BAREBONES 19

 barebones 19. (2024). Edited by John Scoleri and Peter Enfantino.

The latest issue of barebones, # 19, edited by John Scoleri and Peter Enfantino, features articles on Jack the Ripper; the classic western show Rawhide; films directed by W. Lee Wilder (Billy's brother), such as Killers from Space; Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine; the first Bond novel, Casino Royale, and its TV and film adaptations; and my own piece on the wild series YANCY DERRINGER starring Jock Mahoney.

And even more!

You can buy a copy on Amazon here!

JACK THE RIPPER (1959)

Betty McDowall and Lee Patterson

JACK THE RIPPER (1959). Directed by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman.  Screenplay by Jimmy Sangster. 

Women are being carved up in Whitechapel, London in the late 19th century after an unknown man asks them "Are you Mary Clark?" American reporter Sam Lowry (Lee Patterson) comes to London and meets up with his old friend, Inspector O'Neill (Eddie Byrne), who has been assigned to the case. Among the suspects is Dr. Traner (John Le Mesurier), whose ward, Anne (Betty McDowall) wants a position in his hospital over his objections. Other suspects include the friendly and mute hunchback, Louie (Endre Muller) and the less-friendly Dr. Urquhart (Garard Green), among others. 

Endre Muller and John Le Mesurier

Jack the Ripper does not at all stick to the facts of the true story, using only fictional characters and making the victims dance hall girls and barmaids along with prostitutes (To our knowledge, Jack only killed prostitutes). Nevertheless the film is interesting and has atmosphere, although the musical score is a little too jazzy at times. "Jack" comes to a suitably gruesome and horrifying end at the movie's climax, which briefly goes to color to show the blood. He has also been given a fairly credible motive. The picture is generally well-acted, absorbing, and fast-paced, but it has really nothing to do with the real Jack the Ripper. 

Verdict: Not the real story at all, but not bad on its own terms. ***. 
 

HANDS OF THE RIPPER

Bryan, Porter and Rees

HANDS OF THE RIPPER (1971). Director: Peter Sasdy. 

Dr. Pritchard (Eric Porter), who has just begun studying the teachings of Freud, decides to take in a 17-year-old orphan named Anna (Angharad Rees) after her guardian, a medium (Dora Bryan of No Trace), is horribly murdered. Pritchard, who may have ulterior motives for taking in the pretty young thing, makes Anna part of his household, despite the fact that she apparently slaughtered her guardian. Incredibly, Pritchard keeps Anna around as the bloody slayings continue. He later learns that Anna is the daughter of Jack the Ripper! 

Daughter of the Ripper: Angharad Rees

Hands of the Ripper is an exciting, well-acted Hammer horror film with handsome appointments and some very gruesome murder sequences. Rees is perfect casting as the angelic-looking gal who can become quite savage and sadistic at the drop of a hat, and Porter makes an effective shrink with less common sense than most. Marjorie Rhodes is fine as the housekeeper Mrs. Bryant, and there are also excellent performances from Dora Bryan, Margaret Rawlings as another medium, Lynda Baron as the prostitute Long Liz, and especially Derek Godfrey as Dysart, someone who wanted to deflower Anna for cash but is blackmailed by Pritchard into finding out the girl's origins. Keith Bell is Pritchard's son, Michael, and Jane Merrow [The Horror at 37,000 Feet] is his lovely blind fiancee, Laura. There's an excellent climax in the whispering gallery of St. Paul's Cathedral -- or rather a replica of it. Some of the gore was cut in the U.S. to give it an R rating, but this is the uncut version. 

Verdict: Quite classy Hammer horror film. ***. 
 

JACK THE RIPPER (1988)

Michael Caine and Lewis Collins

JACK THE RIPPER (two-part mini-series/1988). Director: David Wickes. 

In Whitechapel London in 1888, Scotland Yard Inspector Abberline (Michael Caine) is assigned to the case of the grisly murder of a young prostitute over the objections of the local constabulary. Abberline, who "tibbles" a bit too much, is partnered with the handsome Sgt. George Godley (Lewis Collins, who looks like something out of Gentleman's Quarterly.) As the murders continue, and "Jack the Ripper" sends a letter to the press, Abberline is concerned that the killer may be a member of the royal family. 

Armand Assante

Suspects include actor Richard Mansfield (Armand Assante), who is starring in a theatrical version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; clairvoyant Robert James Lees (Ken Bones), who allegedly has visions of the killer; Prince Albert Victor (Marc Culwick), who visits the fleshpots in Whitechapel; vigilante George Lusk (Michael Gothard of Lifeforce), who stirs the populace up against the police; Sir William Gull (Ray McAnally), one of the queen's personal physicians; coachman John Netley (George Sweeney); and others. 

Michael Caine pursues the Ripper

I first watched this when it aired in 1988 and found it riveting; less so this time around, although it is still entertaining enough. The problem I have this time is that the alleged solution, which was touted at the time as being a brand-new theory but really wasn't, has since been discredited and the reputation of a perfectly innocent, indeed admirable, man has been besmirched. Michael Caine gives a dynamic performance -- too dynamic, as he seems to be ferociously chewing on the scenery in several segments, his character's anger and frustration notwithstanding -- Lewis Collins provides a more restrained and credible counterpoint to Caine/Abberline. I far more enjoyed the performances of such excellent players as Armand Assante (who is just perfect as Mansfield) and the amusingly-named Ken Bones as the psychic. There's a little too much of George Lusk in this story, although he is well-played by Gothard, and there are other good turns as well, especially from Jane Seymour as, I believe, a fictional artist named Emma. Susan George and Edward Judd are also in the cast but I didn't recognize either of them. 

Verdict: Interesting take on Jack the Ripper -- employing mostly real-life characters -- as long as you recognize that the denouement is crap. ***.

YOURS TRULY, JACK THE RIPPER

YOURS TRULY, JACK THE RIPPER. Robert Bloch. Subterranean Press; 2011.

This interesting volume gathers together writings on Jack the Ripper by Psycho author Robert Bloch. There is a foreword on Jack the Ripper, originally written by Bloch for the anthology, Ripper!; Bloch's essay on "Two Victorian Gentleman" -- Dracula and Jack the Ripper -- and the way they continue to fascinate the public all these decades later; Bloch's script for the Star Trek episode "Wolf in the Fold," which concerns the essence of Jack the Ripper possessing innocent people in the far-flung future; and three stories and one novel. 

The stories are the title tale, which is perhaps more comical than frightening; the clever "A Most Unusual Murder;" and the rather weird and disturbing "A Toy for Juliette," all of which employ Jack the Ripper in one way or another. The novel is Bloch's masterful The Night of the Ripper, which was covered in a previous post. 

Verdict: Very interesting collection, of decided value for The Night of the Ripper alone. ***.