Murder by Decree (1979)

Country of Origin: UK/Canada ("a United Kingdom/Canada co-production")
Year of Production: 1978
Running Times: 120m (USA)/124m
Length:
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: Metrocolor
Aspect Ratio:
Sound:

DIRECTION

Directed by: Bob Clark

CREW

PRODUCTION
Copyright: © Saucy Jack Inc. MCMLXXVIII [1978]
Production Companies: Robert A. Goldston presents a film by Bob Clark [opening credits]  A Highlight Theatrical Production Corporation Limited and Murder by Decree Productions production  Produced with the assistance of The Canadian Film Development Corporation, Famous Players Film Company, Wow!! Entertainment Inc.  A Robert A. Goldston presentation
Executive Producer: Len Herberman
Produced by: René Dupont and Bob Clark
Production Manager U.K.: John Davis
Production Manager Canada: Ted Rouse

SCRIPT
Original Screenplay by: John Hopkins
Based on "The Ripper File" by John Lloyd and Elwyn Jones
This motion picture is a fictional dramatisation based on recent theories concerning the infamous crimes committed by the alleged "Jack the Ripper"

DIRECTION
Assistant Director: Ariel Levy
Second Assistant Directors: Guy Travers, Ken Goch
Continuity: Marjorie Lavelly

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Reginald H. Morris
Camera Operator: James Turrell
Focus: David Wynn-Jones
Gaffer: Ray Meehan
Best Boy: Terry Lewis
Grip: Dennis Fraser
Still Photographer: David Farrell
Filmed in Panavision

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Stan Cole
Assistant Editor: Ian McBride
Post-production Facilities: Pathe Sound & Post Production Centre, Toronto, Canada
Processed by: Rank Film Laboratories, Denham, England
Answer Print by: Medallion Film Labs, Toronto, Canada
Release Prints by: MGM Labs, Hollywood

MUSIC
Music Composed by: Carl Zittrer & Paul Zaza

SOUND
Sound Recordist: John Mitchell
Boom Operator: Keith Pamplin
Sound Maintenance: Ron Butcher
Re-recording Mixers: Joe Grimaldi, Dave Appleby
Supervising Sound Editor: Ken Heeley-Ray
Sound Editors: Patrick Drummond, Wayne Griffin, Dennis Drummond
Assistant Sound Editors: Martin Ashbee, Steven Cole

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Costumes Designed by: Judy Moorcroft
Wardrobe Supervisor: Ron Beck
Wardrobe Mistress: Janet Tebrooke
Wardrobe Assistant: Edward Morton
Chief Make-up Artist: Peter Robb-King
Make-up Artist: Jane Royle
Chief Hairdresser: Colin Jamison
Assistant Hairdresser: Janet Jamison

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Michael Albrechtsen

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Harry Pottle
Art Director: Peter Childs
Set Decorator: Denise Exshaw
Production Buyer: Percy Godbold
Property Master: Andy Andrews
Charge Hand Props: Tommy Raeburn
Standby Propman: John Graham
Construction Manager: Ken Pattenden
Scenic Artist: Jock Kay
Standby Carpenter: Ken Flemming

OTHER CREW
Production Accountant: Andy Birmingham
Production Assistant: Marilyn Clarke
Producer's Secretary: Liz Taylor
Police Liaison: Bob Halliday
Unit Publicist: Lynda Levy

LOCATIONS
Filmed on location in London, England and at Shepperton Studio Centre, England and E.M.I. Studios, Herts, UK

CASTING
Casting: Irene Lamb

CAST

Christopher Plummer (Sherlock Holmes)
James Mason (Dr John H. Watson)
David Hemmings (Inspector Foxborough)
Susan Clark (Mary Kelly)
Anthony Quayle (Sir Charles Warren)
John Gielgud (Lord Salisbury)
Frank Finlay (Inspector Lestrade)
Donald Sutherland as Robert Lees

and
Geneviève Bujold as Annie Crook

co-starring
Chris Wiggins (Doctor Hardy)
Teddi Moore (Mrs Lees)
Catherine Kessler (Carrie)
Terry Duggan (Danny)
Peter Jonfield (William Slade)
Roy Lansford (Sir Thomas Spivey)
Ron Pember (Makins)
Ken Jones (dock guard)

June Brown (Ann Chapman)
Hilary Sesta (Catherine Eddowes)
Anthony May (Lanier)
Betty Woolfe (Mrs Dobson)
Iris Fry (Elizabeth Stride)
Geoffrey Russell (Henry Matthews)
Peggy Ann Clifford (Lees' housekeeper)
Ann Mitchell (Jane)
Katherine Stark (Molly)
Elaine Ives Cameron (Ellen)
Stella Courtney (Betty)
Judy Wilson (Emily)
Roy Pattison (Carroll)
Victor Langley (Prince of Wales)
Pamela Abbott (Princess Alexandra)
Robin Marchall (Duke of Clarence 'Eddy')
Richard Pescuid (doctor)
Pat Brackenbury (nurse)
Dan Long (Constable Long)
Michael Cashman (Constable Watkins)

UNCREDITED CAST

Peter Dean (police constable)

PLOT SUMMARY

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are drawn into the brutal series of prostitute murders in 1888 Whitechapel. As the killer - dubbed Jack the Ripper - hunts down his last victim, Holmes races against time to save her life. Along the way he uncovers a monstrous conspiracy that reaches even the highest echelons in the land...

