It's 1888 in London's Whitechapel, and Jack's back for that all too familiar story - It's at night that interesting things happen, what kind of work do you do at night, Mr. Slade?...
The formidable and enigmatic Jack Palance excels in his portrayal of Jack the Ripper in this poetic take on the story, tinged with love and darkness. I went back to the original disc release of this picture, improved its visual quality, and added plenty of subtitles. It was originally released on New Year's Eve, 1953, and is presented for your viewing pleasure this Halloween... Sometimes I walk close by the river, the river is like liquid night flowing peacefully out to infinity...
Man in the Attic is a 1953 American horror film directed by Hugo Fregonese and starring Jack Palance, Constance Smith and Byron Palmer. The screenplay was by Barré Lyndon and Robert Presnell Jr., based on the 1913 novel The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes, which fictionalises the Jack the Ripper killings. It had been previously filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1927, by Maurice Elvey in 1932, by John Brahm in 1944; it was again filmed by David Ondaatje in 2009.
Original Trailer • Man in the Attic 1953 Trailer - A Jack the...
Stars: Jack Palance, Constance Smith, Byron Palmer
Director: Hugo Fregonese
Writers & Screenplay: Screenplay by Barré Lyndon & Robert Presnell Jr., based on The Lodger, a 1913 novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes
Insights:
Reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Yet another version of Mrs. Belloc Lowndes' story ... This version succeeds in creating something of the atmosphere of London in the eighties, but this is offset by over-much concentration on the stage life of Lily Bonner, much of which is irrelevant to the story. Jack Palance is a suitably sinister Ripper, but Constance Smith seems miscast as Lily. An interesting newcomer, Lisa Daniels, brings life to the small part of Mary Lenihan."
Variety wrote: "The film’s strength lies in its eerie tone and period setting. Director Hugo Fregonese maintains tension throughout, aided by Barre Lyndon’s tight screenplay. Palance delivers a compelling performance, walking the line between menace and vulnerability. Constance Smith adds charm and warmth, while Byron Palmer and Frances Bavier round out the cast capably.
Production values are solid. The foggy London streets, gaslit interiors, and shadowy corners contribute excellent atmospheric values. So does Leo Tover’s photography, the settings and other technical contributions."
The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 3/5 stars, writing: "Fox dug out its old script, had a new writer make some unhelpful alterations and turned out this modestly budgeted thriller to exploit Jack Palance's sudden rise to villainous stardom. He's too obviously sinister, and the other players are weak, but the story is virtually fool-proof, and director Hugo Fregonese whips up some chills and a good Victorian atmosphere."
Notes
The movie is a remake of 20th Century Fox's previous film, The Lodger (1944), starring Laird Cregar as Slade. It was released under Fox's Panoramic Productions label in their signature 1.66:1 widescreen format (only the 1.37:1 standard version is currently available). Barré Lyndon's screenplay for the earlier film was updated for the remake by Robert Presnell Jr., and Hugo Friedhofer's music score from the earlier film is also reused. The movie was also shot on the same sets and reuses the footage from the earlier film of the police pursuing Jack the Ripper through the streets and over the rooftops of London.
Taglines
The Life...The Loves...The Crimes of Jack the Ripper!
He loved her and hated her!
Subtitles
I added original subtitles in English (US - SDH with audio captions - which I transcribed, and UK - standard) and other languages. YouTube should translate them into additional languages quite well, or I can if you'd like, just leave a comment to let me know which language.
PERFORMANCE:
0:00:00 REEL ONE
0:20:00 REEL TWO
0:40:00 REEL THREE
1:00:00 REEL FOUR
Main Cast:
Jack Palance as Slade
Constance Smith as Lily Bonner
Byron Palmer as Insp. Paul Warwick
Frances Bavier as Helen Harley
Rhys Williams as William Harley
Sean McClory as Constable No. 1
Leslie Bradley as Constable No. 2
Tita Phillips as Daisy
Lester Matthews as Chief Insp. Melville
Harry Cording as Detective Sgt. Bates
Lisa Daniels as Mary Lenihan
Lilian Bond as Annie Rowley
Isabel Jewell as Katy
Noble Chissell as theatre patron (uncredited)
Ben Wright as Detective in theatre box
Rama Bai as Lelah, Lily's maid at theatre (uncredited)
Technical Details:
Produced by Robert L. Jacks
Cinematography Leo Tover
Edited by Marjorie Fowler
Music by Hugo Friedhofer
Production Companies Panoramic Productions & Leonard Goldstein
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release Date December 31, 1953 (San Francisco)
Running Time 82 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Colour Process B&W
Aspect Ratio 1.66:1
Thanks to the invaluable IMDB, Wikipedia, and Wikimedia for much of this information.
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