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A STUDY IN TERROR (Dir: James Hill, 1965).
Fact and fiction collide as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s literary detective Sherlock Holmes pits his wits against infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper.
A mysterious medical kit with a distinct crest sets Holmes on the case of the notorious killer and of the prominent aristocratic family he suspects are involved. Taking in the back alleys of 1888 Victorian London and mixing with the lowlifes there in.
A Study in Terror presents us with a highly sanitised version of 1880s Whitechapel; the Ripper’s victims all beautiful with their 1960s coiffures. The movie does, on the surface, appear to be a bit of a romp and was misleadingly advertised as a Batman-esq spoof by US distributor Columbia Pictures. In actual fact the movie is, at times, a pretty grizzly affair.
Screenwriters Derek Ford and Donald Ford have crafted a tense, twisty thriller with moments of horror and plenty of jumps. Director James Hill’s innovative use of point-of-view shots give the murders an extra viscerality while keeping the identity of the killer a mystery. The movie does have a somewhat misogynistic tone, which is perhaps inevitable considering its subject.
John Neville has just the right austerity as Holmes while Donald Houston is an amiably bluff Watson. A fantastic supporting cast includes Brit acting legends Anthony Quayle, Robert Morley and Judi Dench. Best of all is Barbara Windsor as Ripper victim Annie Chapman. Slightly stepping outside of her Carry On... persona, she gives us an all too rare glimpse of her acting ability beyond the giggly, busty blonde stereotype.
With its misogyny and grim use of fictionalised real life murders, you can safely wave goodbye to good taste. Yet, in spite of my misgivings over content, I thoroughly enjoyed A Study in Terror. What, on the surface, threatens to be an exploitative, sensationalist shocker is actually a well produced thriller with a fine cast. Recommended especially to Holmes aficionados and fans of 1960s British cinema.
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