This list is limited to Jack the Ripper television and film. There are no Faux Rippers, False Sightings, or Copycats here. I’ll give a separate listing later for the best of those.
Alphabetical listing:
“Comes the Inquisitor” (1995)
Brilliant episode of Babylon 5, and one of the Ripper’s finest hours on screen. Of course, this is science fiction, so folks who hate that genre will probably not enjoy this episode.
Deadly Advice (1993)
Wickedly funny black comedy, complete with murderous advice from Jack the Ripper… among other infamous killers.
From Hell (2001)
Okay, this is not on the list because of the story. (I kind of have “issues” with turning Inspector Abberline–a real person–into a hop-head who dies young). It’s on the list because it is the most realistic depiction of the crimes and crime scenes on film. Production Designer Martin Childs did a tremendous amount of research into the actual scenes where the bodies were found. He used photographs from 1888, among other things, to help him design the set of Whitechapel. This film also provides a realistic, gritty, look for Whitechapel. It’s not as bad as Whitechapel actually was, but the Hughes Brothers know that audiences don’t really want to watch anything that horrific on screen.
Jack the Ripper (1959)
Clever script, with plenty of red herrings. Does not deal with the actual killings (has none of the real victims mentioned or shown). But it’s got an entertaining plot, nonetheless. And it’s also the first Ripper movie to show the riotous conditions in Whitechapel during the Ripper slayings.
Jack the Ripper (1988 )
This movie was made-for-TV during the Ripper centenary. Michael Caine plays Inspector Abberline (as an alcoholic, who happens to be brilliant). This movie does a fabulous job of re-creating the atmosphere in London during the autumn of 1888. It has one flaw, though, in my opinion: it goes on for 3 1/2 hours just showing what is known, then in the last 1/2 hour, it reveals who it thinks the killer was. Sorry, but any film that is trying to go for the “real thing” should leave the case as unsolved as it remains today. (I guess that answers the question: “So what do you think of Patricia Cornwell?”). A Jack the Ripper must-see.
The Lodger (1926)
This film is of interest, obviously, because it launched Alfred Hitchcock’s career. It was, in fact, the first film by Hitchcock to make it off the shelf and into the theaters. And when it did, it caused a sensation. The young Hitchcock was quickly hailed as Britain’s finest filmmaker. Hitchcock was already using lots of trick shots and doing complex maneuvers with the camera. The image of the Lodger appearing at the door is one of the great moments in early British cinema… as is the moment when we see the shadow from the window making a cross over his face. The film has great atmosphere and technique, and it hints at great things to come in this young man’s future. A Jack the Ripper must-see.
The Lodger (1944)
This is the best screen version of the novel. (Yes, it is better than the Hitchcock version, which is very good in its own right). And it has a legendary performance by Laird Cregar as Jack the Ripper. This is just classic era Hollywood doing its finest in making a suspense film. A Jack the Ripper must-see.
Lulu (1962)
This film is unknown to American audiences. But it’s a brilliant Austrian interpretation of the Lulu story (by Frank Wedekind). Incredible black and white cinematography and shot composition. This is just a beautifully filmed, and well acted film. Excellent direction, excellent set design, excellent costuming and casting. Too bad it’s so hard to find. I had to fly across a continent to watch it in a film archive!
Murder by Decree (1979)
Sherlock Holmes meets the Stephen Knight theory. Don’t know what the Stephen Knight theory is? It’s the Masonic Conspiracy theory… same one that they use in From Hell. Personally, I think the theory is preposterous, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make good films based on it. And this one has the added advantage of forgetting about Abberline entirely and just focusing on Sherlock Holmes’ investigation into the murders. Wonderful performances by Christopher Plummer as Holmes and James Mason as Watson. Though I would disagree, many regard this as the best Ripper film.
Pandora’s Box (1929)
Fabulous silent version of the Lulu story, with a legendary performance by Louise Brooks as Lulu. This is a Jack the Ripper must-see.
Room to Let (1949)
Clever re-working of The Lodger, with a fine performance by Valentine Dyall as the menacing Dr. Fell. Too bad the full 68-minute version is not readily available. Steer clear of the 55-minute version if you can. It’s badly mutilated for television viewing.
Study in Terror (1965)
This is the first “Sherlock Holmes Meets Jack the Ripper” to get onto the screen, and it is very good. Plus, John Neville (the Well-Manicured Man in The X-Files) plays Holmes. This is one of my personal favorite Ripper movies.