CAPSULE REVIEW

Although it does betray a certain lack of courage in its own convictions (the alleged culprits are renamed and, more damagingly, Holmes lets the prime movers behind the Ripper murders off the hook at the climax), Murder By Decree is for the most part a first rate thriller, still the best - if not the most accurate - Jack the Ripper film. The 'facts' on which the story is based (also used in Jack the Ripper (1980) and From Hell (2001)) have since been widely discredited, but they make for a cracking tale - and here it's well told, brilliantly directed and acted to perfection by an excellent cast.

Australia
Theatrical Distributor: Filmways Australasian

Canada
Theatrical Distributor: Ambassador Films Distributors Ltd

UK
Video Distributor: BMG Video (VFC02634)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Avco Embassy Pictures
Video Distributor: Embassy Video

Finland
Rating: K-16

Norway
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: PG

1980
Edgar Allan Poe Awards
Edgar: Best Motion Picture (John Hopkins) - nominated

Genie Awards
Best Achievement in Direction (Bob Clark) - winner
Best Achievement in Film Editing (Stan Cole) - winner
Best Music Score (Paul Zaza, Carl Zittrer) - winner
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Christopher Plummer) - winner
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Geneviève Bujold) - winner
Best Achievement in Cinematography (Reginald H. Morris) - nominated
Best Achievement in Sound (David Appleby, Joe Grimaldi) - nominated
Best Sound Editing (Kenneth Heeley-Ray) - nominated

TIMELINE

1978
June
19: UK - production begins

August
25: UK - production ends

1979
January
19: USA - press screening at the Regent Theater, Westwood, Los Angeles, California

February
1: Canada - theatrical release
9: USA - theatrical release

1980
March
20: UK - theatrical release

1983
November
11: Finland - theatrical release

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Asesinato por decreto - Spanish title
Assassinio su commissione - Italian title
Kauhun oppitunti - Finnish title
Meurtre par décret - French title
Mord an der Themse - German title
Morderstwo na zamówienie - Polish title
Murha tilauksesta - Finnish title
Saucy Jack Meets Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes and Saucy Jack
Sherlock Holmes: Murder by Decree
Verschwörung im Nebel - German title

LINKS

SEE ALSO
Jack the Ripper (1980)
From Hell (2001)

REFERENCES

PERIODICALS

Cinema Canada vol.3 no.54 (April 1979) pp.49-50 (Canada)
review (by John Hofsess)

Film Review vol.30 no.2 (February 1980) pp.34-35 (UK)
review

Film Score Monthly vol.8 no.7 (August 2003) P.47 (USA)
illustrated dVD review (The laserphile: creepy capsule round-up by Andy Dursin)

Films and Filming vol.26 no.4 (January 1980) p.18 (UK)
illustrated preview

Films and Filming vol.26 no.6 (March 1980) pp.31,34 (UK)
review (by Julian Fox)

Flesh and Blood no.5 (September 1995) pp.43, 44 (UK)
illustrated credits, reviews (by Eric McNaughton and John Hamilton)

Hollywood Reporter vol.255 no.4 (22 January 1979) p.4 (USA)
credits, review (by Robert Osborne)

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.47 no.554 (March 1980) pp.49-50 (UK)
credits, review (by John Pym)

Necronomicon no.1 pp.10-13 (UK)
illustrated review

Psychotronic no.16 p.53 (USA)
review

Radio Times vol.246 no.3213 (15 June 1985) p.23 (UK)
article

Screen International no.144 (24 June 1978) p.1; 10 (UK)
illustrated article (A new Holmes and Watson); credits

Screen International 5 January 1980 p.20 (UK)
advert

Screen International no.231 (8 March 1980) p.46 (UK)
note

Séquences no.96 (April 1979) pp.25-26 (Canada)
review

Variety 24 January 1979 p.22 (USA)
credits, review (by Poll)

BOOKS

Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror (2nd edition) p.331
credits, review

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

sherlock holmes, jack the ripper, london, prostitutes, serial killers, true crime, freemasons, conspiracies, police

Last Updated: 28 February, 2010