BA_Harrison A Study in Terror unites two of my favourite movie characters, one fictional, and one very real: Conan Doyle's super sleuth Sherlock Holmes and infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper. Although it's far from the best film to feature either character, there is still plenty of fun to be had as Holmes (John Neville, channelling Basil Rathbone) does his thing, uncovering a dastardly blackmail plot that has had dreadful consequences for Whitechapel's working girls.In merging the literary with real-life, huge liberties have clearly been taken with any facts, and avid Ripper-ologists will be able to tear a new one out of the script as historical detail quickly falls by the wayside in favour of the fanciful. Fortunately, the film is just too much fun to let factual inaccuracy spoil matters too much. The murders are nice and gruesome, there's a well staged fight scene that sees Holmes and Watson (Donald Houston) duke it out with some thugs, we get to meet Holmes' equally brilliant brother Mycroft (Robert Morley), eye candy is provided by the rather-too-attractive, soon-to-be-dead whores (who include Carry On regular Babs Windsor), and the whole mystery keeps the viewer guessing right till the end.

Scott LeBrun Here, the legendary fictional detective Sherlock Holmes (John Neville) is on the case of the infamous real life murderer Jack the Ripper, brutally murdering Whitechapel prostitutes in Victorian London in this exceptionally good looking and twist-laden, nicely written movie. Without my spoiling things too much, Holmes learns that a well to do family is caught up in the drama.The idea of pitting Holmes against The Ripper is a clever one, and would be visited again 14 years later in "Murder by Decree". It's also a pleasure to see a cast full of esteemed British acting talent, beginning with Neville, whose Holmes is not only blessed with that intelligence and incredible deductive ability but true charisma as well. Donald Houston is a genial Dr. Watson. Notable is that two of the cast members here, Frank Finlay and Anthony Quayle, are also in "Murder by Decree". Finlay plays Inspector Lestrade in both movies while Quayle plays different roles.Wonderful atmosphere and production & costume design mix with efficient direction by James Hill ("Born Free", "Black Beauty" '71) and a story that is detailed but never too hard to follow. While some viewers may be able to figure out the identity of the killer, they may not anticipate just how Holmes is able to crack the case, which becomes one of the most interesting elements here. Sex and violence are accented here to a degree, with an eyeful of some of the ladies' bosoms and a little dose of the red stuff.The excellent cast also includes a young Dame Judi Dench, in one of her earliest movie roles, as well as John Fraser, Adrienne Corri, Charles Regnier, Cecil Parker, Peter Carsten, John Cairney, Edina Ronay, and Avis Bunnage.The movie is by turns suspenseful, exciting, creepy, and funny, with the two stars sharing a marvellous chemistry. And, speaking of exciting, the ending is a true corker, and will have viewers on the edge of their seats. The pacing is consistently strong and the sense of danger created right from the start. It would indeed be amusing to compare and contrast "A Study in Terror" and "Murder by Decree" and have a solid double feature of Holmes vs. The Ripper mysteries.Executive produced by Herman Cohen.Eight out of 10.

ShootingShark In 1888, a series of horrible murders are being committed in London's poor Whitechapel district. With public outcry growing and the police baffled, the world's greatest amateur detective, Sherlock Holmes, is tasked with finding the identity of Jack The Ripper …The idea of combining the fictional Sherlock Holmes from Arthur Conan Doyle's stories with the real-life murders of the notorious Jack The Ripper is a clever one. Only one of the stories was actually written prior to the murders but the time line is close enough, and the appeal of having a genius investigate perhaps the most notorious unsolved killings is pretty irresistible. Well written by brothers Derek and Donald Ford, it recreates the detail of the murders quite accurately, but also explores the social justice angle well - Holmes is at times almost sympathetic towards the Ripper as a psychotic driven to his deeds, and angry with the establishment who try to downplay the seriousness of his crimes and the squalor in which they occur. The cast are all talented British stalwarts, with Neville (The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen) a fine Holmes, Quayle good in a key part, and classic Cockney pin-up girl Windsor (the star of many of the Carry On films) at the height of her beauty. With some moody sets and good photography this is an effective if minor little thriller. The enjoyable 1979 Canadian film Murder By Decree with Christopher Plummer as Holmes is a virtual remake (Finlay even reprises his role as Inspector Lestrade) and the Holmes vs Ripper idea has also been used in several comics, books and video games.

quim-scd This is a wonderful, entertaining film, with one great cast (Donald Houston makes a superb Watson) and a nice plot although a bit Holmes-centered, which will please some people even more anyway, victorian-like dialogues being quite exceptional. The density of the story is acceptable, even if it lacks some psychological details. One thing, though, has been somewhat of a let down - the overdubbed sounds and music. This is one movie that could benefit enormously from sound revamping, original soundtrack included. It would certainly rank quite higher in movie History if that were to be done (Can it?). All things considered, it is nevertheless a must, not just for Sherlock Holmes or ripper fans, but for anyone who is looking for a good movie, in general.