A Knife for the Ladies (1974)

A mutilating knife-killer haunts the small Southwest-desert town of Mescal. Though most victims have been prostitutes, the first was none other than Travis Mescal, the only son of the ... See full summary »

Director:

Larry G. Spangler

Writers:

George Arthur Bloom, Seton I. Miller (screenplay),

Stars:

Jack Elam, Ruth Roman, Jeff Cooper

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jack Elam	...	Jarrod (Sheriff)
Ruth Roman	...	Elizabeth
Jeff Cooper	...	Burns
John Kellogg	...	Hollyfield
Gene Evans	...	Hooker
Diana Ewing	...	Jenny
Derek Sanderson	...	Lute
Jon Spangler	...	Seth
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Athas	...	Travis
Phillip Avenetti	...	Ramon
Fred Biletnikoff	...	Horace
Al Hassan	...	Riley
Pat Herrerra	...	Nina
Hank Kendrich	...	Fairchild
Kit Kendrich	...	Cora

Storyline

A mutilating knife-killer haunts the small Southwest-desert town of Mescal. Though most victims have been prostitutes, the first was none other than Travis Mescal, the only son of the town's first family. When the Sheriff proves unable to solve the case, the town leaders invite Investigator Burns to unravel the mystery. Along the way, he confronts tension with the Sheriff, trouble with some citizens, and finally a killer whose motive we've heard before in Ripper-lore.

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Plot Keywords:

sheriff | prostitute | knife | stabbed in the chest | west | 

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Taglines:

Nothing can stop the Killer with a Blood Lust for Ladies - Naked and Dead.

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Genres:

Horror | Western

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jack the Ripper Goes West

Filming Locations:

Old Tucson - 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bryanston Pictures, Spangler / Jolley Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

51 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010)

User Reviews

Unwashed Elam...

A bizarre yet watchable cross between a typical oater and a slasher film, KNIFE FOR THE LADIES (or better known as "Jack The Ripper Goes West" on DVD) is actually a fairly entertaining jumble of genres, aided by the one and only Jack "One-Eye" Elam as the town sheriff, a drunken, unwashed, temperamental SOB who loves his rotgut and loves to fight, all of which is exacerbated when a clean-cut private eye comes in from the big city to help the townsfolk stop an unknown murderer bumping off the women. Although the DVD version is obviously edited of some scenes, causing the story to leave gaps as big as the one in Terry-Thomas's smile,the film moves along at a good gallop until the somewhat predictable conclusion.