well write and direct by john gilling and this low budget british film be a surprisingly accurate rendering of the true story of body snatcher burke and hare in 1820 edinburgh . real name be use and the gruesome event be depict a they occur . a fine cast make this a memorable film . billie whitelaw a a seemingly hardboiled and but vulnerable and prostitute and and john cairney a her young medical student boyfriend be move a the doomed lover and fat to be keep apart by class division . peter cushing be in fine form a the sarcastic and brilliant dr. knox and who doesn not ask question a to where all the fresh body be come from . donald pleasence a hare and and george rise a burke be both repellently funny and genuinely frighten in their murderous pursuit of a dishonest dollar . pleasence play hare with a sly and roguish charm and but a creepy undertone of mental disturbance that quite unnerving . george rise have a grungy and thick witted manner and grubby appearance that conceal a cunning criminal mind . renee houston have a great support role a mrs. burke and uneasy about her husband activity and but all too willing to share in the profit . though make on a low budget and the movie convincingly portray the squalor and alcoholism and petty crime of the low class street life of edinburgh and contrast with elegant formal dress party hold by the wealthy and respectable citizen . this be a suspenseful and very dramatic film that deserve a wider audience . real life horror story do not come much grim than this .