What is the most historically accurate Jack The Ripper picture?

[Mayerling]

At one point in the film they also have three of the victims drinking together in a pub, and (this scene being after one of Armand Assante playing movie suspect Richard Mansfield, then starring in "Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde") the music in the background is a startling choice - "Do You Like To Dance The Polka", a tune sung by Ingrid Bergman as "Ivy" in the 1941 MGM film version of "Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde" with Spencer Tracy. I don't think that tune, sprightly as it sounds, is from the 19th Century, but even so it is used to link the killings to the suspicion (which never was considered) against Mr. Mansfield. [In the 1931 movie version of the story, starring Fredric March - who won an "Oscar" for best actor in that role - Miriam Hopkins played "Ivy" but she sings "Champaign Ivy is My Name", which is an actual song called "Champaign Charlie is My Name" from the 1870s.]

Jeff

[Hercule Poirot]

The 'Jack the Ripper' series with Michael Caine had quite a few anachronisms and factual errors. Here's what IMBb mentions about them:

1. HRH Prince Albert Victor is referred to as the Duke of Clarence and Avondale, a title he did not receive until 1890.

2. Just after Sir Charles Warren leaves the yard for the Lord Mayor's Parade, Superintendent Thomas Arnold remarks to Abberline, "He's offered to resign." In fact, Charles Warren resigned the day before the murder of Mary Kelly.

3. An ad for Nestle's condensed milk can be seen on a double decker coach early in the second half. Alhough Nestle's is thought of as a Swiss company, its origins of the product go back as early as 1866 -1867 when American Charles Page, U.S.-Swiss consul, and his brother George Page,established the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company in Cham, Switzerland. Their first British operation was opened at Chippenham, Wiltshire, in 1873. It eventually merged and evolved into Nestle's Milk Chocolate in 1904-1905.

4. Mary Jane Kelly is shown singing a song shortly before Jack the Ripper enters her room. The song she is singing is not the song she was reported as having sung on the night of her murder, "A Violet From Mother's Grave."

5. George Lusk of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee was depicted as a violent, argumentative troublemaker when in fact he was not like that at all.

6. None of the uniformed policemen were shown as having been from Whitechapel's H-Division, for all of their badges were marked with a J. In actual fact, J-Division covers Bethnal Green, not Whitechapel.

7. The position of Mary Kelly's bed as viewed from the window into which Thomas Bowyer peered is wrong. It is shown with the foot of the bed closest to the window, when in fact from that angle the view should have been the same view of the bed as shown in the photograph of Mary Jane Kelly's remains (which was found by Donald Rumbelow).

8. Sir William Gull did not examine the kidney which was sent to George Lusk along with the "From Hell" letter; it was examined by Doctor Thomas Openshaw.

9. Unlike the film states, Mary Ann Nichols, the first victim, was not completely disemboweled and had no organs removed. In reality, she only had various cuts and stabs at the lower abdomen, but there was no actual removal of the organs as with several of the other victims.

10. The film implies that Elizabeth Stride was mutilated like all the other women. That is not so; in reality only her throat was cut. The killer was apparently "scared off" before he could inflict his trademark wounds on the body.

11. Annie Chapman's body was never photographed at the murder site. Only a post-autopsy photograph of her head and shoulders exists.

Cheers,
Hercule Poirot

[Geddy2112]

I must admit I loved the 1988 Michael Caine series. It was hyped rather a lot if I remember correctly. Reading stories in the papers how they had filmed a number of endings and no one knew what the final 'version' was going to be.
I knew at the time it was possibly not true but did reflect the Murder by Decree film and proved that the Royal theory was certainly the most popular at that time.

[Mayerling]

Of course Ava Gardner married Mickey Rooney and went on to film.......Mayerling.

One of her movies was remade in 1964.

Why may it be amongst Tom Wescott's favourites?

Can't guess the remake. Or why it is a favorite of Tom Wescott.

Yeah, Ava was in "Mayerling", and played a character who later was a murder victim herself: Empress Elisabeth ("Sissi") of Austria - Hungary (assassinated in 1898). Ava did a good job, but that role was played more charmingly by Romy Schneider in several movies in her career.

Jeff

[DJA]

Of course Ava Gardner married Mickey Rooney and went on to film.......Mayerling.

One of her movies was remade in 1964.

Why may it be amongst Tom Wescott's favourites?

[DJA]

Knew it was one of the three.

Garland married David Rose during the filming.

Early roles for Ava Gardner and Donna Reed.

[Mayerling]

Might have been "Babes in Arms".

Not quite. It was "Babes on Broadway". I looked it up on the IMDb website.

Jeff

[DJA]

Might have been "Babes in Arms".

[Clark]

I'm somewhat surprised that Edmond Rostand's play "L'Aiglon" ("The Eaglette") about Napoleon's son by Maria Theresa was never made into a film (at least none I know of).

