JACK THE RIPPER (1958)
Label: Severin Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: European Version: 84 Minutes 47 Second / U.S. Version: 85 Minutes 84 Minutes 58 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: HDR10 2160p Ultra HD Widescreen (1.66:1), 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Directors: Robert S. Baker & Monty Berman
Cast: Lee Patterson, Eddie Byrne, Betty McDowall, Ewen Solon, John Le Mesurier, George Rose
Synopsis from Severin Films: In 1958, legendary showman Joseph E. Levine unleashed this grisly UK thriller on American moviegoers. But when audiences were horrified by the film’s startling violence, graphic nudity and bloody Technicolor climax, it became one of Levine’s most infamous failures. Today – in its notorious European version and the re-scored American cut – it remains among the more provocative shockers of its time. Eddie Byrne (THE MUMMY) and Lee Patterson (TV’s Surfside 6) star in “one of the most underappreciated films in the Ripper canon” (Daily Grindhouse), produced/directed by Robert S. Baker & Monty Berman (BLOOD OF THE VAMPIRE) and written by Hammer Films’ legendary Jimmy Sangster (THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, HORROR OF DRACULA), both now scanned uncut in 4K from a newly discovered internegative and fine grain protection print for the first time ever.
British ripper-thriller Jack The Ripper (1958) is set in the year 1888 when the notorious Victorian killer of prostitutes was stalking the streets of London's East End, causing quite a panic. On the case is Scotland Yard’ Inspector O'Neill (Eddie Byrne, Island of Terror) who teams-up with a visiting New York City detective Sam Lowry (Lee Patterson, Chanto's Land). The first viable clue in the case comes when surgeon Sir David Rogers (, The Curse of the Werewolf) theorizes after viewing one of the corpses that the wounds inflicted on the victim seem to have a surgical precision, indicating that the culprit could be someone in the surgical profession. Suspects come by way of Dr. Tranter (John Le Mesurier, The Hound of the Baskervilles), and others in the medical profession, including Dr. Urquhart (Garard Green, The Crawling Eye) a his hunchbacked assistant Benz (Endre Muller). We also have a love interest for one of the inspectors by way of Ann Ford (Betty McDowall, The Omen), whose charity work in the community makes her privy to the driving force of the killer, making her a likely candidate for murder!
Like ripper films both before and after it this entry offers a theory about the identity of the infamous killer, with moonlighting Hammer Films screenwriter Jimmy Sangster (Horror of Dracula) going for a more personal STD-trauma angle involving the killer looking for a particular woman, with each murder preceded by the killer approaching prostitutes and invoking the recurring phrase "are you Mary Clarke?" in a croaky voice before stabbing them with his scalpel.
The violence of this early British film is strong stuff for it's vintage, but mighty tame by modern standards, but it's still a fun watch with the killer wearing a cape and top-hat while stalking the streets of fog-shrouded London, it certainly sets a tone with a bit of cheap atmosphere. Notably the U.S. version includes scenes originally censored by the British Board of Film Censors, including a technicolor splash of frothy crimson that brought a smile to my face, even though the scene loses some of it's visceral punch with the frothy blood coming up through the floorboards!
The violence on display must have been eyebrow raising for audiences of it's era, including a fevered finale that has the culprit being crushed to death in an elevator shaft, making this Ripper film a good early entry, notable for it's unique take on the killer's motives, some tasty gore and nudity, but it still offers some good suspense and fog-shrouded old school London atmosphere.
Audio/Video: Jack the Ripper arrives on region-free 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray from Severin Films presenting two versions of the film, both now scanned uncut in 4K from a newly discovered internegative and fine grain protection print for the first time ever. We have the shorter European version and the longer U.S. version presented in both HDR-enhanced 2160p Ultra HD and 1080p HD widescreen 1.66:1. Both versions looks terrific and blows away the previous Severin Blu-ray which offered presentations sourced from HD telecine and a 35mm release print. The monochromatic images look much more refined, grain is appreciably more refined, contrast is greatly improved, as are grayscale and black levels, and it's largely bereft of the unsightly blemishes, and both are presented in the proper 1.66:1 aspect ratio. There are still blemishes by way of nicks and vertical lines that pop-up, but considerably fewer so than the previous release, and the improvement in image density, grayscale and black levels are quite wonderful, this is leaps and bound above what has been previously available, even more so on the 4K UHD disc with the HDR color-grade, but the 1080p HD is also significantly more filmic, as evidenced by the screenshots below. .
