The Cater Street Hangman

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.

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.

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.

While the Victorian social and moral notions are roasted as thoroughly as a movie can without losing sight of the murder mystery plot, I especially welcome the degree of detailed accuracy enforced in the wardrobe, the accessories and hair. The stiffness of the fabrics, the bustles, the cropped fringes and the minimal makeup reinforced the feel and look of the rising middle classes in 1880s Victorian London. Kudos to the staff and departments ruling those decisions. Thankfully that very realism makes this production very tricky to date so little of the movie's contemporary make-up and hair styling filtered through.That is too rare these days...that I had to look the date up.

While liberties were taken with the original story by Anne Perry, the Cater Street Hangman was very true to the overall feeling of the novel. Eoin McCarthy did an outstanding job as Inspector Pitt - very believable. Keeley Hawes also did wonderful work as the much-oppressed, liberal-minded woman of Victorian times. I wasn't interested in Anne Perry's work until after I had watched this movie, and I hope to see more adaptations of this series in the near future.