There was a silent version in 1913, but I don't know if any prints still exist. There's also a sound film in French from 1931. Apparently prints of this one are still around, but I've not seen it.

However, I do know that there is a film with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney where they are in (during one sequence) an old theatre basement and do imitations of the stars of the turn of the 20th Century, with Rooney doing George M. Cohan and Richard Mansfield as "Cyrano", and Judy doing Bernheart as "L'Aiglon" in French - the scene when the Prince recites the names of his father's greatest military victories).

I wasn't aware of this. I'll have to look it up. Thanks.

[Clark]

Hi everybody, new to the forum and couldn't resist getting involved in this thread. Murder by decree with Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes has a good crack at getting the feel for the times right, very atmospheric and does a good job of portraying the victims fairly accurately. I remember watching part of the actual filming next to Southwark cathedral. One of my all time favourite films.

And one of mine as well. Very well done film.

[Mayerling]

The only feature-length sound movie about the Brigadier is The Adventures of Gerard (England/Switzerland, 1970), and although it's a compilation of a number of incidents from Doyle's stories, it doesn't really capture the flavor of the original. It's pretty bad, actually, but Claudia Cardinale is quite fetching as the heroine.

There's a pretty good silent movie about Gerard that's available on DVD (check eBay or Grapevine video), The Fighting Eagle (1927). It's considerably more faithful to the short stories, but not everyone enjoys silent movies anymore. I've posted a short clip from the film here: https://youtu.be/0_gzaLEhw3Q

Schlitz Playhouse, had an episode taken directly from Conan Doyle’s tale, How the Brigadier Won His Medals (1954). This one is very faithful to the story and quite satisfying. If you're interested, I've posted the entire episode on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/dQzucIMyAMA

Thanks Clark, I noticed the clip was there. And the website mentioned "The Fighting Eagle".

I'm somewhat surprised that Edmond Rostand's play "L'Aiglon" ("The Eaglette") about Napoleon's son by Maria Theresa was never made into a film (at least none I know of). This may be due to the "pants role" of the lead character becoming really associated with the great Sarah Bernhardt, who died in 1926 and who earlier had made silent films ("Queen Elizabeth" with Lou Tellegrin as Essex). However, I do know that there is a film, "Babes on Broadway" with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney where they are in (during one sequence) an old theatre basement and do imitations of the stars of the turn of the 20th Century, with Rooney doing George M. Cohan and Richard Mansfield as "Cyrano", and Judy doing Blance Ring and then Bernhardt as "L'Aiglon" in French - the scene when the Prince recites the names of his father's greatest military victories).

Jeff

[Clark]

I really would like to see a film version of the Etienne Girard stories.

The only feature-length sound movie about the Brigadier is The Adventures of Gerard (England/Switzerland, 1970), and although it's a compilation of a number of incidents from Doyle's stories, it doesn't really capture the flavor of the original. It's pretty bad, actually, but Claudia Cardinale is quite fetching as the heroine.

There's a pretty good silent movie about Gerard that's available on DVD (check eBay or Grapevine video), The Fighting Eagle (1927). It's considerably more faithful to the short stories, but not everyone enjoys silent movies anymore. I've posted a short clip from the film here: https://youtu.be/0_gzaLEhw3Q

Schlitz Playhouse, had an episode taken directly from Conan Doyle’s tale, How the Brigadier Won His Medals (1954). This one is very faithful to the story and quite satisfying. If you're interested, I've posted the entire episode on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/dQzucIMyAMA

[Clark]

Clark: I maintain a webpage pertaining to movies about Napoleon Bonaparte.

I KNEW it!

So an obsession about Napoleon is crazier than an obsession about Jack the Ripper? Pot, meet kettle.

[Mayerling]

Clark: I maintain a webpage pertaining to movies about Napoleon Bonaparte.

I KNEW it!

I just looked at the Napoleon film website. Great idea.

Napoleon is shown in two cameos that I am aware of. First in the Hollywood film about the end of the "Reign of Terror" ("Thermidor") called "The Black Book" (1949) with Bob Cummings, and Richard Basehart (as "Maximilien Robespierre"), when he is shown from the back at the end of the movie. The other was in the film, "Scaramouche" (Stewart Granger, Mel Ferrer, Eleanor Parker, Nina Foch) when at the end we see Parker entertaining the little corporal in her apartment.

I really would like to see a film version of the Etienne Girard stories.

Jeff

[John G]

Despite its lack of historical accuracy I thoroughly enjoyed the Michael Caine mini series. I remember watching it when it was first broadcast on TV, and I subsequently purchased the DVD. In fact, it's what first kindled my interest in Jack the Ripper, and I remember being totally convinced they'd correctly identified the right suspect. I should, however, point out that I'm not so convinced now!