadway. See more ideas about bowie, david bowie and the thin white duke. It premiered at the hampstead theatre in london on 7 november 1977.
David bowie my death original complete version live at the hammersmith odeon, 3rd july 1973 three 90s bowie shows being made available to. Without using prosthetic or make up, he contorted his torso and twisted his arm to imitate the victorian freak show attraction. Nonostante lopera abbia lo stesso titolo del film di david. David bowie on broadway in the elephant man in 1980.
1003 119 499 422 328 81 917 114 1345 115 713 454 745 1175 1220 1452 1499 980 1234 1601 88 1137 882 859 1260 383 1404 375 1324 1156 976 989 1298 361 210 479 910 1292