Both versions of the film are presented in lossless English DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono, with optional English subtitles for both versions, unlike the previous Blu-ray release. . The both versions have comparable audio, and like the picture quality the audio track is much cleaner this time around version is cleaner sounding. The European version score is different than than the U.S. version, we get a moody composition from Stanley Black (War Gods of the Deep), the US version was re-scored by TV composers Jimmy McHugh and Pete Rugolo who give it a very brassy re-imagining, both have their finer points, and it's worth checking out both versions just to compare the scores.
Extras are mostly of the archival variety carried over from the previous Blu-ray from Severin, starting off with the 2005 Audio Commentary from Co-Director/Co-Producer/Co-Cinematographer Robert S. Baker, Screenwriter Jimmy Sangster, Assistant Director Peter Manley, Moderated By British Horror Historian Marcus Hearn. It's a solid commentary with Hearn talking about the historical murders and Baker chiming in about his influences and Sangster speaks about his way of writing for dramatic effect more so than aiming for true historical accuracy.
Also archival is the 11-min Interview with Denis Meikle, Author of “Jack The Ripper: The Murders And The Movies”, who speaks about the real-life origins of the story and the various movie adaptations based on the Ripper story, with plenty of production notes about this particular film. There's also the 14-minute Gentleman Jack – The Whitechapel Murders Revisited, a discussion of the real murders with Ripper historian/author Richard Jones who speaks and the effects the real murders had on the city at the time, complete with historical photos and crime scene sketches, while touring the real-life murder scenes on the streets of London.
In the 14-min Choice Cuts: The Two Faces Of Jack The Ripper – Interview With Alain Petit, Ripperologist Extraordinaire who discusses the "continental version" of the film and the search for complete versions. Extras are buttoned-up with a 2-min Trailer for the film and an Image Gallery of release posters, press books and lobby cards.
The two-disc release comes housed in a black Blu-ray dual-hubbed keepcase with a one-sided sleeve featuring what looks to be one of the original illustrated movie posters. This also comes with a Limited Edition Slipcover when order direct from the Severin webstore that is embossed and spot-glossed, it's a got a striking red background featuring a black and white image of Jack's black-gloved, knife-wielding hand on the front-cover and a vintage movie poster artwork on the back, plus embossed, spot-gloss yellow lettering on the spines. The 2 discs inside feature excerpts of both the original illustrated movie posters.
Special Features:
Disc 1: UHD (Film + Special Features):
- Audio Commentary With Co-Director/Co-Producer/Co-Cinematographer Robert S. Baker, Screenwriter Jimmy Sangster And Assistant Director Peter Manley, Moderated By British Horror Historian Marcus Hearn
- Trailer (2:29)
Disc 2: Blu-ray (Film + Special Features):
- Audio Commentary With Co-Director/Co-Producer/Co-Cinematographer Robert S. Baker, Screenwriter Jimmy Sangster And Assistant Director Peter Manley, Moderated By British Horror Historian Marcus Hearn
- The Reel Jack The Ripper – Interview With Denis Meikle, Author Of Jack The Ripper: The Murders And The Movies (10:42)
- Gentleman Jack – The Whitechapel Murders Revisited (13:33)
- Choice Cuts: The Two Faces Of Jack The Ripper – Interview With Alain Petit, Ripperologist Extraordinaire (14:42)
- Trailer (2:29)
- Poster And Still Gallery (3:50)
Jack The Ripper (1958) is perhaps a bit dry by modern standards of bloodshed and nudity, though for it's time it was pretty potent stuff, nonetheless, it's a damn fine ripper entry that offers a unique motive for the culprit. Severin's upgraded release offers two versions of the film with much improved A/V upgrades for both, plus a wealth of extras that dig into both the historical and cinematic context of the film. It's good stuff, and if you are a Ripper-fanatic, or even just a vintage Brit horror junkie, this is an essential release.
Screenshots Comparison:
Top: Severin Films Blu-ray (2019)
Bottom: Severin Films Blu-ray (2025)
Buy it!
#ad
