Fictional story of a Victorian Era family who rent their upstairs room to a mysterious man who may be Jack the Ripper. This is a remake of a 1927 Hitchcock film that was remade again in 1953 with Jack Palance. (All three films are good.) The star here is the remarkable Laird Cregar, who along with many Cast & Crew went on to make Hangover Square the following year. This includes George Sanders as the detective out to catch The Ripper. (Cregar is one of the few actors who can keep Sanders from stealing the spotlight.) Film does an excellent job casting doubt on who really is The Ripper. The acting is superb, especially Merle Oberon, the one major switch from Hangover Street, which cast Linda Darnell. The noir atmosphere would be even better in Square, but it’s very effective here and the script gives this one a better pace.
Leave A Comment