Hands of the Ripper (1971), dir. Peter Sasdy, Hammer Film Productions
And so we end our look back at Hammer Film Productions for this year; Jack the Ripper practically has his own little cottage industry of experts, tell all novels and quite a few films, so it is rather mystifying that Hammer only made one proper Ripper film, the Sister Hyde film that came out in 1971 notwithstanding.
The film begins with Jack the Ripper (Douglas Chippendale) being seen right out in the open. Dialogue too, with no effort to hide his voice. The Ripper has been busy at his night job, but even Victorian London can only abide so much murder. A lynch mob has found his latest victim and are now closing in on his rooms.
Shockingly, Jack is a family man. His wife and three year old daughter Anna witness him coming home. Jack figures one more death isn't going to make a difference, so one slash later Anna is alone in the house.
Fifteen years later, Anna (Angharad Rees) is living with Mrs. Golding (Dora Bryan). Mrs. Golding works as a medium, although her powers are a bit suspect. She holds a séance and her crowd is a bit of a mixed bag:
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson (Barry Lowe and Elizabeth MacLennan) are the ones actually hiring her services.
Dr. John Pritchard and his son, Michael (Eric Porter and Keith Bell) are in attendance but Pritchard's line of work is debunking mediums.
Mr. Dysart (Derek Godfrey) is a well respected man about town but his business is more with Anna.
Giving Mrs. Golding a decent sum of cash, Dysart goes with Anna to her room, but the young lady enters a sort of fugue state, coming out of it to find Mrs. Golding impaled with the fireplace poker. Both parties get out of there post haste, although Dysart is spotted by Dr. Pritchard.
This comes into play during the inquiry. Pritchard covers for the man and angles to adopt Anna himself. His reason plays into his new field of study-psychology. He figures Anna would be an ideal test subject, murderous blackouts aside.
Michael is having some problems too, as his fiancé Laura (Jane Merrow) has returned from abroad after an accident having recently left her blind.
There's also Dolly (Marjie Lawrence), the Pritchard maid. Her tenure proves short lived, as Anna shanks her good after the maid gives her some jewelry and a light kiss.
Dysart soon learns about and gives the doctor a taste of his own medicine. He's not totally heartless, however, as he suggests Anna be taken to Queen Victoria's personal medium Madame Bullard (Margret Rawlings).
The madame makes a breakthrough. Her answer is simple-Anna is possessed by none other than her father, Jack the Ripper!
Shockingly well made; honestly might be the most put together film Hammer ever did in the 70s. We have possession before it became a thing and a level of violence that would almost put this alongside most 80's slashers. The subversion is a new thing too, as our leads are not exactly as pious as they act and yes, the film does condemn them in a subtle way. Daring stuff for 1971.
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