Hands of the Ripper (1971)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Peter Sasdy

Writers:

L.W. Davidson (writer)
Edward Spencer Shew (story)

Release Date:

13 July 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

A new terror-filled X film

Plot:

The infant daughter of Jack the Ripper is witness to the brutal murder of her mother by her father....

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Daughter | Jack The Ripper | Freud | Sword

Cast

Eric Porter	...	Dr. John Pritchard
Angharad Rees	...	Anna
Jane Merrow	...	Laura
Keith Bell	...	Michael Pritchard
Derek Godfrey	...	Dysart
Dora Bryan	...	Mrs. Golding
Marjorie Rhodes	...	Mrs. Bryant
Lynda Baron	...	Long Liz
Marjie Lawrence	...	Dolly
Margaret Rawlings	...	Madame Bullard
Elizabeth MacLennan	...	Mrs. Wilson
Barry Lowe	...	Mr. Wilson
A.J. Brown	...	Rev. Anderson
April Wilding	...	Catherine
Anne Clune	...	1st Cell Whore

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Germany:18 (DVD rating) | Brazil:14 (DVD rating) | Australia:M | Finland:(Banned) (1971) | Norway:18 (video rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) | USA:R | UK:X (original rating) | Norway:(Banned) (1971-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

For the climactic scenes in St Paul's Cathedral - permission was requested and turned down to film on location. A replica was built instead.

Interesting period Hammer production.

Orphaned teenager Anna (innocent-looking Angharad Rees) is placed under the care of the awful Mrs. Golding (Dora Bryan), a fake medium who uses her in moneymaking schemes and pimps her out to customers, which leads to her murder. Anna is adopted by Dr. John Pritchard (Eric Porter), an early follower of Freudian philosophy, who tries to help Anna when it's revealed she's the daughter of Jack the Ripper with homicidal tendencies of her own after seeing dear old dad murder mum as a child. Dr. Pritchard is so obsessed with Anna and his research that he isn't above covering up the murders that follow.

The performances are first-rate, the turn-of-the-century London flavor is accurately captured, the murders are pretty bloody for the time and there's a great, subdued ending at the "Gallery of Whispers." Fine period horror from Hammer Studios, originally shown on a double bill with TWINS OF EVIL.

Score: 7 out of 10