Time after Time (1979)
This is a fun science fiction Ripper fantasy, complete with time travel. There are better Ripper movies, but there aren’t many good ones that are as entertaining as this. Malcolm MacDowell and David Warner are great as H.G. Wells and Jack the Ripper, respectively.
“Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper” (1961)
This is a brilliant television adaptation of the Robert Bloch short story. Made for Boris Karloff’s Thriller, it is nicely directed by Ray Milland, with an excellent score by Jerry Goldsmith. This is first-class Ripper stuff (one of my personal favorites). Too bad it’s almost impossible to find. It is unfortunately not one of the Thriller episodes available on VHS or DVD. And, so far as I know, it never plays on television. Basically, you have to know a collector to find this one.**
regarding blondes, psychics and abberline’s
crutch (part 1)
I had the opportunity to appear this week on Episode 22 of Rippercast, a wonderful podcast for all things related to Jack the Ripper. This week host Jonathan Menges and a panel of Ripperologists took some time to discuss Ripper movies with me. What fun! It was an international Skype call (first time I ever used Skype), with participants spread out from Kansas to England.
The name of the episode is “Blondes, Psychics and Abberline’s Crutch.” I’d link to it, but the Rippercast site is experiencing technical difficulties. It’s also available on iTunes for easy download, which is how I got my copy.
Y’know, when you listen to an actor on one of those DVD commentary tracks, you’ll frequently hear comments like “Oh, they shot the wrong side of my profile” or “My nose is way too big.” (we’re all so vain).
For me, listening to this episode is kind of like that. I’m thinking: “Whoa, I sound like I’m talking over him, cutting him off. I hope they didn’t all think I’m rude.” Or… “Well, that was a missed opportunity. I could have mentioned…” Anyway, just thought I’d provide a little elaboration on some of those missed opportunities.
#1 Jonathan asks me what my favorite Ripper movie is, and I come out of the gate with the apparently controversial 1988 production with Michael Caine. So let me clarify what I meant when I said that it “tells the case the way it really was.”
First, I think that serious students of the case (let’s call them “investigative Ripperologists” for short) and serious students of the movies (that would be me!) can have different perspectives on what makes a good Ripper film… or even what constitutes “verisimilitude” in a film about the Whitechapel murders.
I have seen, well, just about all the movies listed on this site. A significant percentage of them (90%? 80%?) are highly fanciful. So… along comes the 1988 Jack the Ripper, and the film is set in the real world (not in outer space or in some parallel supernaturalized universe or in some sanitized London). It does a very realistic job of recreating the 1888 East End. It names the real victims, gets the modus operandi correct, includes numerous well-known incidents from the investigation into the case. It shows the potential for social unrest. Heck it even gets down to showing the weird Richard Mansfield wrinkle. Most Ripper movies don’t even try to name the real victims, much less use the killer’s authentic modus operandi, much less try to recreate the East End!
“Abberline’s crutch” (part of the title Jonathan gave to this Rippercast episode) does highlight a potential point of contention between the traditional investigative Ripperologist and a student of film—i.e. the portrayal of Abberline, chief investigator on the case. I did a doubletake, sure, when I first saw him portrayed as a drunk. But I’ve seen movies that portray the victims as glamor girls and the Ripper as a supernatural monster who transcends time! So portraying Abberline as having a crutch (in this case, an alcohol addiction) did not register very high on my “egregiously unrealistic” meter… though I guess it certainly registered for Abberline’s family. For me, none of that hurts my enjoyment of the movie, given Michael Caine’s wonderful performance and all. But it is enough to get an investigative Ripperologist fuming!
Nothing wrong with that. We’re just looking for different things. He’s looking for absolute accuracy while I’m giving the film marks not only for being an excellently crafted, well-acted production but also for happening to be the most accurate non-documentary film on the killings that I know of. 100% accurate? No. Most accurate? Yes.
So, if you’re an investigative Ripperologist who’s shocked by what I said about the movie, just remember that I come at the films from a movie angle (i.e., do they make good cinema?). “Most accurate” Ripper movie is good enough for me! “Well acted” Ripper movie is good enough for me. Heck, even “supremely entertaining though preposterous” Ripper movie is good enough for me. (Hey, I like Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde.. and yes, I do know better!).
So, that’s where I’m coming from when I list the 1988 MIchael Caine movie as one of my favorites.