A Study in Terror (1965)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1965
Running Times: 90 mins 37 sec (UK - video)     94 mins 17 sec (UK - theatrical (prior to unspecified BBFC cuts))     95 mins
Format: Eastmancolor     35mm
Ratio:
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Compton-Tekli / Sir Nigel Films
Executive Producer: Herman Cohen
Producers: Henry E. Lester, Michael Klinger
Associate Producer: Sam Waynberg
Production Supervisor: Robert Sterne

SCRIPT
Script: Derek Ford, Donald Ford
Novel: Ellery Queen

DIRECTION
Director: James Hill
Assistant Director: Barry Langley

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Desmond Dickinson
Camera Operator: Norman Jones

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Henry Richardson

MUSIC
Music: John Scott

SOUND
Sound Supervisor: John Cox
Sound Mixer: H.L. Bird
Sound Editor: Jim Roddan

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Tom Smith
Hair: Gladys Leakey
Costumes: Motley
Wardrobe: Laurel Stappell, Larry Stewart

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Wally Veevers

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Vetchinsky (real name: Alex Vetchinsky)
Set Dresser: Helen Thomas

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Gladys Goldsmith

LOCATIONS
Locations: Osterley Park, Osterley Lane, Osterley, London, UK

CASTING
Casting: Maude Spector

CAST
John Neville (Sherlock Holmes)
Donald Houston (Dr Watson)
John Fraser (Lord Carfax)
Anthony Quayle (Dr Murray)
Robert Morley (Mycroft Holmes)
Barbara Windsor (Annie Chapman)
Adrienne Corri (Angela)
Frank Finlay (Inspector Lestrade)
Judi Dench (Sally)
Cecil Parker (Prime Minister)
Georgia Brown (singer)
Barry Jones (Duke of Shires)
Kay Walsh (Cathy Eddowes)
Edina Ronay (Mary Kelly)
Terry Downes (Chunky)
Avis Bunnage (landlady - uncredited)
John Cairney (Michael Osborne - uncredited)
Peter Carsten (Max Steiner - uncredited)
Dudley Foster (home secretary - uncredited)
Norma Foster (Liz Stride - uncredited)
Barbara Leake (Mrs Hudson - uncredited)
Jeremy Lloyd (Rupert - uncredited)
Christiane Maybach (Polly Nichols - uncredited)
Patrick Newell (P.C. Benson - uncredited)
Corin Redgrave (Rupert's friend - uncredited)
Charles Régnier (Joseph Beck - uncredited)
Donna White (1st streetwalker - uncredited)

Jack the Ripper is stalking the streets of Whitechapel, killing prostitutes apparently at random. The police are baffled and the locals are up in arms. Elsewhere, Sherlock Holmes is investigating the disappearance of a baronet's son and finds himself tracking clues that bring him to the trail of the infamous Whitechapel murderer. But there's more to this case than meets the eye and even the great detective himself could find this a hard one to crack...

Boasting a commendably convoluted plot, full of unexpected twists and turns, A Study in Terror is a hugely enjoyable first meeting between Holmes and the Ripper. Derek and Donald Ford's script weaves the requisite doses of sex and violence seamlessly into the narrative rather than leave them dangling separately as they so often did with their work, and James Hill's direction is excellent, making the most of fantastic set and costume designs.

UK
Video Distributor: Videomedia; Art House Productions (AHF2006)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Finland
Rating: K-16

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: X (with cuts - 1965); 18 (uncut - 1995)

1965
May
24: UK - production begins

October
25: UK - rated X by the BBFC (for theatrical release)

1966
March
12: Sweden - theatrical release

May
13: Finland - theatrical release

November
14: Denmark - theatrical release

1995
July
24: UK - video release (Art House Productions (AHF2006))

August
17: UK - rated 15 by the BBFC (for video release)

1996
October
18: UK - video deleted (Art House Productions (AHF2006))

Sherlock Holmes meets Jack the Ripper! Here comes the original caped crusader!

Fog - working title
Sherlock Holmes and the House of Ill Repute
Sherlock Holmes and the Vice Murders
Sherlock Holmes größter Fall - German title
Sherlock Holmes: notti di terrore - Italian title

SEE ALSO
Murder By Decree (1979)

MAGAZINES

Halls of Horror 27 p.27
note

Scarlet Street no.19 (Summer 1995)
illustrated interview with Herman Cohen

BOOKS

English Gothic pp.127 - 129 (London: Reynolds & Hearn (2001))
illustrated credits, review (by Jonathan Rigby)

jack the ripper, sherlock holmes, detectives, serial killers, private detectives, prostitutes