Jack the Ripper

“Any back alley street is where we'll probably meet”

Helmed by Jess Franco and released in 1976, “Jack the Ripper” is a well-done interpretation of the serial killer of the Whitechapel district of London with Klaus Kinski in the title role. Keep in mind that the murderer was never identified or arrested and so every cinematic account that reveals the killer’s identity is a fabrication. This is Victorian horror in the manner of Hammer’s "Hands of the Ripper" (1971), which dealt with the hypothetical daughter of the Whitechapel slasher, as well as "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" (1960). The latter is the better of the two and this one’s about on par with it.

I realize that "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" dealt with the fictitious Mr. Hyde, but the two killers are somewhat linked in that Stevenson’s novella was published 2.5 years before the Ripper slayings debuted; and the stage production of “Dr. Jekyll” in London, 1888, had to be shut down due to the hysteria over the ghastly Ripper killings in which even those who merely played murderers on stage were considered suspects. For a colorful low-budget production that combines the two slayers, check out "Edge of Sanity" (1989) with Anthony Perkins.

Like “Edge of Sanity,” this version with Klaus Kinski doesn't hold back with its depictions of the sadistic and debauched. As such, there's an amount of sordidness and gore, which is apropos in light of the grisly subject. If you're in the mood for a Victorian milieu, black coats, London fog, cobblestone streets, gas lamps, alluring women, burlesque entertainment, a ghastly killer and lush colors, "Jack the Ripper" should fill the bill. It's the precursor to "From Hell" (2001), 25 years earlier.

Lina Romay (not the elder singer from America) stands out on the feminine front as brunette Cabaret dancer Marika. She happened to be the quickie director’s mate for four decades (they officially married in 2008, four years before her death; Jess died from a stroke the following year). There are a couple of other notable females, of course. I should add that there’s some nudity with one thin actress shown totally nude; just a heads up.

The flick runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, and was shot in Zürich, Switzerland, which is about fifteen miles from the border of southwest Germany. Establishing shots were done in London.

GRADE: B