Jack the Ripper (1976)

A serial killer whose mother was a prostitute starts killing streetwalkers as a way of paying back his mother for her abuse.

Director:

Jesús Franco (as Jess Franco)

Writer:

Jesús Franco (screenplay) (as Jess Franco)

Stars:

Klaus Kinski, Josephine Chaplin, Herbert Fux

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Klaus Kinski	...	Dr. Dennis Orloff
Josephine Chaplin	...	Cynthia
Herbert Fux	...	Charlie the Fisherman
Lina Romay	...	Marika Stevenson
Nikola Weisse	...	Frieda
Ursula von Wiese	...	Miss Higgins (as Ursula v. Wiese)
Hans Gaugler	...	John Bridger the Blind
Francine Custer	...	Sally Brown
Olga Gebhard	...	Mrs. Baxter
Angelika Arndts	...	Mrs. Stevenson Brown
Regine Elsener	...	Blonde Girl at Inquest
Peter Nüsch	...	Sergeant Ruppert (as Peter Nuesch)
Lorli Bucher	...	Miss Lulu
Esther Studer	...	Jeanny
Mike Lederer	...	Coach Driver

Storyline

A Swiss-German horror film with Klaus Kinski as the notorious Jack the Ripper. A respected doctor by day, Kinski dismembers London prostitutes by night, until the local Inspector's girlfriend (Josephine Chaplin) goes undercover to catch him.

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Plot Keywords:

murder of a nude woman | character name as title | jack the ripper character | serial murder | three word title | 

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Taglines:

Close your eyes and whisper his name...

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dr. Orloff's servant is named Frieda in the German version, but Flora in the International English version; also, Miss Lulu in the German version, becomes Maggy in the English version. The film was shot without sound, that was subsequently added for both versions.

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Goofs

The royal coat of arms shown outside Scotland Yard bears the letters ER - presumably for the current Queen: Elizabeth Regina. In 1888 when Jack the Ripper was loose Victoria was on the throne and the letters would have been VR: Victoria Regina.

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Quotes

Mr. Bridger, the Blind Man: The murderer smelled of several familiar odours; expensive soap. sweat, and very fine woolen clothes and mild Turkish tobacco and also an odour, Inspector, that you could recognise with much ease, I think: alcohol.
Inspector Selby: Yes, of course. You smell of it.
Mr. Bridger, the Blind Man: Oh, but that's an easy one. What I detected was a medicinal alcohol and then a real surprise; I also caught a whiff of a rare, medicinal plant of India. It transported me back to the colonies. In England, it's found only in the Botanical Gardens. It is ...

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Connections

Referenced in Demon Queen (1987)

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Soundtracks

My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
(uncredited)
Scottish folk tune
Performed by Francine Custer

User Reviews

Klaus The Ripper

Jess Franco's "Jack The Ripper" of 1976 starring the great Klaus Kinski is not one of Franco's great movies, but certainly not one of his awful ones either. Completely historically inaccurate, but made in typical weird, sleazy and brutal Franco Style, this movie might disappoint people looking for a realistic cinematic illustration of the Jack The Ripper case, but it is certainly recommended to every fan of exploitation, especially to those familiar with Jess Franco's weird style of film-making. But even for those who are not into exploitative horror flicks, Kinski is always a good reason to watch a movie, and playing madmen was probably the greatest talent of this brilliant actor.

The movie's suspense is not built up by any mysteries, since it is clear from the first minute who Jack The Ripper is. Dr. Dennis Orloff (Kinski)is a charitable man, as he offers medical treatment to his poor clients although they are not able to pay him well. At night, however, the respectable doctor prowls London's streets, brutally murdering and mutilating young streetwalkers...

As I mentioned above, it is known from the first minute, that Dr. Orloff is Jack The Ripper. Suspense is still granted, by the movie's raw, sleazy atmosphere and its nastiness and brutality. I don't want to give any parts of the movie away, but I can assure that one can expect lots of sleaze as well as some extremely violent murders. Besides Kinski, who is a great enrichment to any movie, "Jack The Ripper" also features Josephine Chaplin, Lina Romay and the Austrian actor Herbert Fux, who recently passed away.

There may be better film adaptations of the Jack The Ripper Case, such as the Hughes Brothers' "From Hell" of 2001, but Jess Franco's "Jack The Ripper" is definitely the nastiest. The movie may be as historically inaccurate as it gets, but it is certainly a treat for fans of 70s European Horror exploitation. Recommended to fans of Jess Franco and/or Klaus Kinski, I personally had a great time! 6/10

Details

Country:

Switzerland West Germany Spain

Language:

German English Spanish

Release Date:

23 September 1976 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Jack the Ripper

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinemec

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 82 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1