History Film / TheAbominableDrPhibes

* EnigmaticMinion: Why never learn exactly how or why Vulnavia became Phibes's henchwoman.

* LipLock: Completely averted; Phibes' throat is too damaged for normal speech, so he communicates by plugging himself into outlets and then - [[ForScience with science]] - speaking through them. Which is to say, Vincent Price acts his character in mime, and then supplies voiceover later. This made his only dialogue scene a bit tricky for Joseph Cotten, who didn't always know when to start speaking.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image_366.jpeg]]

Followed a year later by a sequel, ''Film/DrPhibesRisesAgain''. Immediately after the ''Dr. Phibes'' films, Price also starred in a SpiritualSuccessor to them, ''Film/TheatreOfBlood''.

Followed a year later by a sequel, ''Film/DrPhibesRisesAgain''.

* RuleOfCool: Bats, rats, and locusts eat people when Doctor Phibes ''says'' they do, dammit!

* JackOfAllTrades: Not only is Phibes an organist and a theologian as much PR material states, but he is also a tinkerer (presumably building the frog mask and the hail machine, and his band of clockwork musicians), a surgeon (implanting the key near the heart), and a gourmand. Depending on what Vulvavia is, he may also may be even more of a clockwork maker (if Vulvavia is a clockwork, or an occultist (if she's a familiar, as the sequel implies). The only skill he lacks is medallion-making which he outsources and conveniently gives the police their lead on him.

* ForWantOfANail: Phibes couldn't have faked his death if there hadn't been a chauffeur in his car with him when it crashed, and nobody was aware that there was a second person in the car, and nobody noticed the missing chauffeur after his death.

** In real life, Creator/VincentPrice was an excellent chef and art expert. In the movie, Phibes cooks up a Brussels sprouts-based concoction in order to get locusts to eat a woman, and throws a withering DeathGlare at one of his victims upon seeing an ugly piece of art in his room. He also look contemptuously at the tacky painting on Longstreet's wall.

* ColdHam: A rare example from Price, who usually served his ham fresh and hot. And yet he still manages to be a LargeHam!

* ColdHam: Price usually served his ham piping hot, but as he has a mask face here...

--->'''Dr. Vesalius''': [[spoiler:Your wife no, Phibes, but you I will kill.]]\\
'''Dr. Phibes''': [[spoiler:But you can't, doctor. I'm already dead.]]

--->'''Dr. Vesalius''': ''(to Trout)'' Human error won't stop him. He's had years to hide, to plot this damnable thing.

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Whether Vulnavia is a magical being, a clockwork, or a mortal is never answered. [[spoiler: When her face is burned by acid at the end, Trout and others react to her corpse as if she's human.]]

* PoliceAreUseless: Well, except for Trout, and even he is powerless to prevent most of the deaths despite figuring out Phibes' modus operandi fairly early on. And even Trout falls prey to this trope in the case of [[spoiler: Nurse Allen, who is sent to bed ''alone'' in a room at the hospital, without a constable or even another nurse to keep an eye on her. This, after being advised to take a sleeping pill and riding to her floor in an elevator ''with Phibes himself'' in it!]]

-->'''Waverley''': A brass unicorn has been catapulted across a London street and impaled an eminent surgeon. Words fail me, gentlemen.

* ThemeSerialKiller: Dr. Phibes used the first nine plagues of Egypt to carry out his revenge. [[spoiler: the tenth, the Plague of Darkness, he reserves for himself.]]

* CollapsingLair: Phibes orders Vulnavia to destroy everything in his lair once his vengeance is accomplished. She uses an [[AnAxeToGrind axe]], which is not really appropriate for the task. She can only achieve mere vandalizing with it.

* ANiceChianti: Although he has to drink it through the back of his neck...
** Phibes briefly contemplates Longstreet's brandy after draining Longstreet's blood.

* PimpedOutDress: Some of Vulnavia's dresses are pretty elaborate. Her white mink outfit is probably the most normal one.

* PoliceAreUseless: Well, except for Trout, and even he is powerless to prevent most of the deaths despite figuring out Phibes' modus operandi fairly early on.
** Even Trout falls prey to this trope in the case of [[spoiler: Nurse Allen, who is sent to bed ''alone'' in a room at the hospital, without a constable or even another nurse to keep an eye on her. This, after being advised to take a sleeping pill and riding to her floor in an elevator ''with Phibes himself'' in it!]]
* [[TrailersAlwaysSpoil Posters Always Spoil]]: Phibes' disfigured face was supposed to be TheReveal. It's right there at the top of the screen.

* ColdHam: Price usually served his ham piping hot, but as he has a mask face

-->'''Dr. Vesalius''': [[spoiler:Your wife no, Phibes, but you I will kill.]]\\

-->'''Dr. Vesalius''' (to Trout): Human error won't stop him. He's had years to hide, to plot this damnable thing.

* IdiotBall: Longstreet fawns all over a mysterious woman who breaks into his home. She is only able to tie him to a chair because he helpfully obliges.