The Cater Street Hangman

The Cater Street Hangman is a brilliant movie with exceptional lead actors - McCarthy and Hawes. Eoin McCarthy and Keely Hawes shine as Inspector Pitt and Charlotte. The movie is brought to life by the exciting book it is based on by Anne Perry and by the fact that it is a period piece. This is a must see for murder/mystery fans. The movie keeps you guessing until the end. It would be great to see more of Anne Perry's novels in this series come to life. Until that happens, Cater Street will do to satisfy anyone's appetite. Enjoy!

The characters were far from stereotypical...with the exception of Charlotte's father and mother. Of course, this was the intention...Mr & Mrs Ellison represented the mores of the day while Charlotte and Pitt were representative of a new day.

While the movie stayed fairly close to the book, I have to admit to being disappointed that the motive was sanitized. The fact that the motives in Perry's books are sometimes rather seamy make them stand out from other mysteries dealing with the Victorian era. Possibly that has something to do with Anne Perry's own history. If the book had ended the way the movie did, I probably wouldn't have bothered reading any of her others.

Produced by June Wyndham-Davies, who also made the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes series. This adaptation of the Anne Perry novels was titled as The Inspector Pitt Mysteries.

Heavily suggesting that it would form a part of a series. Only The Cater Street Hangman is a one off film.

With the recent deaths of several young women in Victorian London. Inspector Thomas Pitt (Eoin McCarthy) is under intense pressure to solve the murders.

He gets assistance from the feisty Charlotte Ellison (Keeley Hawes) who always seems to be defying her stern aristocratic and well connected father.

Suspects include her father who seems to have secrets to hide. As well as Reverend Prebble with his overzealous sermons.

Very atmospheric but I found it rather plodding. Some two dimensional shouty characters. I doubt Charlotte would had been constantly allowed to go out unaccompanied at night with a killer on the loose.

This is a well acted TV mystery movie. I have not read the book on which it is based, but it is a story about young women being strangled in London in the 19th century, and the circumstances surrounding the investigation of two of the murders. Several characters emerge from these investigations to jolly the story along.

However, I found the characters to be stereotypical and shallow. The movie's view of the 19th century is lightweight, and all the characters - dastardly males, entrenched class snobs, decent humble servants, rebellious daughters, caring professional policemen, etc. - are cardboard cut-outs. I found the story to be crushingly predictable and boring.

If you like easy dramas, you will enjoy this.

I enjoy Anne Perry's novels, both Thomas Pitt and also William Monk (which would have also made good material for a movie). But I had in mind someone more like Alan Rickman in his younger days. Is there no one able to speak as he does, coming up in the ranks of actors? The character of Charlotte would have been better with someone a little stronger in ability to make Charlotte the determined character she was. I am sure everyone pictures their own ideals when reading a book, but changing the story a bit doesn't bother me as much as making the characters not fit the story. Thomas Pitt was described as having a beautiful voice and brown, not blonde, hair. Anyway. I do so wish they would try a movie using William Monk and his friend, a nurse from the Crimea. (By the way, AP's books have also become audio books, the best ones read by David McCallum, another gentleman with a talented and wonderful voice). I do believe they may have tried making this one because it is the first of the Inspector Pitt series. The stories get better as time progresses. Making one like Pentecost Alley, or Ashworth Hall would be much more entertaining. To have pitted the future of other dramatizations on this one book, was not a good idea as can be seen.