Hands of the Ripper

_**Beware: the daughter of Jack the Ripper is on the loose**_ In 1906 London the troubled daughter of Jack the Ripper (Angharad Rees) is taken in by a sympathetic Freudian psychologist (Eric Porter) who wants to study her condition and “fix” her, but she’s soon prowling the Whitechapel district. Jane Merrow, Keith Bell and Derek Godfrey are also on hand. “Hands of the Ripper” (1971) is Victorian horror from Hammer that’s similar to their previous “The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll” (1960), but less psychologically fascinating or entertaining. Actually the doctor’s mental condition is more interesting than that of the girl he’s studying: He pulls a "Vertigo" on her by giving her his late wife's room, providing Anna her clothes to wear and is obsessed with healing her because he couldn't heal his wife. At one point he nigh kisses Anna wearing his wife's clothes when the topic of life-after-death surfaces. Moreover, his son has picked a ‘marred’ fiancé and not only can this woman not assuage the doctor’s guilt over being unable to heal his wife (since Laura is his son's bride and her 'flaw' is outside his field) he’s concerned that his son will suffer the same outcome as himself and it weighs on him. The film runs 1 hour, 25 minutes, and was shot at Pinewood Studios, just west of London. GRADE: B-

This is quite an intriguing take on the established "Ripper" murders - as seen through he eyes of his daughter. She's but a bairn when she sees him at work and is unsurprisingly traumatised by the whole experience. Now grown to adulthood, "Anna" (Angharad Rees) finds herself the unwitting agent of a psychological impulse to continue in her father's stead. The sympathetic doctor "Pritchard" (Eric Porter) tries to apply some of elementary Victorian psychology to the investigation in the hope that he may be able to unlock this mystery and help out. Perhaps even find out the true identity of the original killer? Sadly, though, this is a deep rooted trouble that his good will isn't going to wish away. Indeed, after about half an hour we all realise that it's going to take something altogether more direct and even then, tragedy is more than less likely. It's a decent looking period drama this, with Porter doing enough to hold it together and Rees quite effective as the schizophrenic character. The dialogue is a bit excessive, and the science behind the story maybe isn't the best, but in many ways that serves to illustrate quite well how limited our understanding of the human psyche was - even in London at the height of empire. There's some fun added by the always reliable Dora Bryan and Lynda Baron and it's quite interesting to watch these otherwise street-smart and savvy characters completely disarmed by a different type of criminal altogether. The production is all a bit theatrical but it's not a bad light-horror film that effortlessly kills an hour and an half.

Exploring the psychology of murder This has the tell-tale signs of a Hammer production, but it does not stray as far as some as the others into incredulity, but instead remains somewhat grounded in its own narrative consistency. It is superbly acted and well-directed, looks and sounds great, and carries itself well. Of course you can harp about the production quality, but this is from 1971, and allowances have to be made. It is a good movie, especially for its kind.