Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1971
Hands of the Ripper
Buy Hands of the Ripper now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'Hands of the Ripper' is a 1971 British horror film, directed by Peter Sasdy for Hammer Film Productions. It was written by L. W. Davidson from a story by Edward Spencer Shew, and produced by Aida Young. The film was released in the U.S. as a double feature with 'Twins of Evil'.
Plot
The infant daughter of Jack the Ripper is witness to the brutal murder of her mother by her father. Fifteen years later, she is a troubled young woman who is seemingly possessed by the spirit of her late father. While in a psychotic trance she continues his murderous killing spree, but has no recollection of the events afterwards. A sympathetic psychiatrist takes her in and is convinced he can cure her condition. However, he soon regrets his decision...
Cast
*Eric Porter as Dr. John Pritchard
*Angharad Rees as Anna
*Jane Merrow as Laura
*Keith Bell as Michael Pritchard
*Derek Godfrey as Mr. Dysart
*Dora Bryan as Mrs. "Granny" Golding
*Marjorie Rhodes as Mrs. Bryant
*Lynda Baron as Long Liz
*Marjie Lawrence as Dolly, the maid
*Margaret Rawlings as Madame Bullard
*Elizabeth MacLennan as Mrs. Wilson
*Barry Lowe as Mr. Wilson
*April Wilding as Catherine
*Douglas Chippendale as Jack the Ripper
Production
The film features British actor Eric Porter as the doctor, and also stars Jane Merrow, Keith Bell and Derek Godfrey. It has an early starring role for Angharad Rees.
It was filmed at Pinewood Studios, with some location work at St. Paul's Cathedral, London.
Critical reception
Film critic Leonard Maltin gave the film 2 1/2 out of a possible 4 stars. In his review he stated that the film had "[a] good atmosphere and solid performances, but after a good start, dissolves into a series of bloody murders." 'The Hammer Story: The Authorised History of Hammer Films' wrote that the film "expertly mixes the sophistication expect of Hammer's films with the gore its new audiences demanded."
Andy Boot considers the film "flawed, and so close to the fag end of Gothic that it could almost be a parody", but that it is "nonetheless a film well worth watching". He opines that Peter Sasdy "atoned for his appalling 'Countess Dracula' with a much pacier handling of this story."Andy Boot. 'Fragments of Fear: An Illustrated History of British Horror Films'. London: Creation Books, 1996, pp 117-19. Film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 86%, based on seven reviews, with a rating average of 7.1/10.
References
Sources
*Buy Hands of the Ripper now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 1971