HANDS OF THE RIPPER (1971, UK, 88m, 15) ***
Horror, Thriller
dist. Rank Film Distributors (UK), Universal Pictures (USA); pr co. The Rank Organisation / Hammer Films; d. Peter Sasdy; w. L.W. Davidson (based on a story by Edward Spencer Shew); pr. Aida Young; ph. Kenneth Talbot (Eastmancolor | 1.66:1); m. Christopher Gunning; ed. Chris Barnes; ad. Roy Stannard.
cast: Eric Porter (Pritchard), Angharad Rees (Anna), Jane Merrow (Laura), Keith Bell (Michael), Derek Godfrey (Dysart), Dora Bryan (Mrs Golding), Marjorie Rhodes (Mrs Bryant), Lynda Baron (Long Liz), Marjie Lawrence (Dolly), Norman Bird (Police Inspector), 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), Vicki Woolf (2nd Cell Whore), Katya Wyeth (1st Pub Whore), Beulah Hughes (2nd Pub Whore), Tallulah Miller (3rd Pub Whore).
As a young child, Jack the Ripper’s daughter witnesses him kill her mother. As a young woman (Rees), she carries on the murderous reign of her father. A psychiatrist (Porter) tries to cure her with tragic consequences. This psychological chiller from Hammer Films has its moments and generates suspense thanks to Sasdy’s sure directorial touch, Porter’s classy lead performance and a reliable support cast. Shocks are restricted to the gory murders; otherwise, the story relies on a sense of unease, generated by Rees’s mix of innocence and possession, rather than any hidden depths in the narrative. Bell is on hand as Porter’s son, due to marry blind girl Merrow. The finale in the Whispering Gallery at St Paul’s Cathedral with Rees and Merrow is a neatly constructed set piece.
