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Man in the Attic
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Man in the Attic (1953) More at IMDbPro »

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Man in the Attic (1953) -- London, 1888: on the night of the third Jack the Ripper killing, soft-spoken Mr. Slade, a research pathologist...

Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   291 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 16% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Hugo Fregonese
Writers:
Marie Belloc Lowndes (novel)
Barré Lyndon (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Man in the Attic on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 December 1953 (USA) more
Tagline:
The Life...The Loves...The Crimes of Jack the Ripper!
Plot:
London, 1888: on the night of the third Jack the Ripper killing, soft-spoken Mr. Slade, a research pathologist... more | add synopsis
User Comments:
Not bad take on the Jack the Ripper story. more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Jack Palance ... Slade
Constance Smith ... Lily Bonner
Byron Palmer ... Insp. Paul Warwick
Frances Bavier ... Helen Harley

Rhys Williams ... William Harley
Sean McClory ... Constable #1
Leslie Bradley ... Constable #2
Tita Phillips ... Daisy (the maid)
Lester Matthews ... Chief Insp. Melville (as Lester Mathews)
Harry Cording ... Detective Sgt. Bates
Lisa Daniels ... Mary Lenihan
Lilian Bond ... Annie Rowley
Isabel Jewell ... Katy
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Additional Details

Runtime:
82 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono | Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
USA:Unrated (DVD) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #16755) | Sweden:15

Fun Stuff

Quotes:
Slade: Sometimes I walk close by the river. The river is like liquid night flowing peacefully out to infinity. more
Movie Connections:
Remake of The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) more
Soundtrack:
THE DEAR LITTLE SHAMROCK more

FAQ

What are the screen adaptations of Mrs. Belloc Lowndes's story 'The Lodger'?
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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful:-
Not bad take on the Jack the Ripper story., 11 October 2007
7/10
Author: Scott LeBrun from Winnipeg, Canada

During the infamous killers' murder spree, odd pathologist Mr. Slade (Jack Palance, boosted to star status after his chilling turn as the villain in "Shane" and his Academy Award-nominated performance in "Sudden Fear") takes a room with the Harleys (Frances 'Aunt Bea' Bavier of 'The Andy Griffith Show' and Rhys Williams). For what he claims is the need to perform experiments, he takes over the attic as well (hence the title). He also becomes smitten with the Harleys' gorgeous and good-hearted niece, Lily (Constance Smith), a musical performer.

This nice and reasonably entertaining little thriller from 20th Century Fox provides Palance with a good vehicle. Both he and the effervescent Smith deliver performances that help to carry the film along. Supporting actors Bavier, Williams, Byron Palmer as the Scotland Yard detective Warwick, and Tita Phillips are all good as well. (The lack of English accents in a picture set in London is a little distracting, but not unbearably so.) The picture itself is fairly atmospheric, with good sets and excellent black & white photography. Particularly good are those shots of the victims being confronted by the Ripper, as the camera takes his point of view. The picture also has a pretty good chase scene for its climax.

The source novel was filmed previously in 1927 as the Alfred Hitchcock silent "The Lodger" and then filmed again in 1944 under the same title.

While this picture may not attain classic status like its predecessors, it makes for some good entertainment, a tense and interesting combination of an English period piece and film noir.

7/10

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