Movie Review: Jack the Ripper (1976)

Jack the Ripper (Jack the Ripper - Der Dirnenmörder von London) 

Elite Film, Ascot Film, Cinemec, Switzerland, West Germany, 1976. 

Dr. Orloff, MD a.k.a Jack the Ripper (Klaus Kinski) murders prostitutes in London. Simple-minded woman Flora (Nikola Weisse) helps him dispose of "the broken dolls." During daytime Dr. Orloff is well liked by everyone. He is so unselfish that he helps the patients for free. His landlady Mrs. Baxter (Olga Gebhard) would like to know him better but Orloff could not care less. 

Dr. Orloff a.k.a Jack the Ripper

Flora

Mrs. Baxter offers some tea to Dr. Orloff

Inspector Selby (Andreas Mannkopff) interviews the two witnesses: old maid Miss Higgins (Ursula von Wiese) and blind man Pritchard (Hans Gaugler) who has a superior sense of smell. Selby's relationship with ballet dancer Cynthia (Josephine Chaplin) is not going well, as Cynthia values her career and Selby is too possessive. 

Pritchard and Inspector Selby

Cynthia

Charlie the Fisherman

Dr. Orloff sees weird fantasies about temptress. It is hinted that he hates women because his mother was a prostitute.  After that he goes into Ripper-mode again. Charlie the Fisherman (Herbert Fux) catches a severed hand from the river. Cynthia tries to help Selby catch the killer but gets in danger. 

Mary Stevenson (Lina Romay)

Cynthia gets in danger

Euro-sleaze auteur Jesús Franco goes on to explore the dark mind of the notorious serial killer. One of the victims, Mary Stevenson, is acted by Lina Romay who became later Franco's wife. For most part this feels more a detective drama film although there is nudity and grisly murders. This is not the best or the most historically accurate movie about Jack the Ripper there is. Much of the film is saved by Klaus Kinski who brings explosiveness to the role being a mild-mannered gentleman during daytime and turning into perverse maniac at night. The Victorian costumes and interiors look good for the most part and the film has the look of 1970s British horror films. However the movie is quite dull and unexciting slasher movie. 

The Finnish DVD contains only English dubbed version. The dubbing is sometimes comically bad and seems to omit some of information of the original German dialogue. 

Rating: Average 

Starring: Klaus Kinski, Josephine Chaplin, Andreas Mannkopff, Herbert Fux, Lina Romay, Hans Gaugler, Nikola Weisse, Ursula von Wiese, Francine Custer, Olga Gebhard, Angelika Arndts, Peter Nüsch, Esther Studer, Regine Elsener, Lorli Bucher, Mike Lederer, Otto Dornbierer, Walter Baumgartner, Gerd Duwner, Almut Eggert, Markus Gehrig, Norbert Gescher, Peter Holliger, Roman Huber, Rolf Kunz, Fred Maire, Arnold Marquis, Angela Ritschard, Wolfgang Ziffer 

Director: Jesús Franco (as Jess Franco)