Jack the Ripper

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jesús Franco directs. Peter Baumgartner behind the camera. Walter Baumgartner scores. Marie-Luise Buschke cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Germany, Switzerland. Dialogue in German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 150 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
• 2International production across 2 countries: Germany, Switzerland.
• 3Directed by Jesús Franco, shot by Peter Baumgartner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 4Original score by Walter Baumgartner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 5Editor Marie-Luise Buschke shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 6Klaus Kinski and Josephine Chaplin and Andreas Mannkopff carry the top of the cast.
• 7Marketing tagline: "Close your eyes and whisper his name...".
• 8IMDB entry: tt0074408 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 9Only 59 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography

Peter Baumgartner

Original score

Walter Baumgartner

Editing

Marie-Luise Buschke

Production design

Rolf Engler

Costume design

Sylvia De Stoutz

Makeup / hair

Jakob Peier

Runtime

92 min · 1h 32m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Original language

DE

Certification (US)

R

IMDB

Jack the Ripper (1976) ↗

Also by

Jesús Franco

• 
  Girl with the Red Lips

  1986 · ★ 10.0
• 
  Para las nenas, leche calentita

  1986 · ★ 8.0
• 
  Phollastía

  1987 · ★ 7.7
• 
  Queen of the Tabarin Club

  1960 · ★ 7.5
• 
  El abuelo, la condesa y Escarlata la traviesa

  1992 · ★ 7.5
• 
  Falo Crest

  1987 · ★ 7.2

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Jack the Ripper (1976) - Trailer HD 1080p

  Trailer
• 

  ▶
  Jack the Ripper (1976) DEUTSCH TRAILER [HD 1080p]

  Trailer

Community reviews

What people are saying

• Wuchak2023-09-07
  ★ 7/10

  “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

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• CI

  Cinemec

• EL

  Elite Film

  CH

• AS

  Ascot Film

  DE

Key crew

• ProducerErwin C. Dietrich
• ProducerMax Dora
• EditorMarie-Luise Buschke
• Costume DesignSylvia De Stoutz
• SoundKlaus Hein
• SoundHubertus Schmandtke
• Makeup ArtistJakob Peier
• Sound EffectsHans-Walter Kramski
• Makeup ArtistRita Burkhart
• Sound EffectsKarlheinz Reiber
• Production DesignRolf Engler

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• prostitute
• jack the ripper
• murder
• serial killer
• maniac

Release history · US

When it landed

• Theatrical1976-10-12R

Also known as

International titles

• Jack the Ripper - Der Dirnenmörder von LondonDE
• 柔肌JP
• Sohon teurastajaFI