The great lyric poet’s screenplay based on the notorious career of Robert Knox, the anatomist who purchased bodies for dissection from the resurrectionists/murderers, Burke and Hare. This was the first screenplay that was published before the film was produced. More than 30 years after it was published the film was produced by Mel Brook's production company Brooksfilms and released in 1985. The film starred Timothy Dalton as Dr. Thomas Rock, a character based on Knox. The film was directed by Freddie Francis, using a script adapted by Sir Ronald Harwood from Dylan Thomas's screenplay.