Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper (1959)

** (out of 4)

Atmospheric and moody version of the infamous serial killer. This isn't quite as good as the version with Klaus Kinski but it remained entertaining throughout. The director does a great job building up the atmosphere of 1888 London but for some strange reason he never pushes the "mystery" surrounding the case. He throws a lot of suspects at us but for some reason he never tries to build up a mystery film as to who the killer is. There's a big twist at the end, which makes one think the film is going to do something with it but it never does. I'm not exactly sure what the filmmakers were going for but the movie still works.

I wasn't intending on watching this film as it got a bad review in my TV guide. But when I saw John Le Mesurier (whom I most associate with the TV series "Dad's Army") becoming a prime suspect at the start of this Jack the Ripper themed whodunnit, then I just had to watch the rest.

The film basically uses the Jack the Ripper case as a excuse for a whodunnit. Jack's identity is pretty easy to guess (not enough suspects!), but the motive for the killings takes a bit longer to figure out.

The inclusion of an American policeman in the story does rather pander to an American audience, but it works quite well. I was cynically expecting him to solve the case before the London policeman and have a fight to the death with Jack at the the end of the film. But I was pleasantly surprised with the ending (it was vaguely reminiscent of the endings of a couple of Dario Argento's gialli).

Overall it's not a great film, but if you're into whodunnits then it's worth checking out.

There appear to be two versions of this film so beware. The colourised ending with the blood seeping out seems to have been done especially as a gimmick for the USA market.

In the UK version there is no colorised ending (it's all in black and white) and it also looks as if the ending has suffered from censor cuts.

Hopefully, one day we will see a DVD release with both endings included. All screenings in the UK (on TV) have been of the UK version with the black and white ending.

Those interested in this film may also care to check out A Study In Terror in which Sherlock Holmes tackles Jack the Ripper in a hammer forror-ish style.

The unsolved case of Jack the Ripper was largely exploited by movie industry, this British production sins a little bit when it offers a conclusion of the real killer, nonetheless brings to screen a decent version at Whitechapel's events with many authentic elements from those days, poorly enlightened narrow streets with dense fog from the chimneys, countless pubs, several burlesque theatre that was used as front to exploit prostitution and so on, here the picture expose a Doctor who asking revenge against Mary Clark who was the woman of an easy life and after discovered her past, Doctor's beloved son committed suicide, meanwhile he wandering for those streets looking for her, but ends up killing many women supposedly prostitutes, the Scotland Yard in charge of all enquires was under pressure to solve the case soon as can, the casting are almost unknown, although had a fine performance, anyway a fine movie restored from a copy found in France and insert another music score, on bonus material has many shoots cut off from the original with many nudes scenes, fantastic!!

Resume:

First watch: 2010 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.5

In the 50s and 60s British film producers made 2 versions of their films.One the version that would be shown in UK cinemas and the other for more broadminded tastes the other side of the channel.So about half way through the film in the music hall the dancers have just finished the can can.They go back to their dressing room.They start talking in French ,with English subtitles,and all the dancers are undressed.This goes on for the next 5 minutes or so till the next murder.I have often pondered what happened to the continental versions and here some enterprising soul has cut the relevant scenes into the film.It certainly livens it up as it is not one of the better Ripper films,since it deals with it as a who dunnit.The final scenes with the lift though are the most effective part of the film.