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Murder by Decree (1979)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
9 February 1979 (USA) moreTagline:
Sherlock Holmes unveils the secrecy of Jack the Ripper - clue by clue - murder by murder. morePlot:
Sherlock Holmes investigates the murders commited by Jack the Ripper and discovers a conspiracy to protect the killer. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
5 wins & 4 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Back Catalogue #4: Vci Entertainment (From Fangoria. 26 October 2009, 4:34 AM, PDT)
Murder By Decree Comes To DVD December 15th
(From shocktillyoudrop. 22 September 2009)
User Comments:
Superbly atmospheric, produced but flawed... more (61 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Christopher Plummer | ... | Sherlock Holmes | |
| James Mason | ... | Dr. John H. Watson | |
| David Hemmings | ... | Inspector Foxborough | |
| Susan Clark | ... | Mary Kelly | |
| Anthony Quayle | ... | Sir Charles Warren | |
| John Gielgud | ... | Prime Minister Lord Salisbury | |
| Frank Finlay | ... | Inspector Lestrade | |
| Donald Sutherland | ... | Robert Lees | |
| Geneviève Bujold | ... | Annie Crook | |
| Chris Wiggins | ... | Doctor Hardy | |
| Tedde Moore | ... | Mrs. Lees (as Teddi Moore) | |
| Peter Jonfield | ... | William Slade | |
| Roy Lansford | ... | Sir Thomas Spivey | |
| Catherine Kessler | ... | Carrie | |
| Ron Pember | ... | Makins |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
124 min | Sweden:110 minLanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (Metrocolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
Iceland:16 | Sweden:15 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (original rating) | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:16Fun Stuff
Trivia:
One of the last actors cast was James Mason. Director Bob Clark had to travel to Spain, where Mason was shooting another picture, to meet with him. Mason agreed to play Watson if he could make him a serious character, not the "silly ass" buffoon character which was the rule. Mason rewrote two sequences including the famous "pea scene." moreGoofs:
Anachronisms: When Watson questions the ladies in the Black Horse Tavern a Salvation Army band is playing "Onward Christian Soldiers" in the street. But the tune "St. Gertrude" was not composed and published by Sir Arthur Sullivan until after the purported time setting of the film (1888). moreQuotes:
Sherlock Holmes: We've unmasked madmen, Watson, wielding scepters. Reason run riot. Justice howling at the moon. moreMovie Connections:
Featured in "Cinemania: Oi pio diavoitoi dolofonoi: Alithines istories!" (2009) moreSoundtrack:
God Save the Queen moreFAQ
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"Murder by Decree" could have been one of THE great Sherlock Holmes films but suffers from problematic scenes that need to be edited or cut altogether. Outstanding art direction and recreation of London in 1888 help to salvage it. It also features winning interpretations of Holmes and Watson by Christopher Plummer and James Mason (my favorite Dr. Watson), and fine performances by a strong supprting cast. It also features one of the scariest moments I've ever seen in a film, when the black eyes of the killer appears in a tight close-up. Scary! Overall: sluggish at time, but entertaining.