MAN IN THE ATTIC

US, 1953, 92 minutes, Black and white.
Jack Palance, Constance Smith, Rhys Williams.
Directed by Hugo Fregonese.

Man in the Attic is another film about Jack the Ripper. Alfred Hitchcock had made the silent film, The Lodger, with Ivor Novello, in 1927, based on the story by Marie Belloc Lowndes. 20th-century Fox remade The Lodger in 1944, with Laird Cregar. Only nine years later, Fox made this film with Jack Palance in the central role, with his distinctive looks, quite a potential villain.

The film goes over his lodging with an elderly couple, Rhys Williams interesting as the sceptical uncle of Constance Smith, a cabaret dancer (with two cabaret- like theatre sequences in this film).

The film also traces the work in a hospital, the investigation by Scotland Yard, the threats to the singer, a chase through the London streets in the dark and fog, and still leaves a little ambiguity about the identity of Jack the Ripper whose name has never been known.

An interesting later version starred Johnny Depp investigating the Ripper deaths, From Hell.

1. A Jack the Ripper story? Comparisons with other versions of the story? From silent and earlier sound versions? Later versions?

2. The response to Jack the Ripper, the stories, his reputation, the violence? The fears in late Victorian England? This version almost 70 years after the events? The identity of Jack the Ripper, his victims, the motivation, the pathology, police investigations? Hints of scandals? The royal family?

3. The film based on the novel by Mrs. Belloc Lowndes? The previous versions? Characters and detail? This film as small-budget? The cast?

4. The introduction, the tavern, the girl, the police and their talk, her death?

5. Mr. and Mrs. Holly? At home, chatting, the dog, the newspaper? The arrival of Slade? Welcoming him into the house, the rooms, the attic, his not wanting to see the pictures of the actresses, the discussions with Mrs. Holly about her niece?

6. The theatre background, lily and her performances, her troupe? Coming from Paris? The flowers and her dressing room? The visit in an inning rally? The champagne? Annie and her past reputation, memories? The prince of Wales and loyalty? Lily and her reputation?

7. The staging of the songs and dances? More Broadway style than British theatre? The songs, the girls, the costumes, suggested?

8. The role of the media, the newspapers, the headlines, Jack the Ripper? Their contribution to the atmosphere?

9. The inspector, with the prince of Wales, Cordero from the theatre, the interviews with billy and and his visit, and his death, the issue of the black bag? Mrs. Holy and her suspicions, Mr. Holley and he is downplaying them? The speculation that only a bachelor, commit such crimes? Paul Warwick
and his investigations, his visits, paying attention to lily?

10. Slade, his personality, introspective, his clothes, his bank, his description of his work, pathology, experiments, a smells and the fire? As talk about the river? Will will

11. The theories, compulsions, we are what we are, Mr. Holley and the theories, learning his own bad?

12. Louis, the relationship with Slade, film, sessions, Slade playing the piano?

13. The head of Scotland yard, suspicious of fingerprinting? Worried and his visits?

14. Slade and billy, the kiss, his mother being an actress, telling the story, his denouncing her? And the visit to Scotland yard, the museum, the the death
masks, hanging? Slade and his wanting to leave?

15. The cinema street, the police, the murder?

16. The times between crimes? Slade and his work, outings? Watching his hands? The door and turning against him?

17. Lily and her inviting him to the theatre, the visit to the hospital, the separately, the testimony in favor of Slade? The further discussions about the wounds, the knife, left handle right hand? The fingerprint of slaves left hand?

18. As holly, her theories, denouncing Slade? Her husband and his denials? Moving vigorously attacking worried?

19. The picture of slaves mother, her being the first victim? For the fingerprints, the understanding of Slade, the close-ups of the men in the audience and their reaction to the rally? Slash horror? Leaving?

20. In the dressing room, as were king live and to save him, but who is tormented? He did not want her corrupting? His disgust? The devil to be cut away? The novel her throat?

21. The chase, the carriages, the speed and pace, the book the blocking of the way, his going to the river, going into the river, not being able to be found?

22. The issue of his guilt or not? The contribution to the Jack the Ripper stories?