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The Monster of London City is a 1964 German crime thriller film about a modern day Jack the Ripper reenacting real-life murders.
Directed by Edwin Zbonek (The crazy executioners) based on a screenplay by Robert A. Stemmle [as R.A. Stemmle] (The crazy executioners; The Curse of the Hidden Vault; The Terror of Doctor Mabuse; Confess Dr. Corda) and Bryan Edgar Wallace (revised version). Produced by Arthur Brauner.
The film music was composed by Martin Böttcher (Dead sexy; The College Girl Murders; Creature with the blue hand; The Phantom of Soho; The Black Abbot).
Hansjörg Felmy, Marianne Koch, Dietmar Schönherr, Hans Nielsen, Chariklia Baxevanos, Peer Schmidt, Fritz Tillmann, Walter Pfeil and Kurd Pieritz can be seen in the CCC Film Production.
Plot Summary:
A series of Jack the Ripper-style murders of prostitutes takes place in modern-day London, leaving Scotland Yard detectives baffled. Coincidentally, a play about Jack the Ripper is proving very successful, despite one MP wanting it shut down. The actor who plays Jack, Richard Sand (Hansjörg Felmy), becomes a suspect in the real murders…
Our view:
Crime thrillers are usually characterized by their bizarre, convoluted plots and offbeat villains, so Jack the Ripper’s killer in this film is pretty routine. Nevertheless, there are many murders and red herrings and director Edwin Zbonek creates some stylish sequences with shadows, backed by Martin Böttcher’s jazzy music.
The comic relief that also characterizes many crime films is provided by a bumbling private detective and his partner, and their needless exploits are at odds with the meanness hinted at elsewhere. Even more bizarre is an accelerated car chase with a short comedic part in which a young woman has her skirt pulled down to reveal her stockings and lingerie!
Although not a classic and the killer’s identity is somewhat telegraphed, most admirers of this type of German crime fiction will find what they are looking for The London City Monster worth a watch.
Adrian J Smith, MOVIES and MANIA
Other reviews:
“The comic relief is annoying but thankfully not overly intrusive. The acting is solid enough without reaching great heights. Jack the Ripper’s makeup is over the top, but it adds to the weirdness (and there’s always at least some weirdness in a good crime novel). Edwin Zbonek does a competent job as a director.” Cult film reviews
“The murders are very classy, with the Ripper stalking the ladies of the evening on dark street corners, sometimes using some very effective shadowy imagery. It’s a very busy thriller, to say the least, with lively characters and a simple but engaging plot, with the murders being quite brutal for the early 1960s…” DVD Drive-In
“Even with the stupid comic pieces, The London City Monster has enough to recommend – a great free jazz score, a sexy female lead in the form of Chef, a cool Ripper-esque approach to the killer, and even some totally unnecessary female nudity in one scene. DVD talk
“…there are some good moments here, especially towards the end of the film. However, the confusion and repetition of this one was really starting to wear me down; I’ve really had enough of the tiresome police investigation (where they always take the time to tell you this new murder is just like any other) and the unfunny comic relief couple… “Fantastic movie thoughts and ramblings
“It’s a good movie. There really aren’t any issues with it, it’s just fairly predictable and there’s nothing too notable about it. I liked the story, the acting was okay… And sometimes it’s nice to see a movie that isn’t challenging at all.” Movies in boxes
“…it’s quite an entertaining little film, with a lot happening in every scene, and its fast pace is greatly aided by the cast, who approach their roles with manic zeal. While this is clearly a low-budget project, the production values are solid and the exterior scenes at times manage to convey more atmosphere than one would expect from this type of film.” Horror Incorporated project
“The complexity of the mystery isn’t particularly exciting, and the final revelation doesn’t come as much of a shock, but it’s a serviceable script, with atmospheric photography and a capable cast…” Mark David Welsh
“It pulls as few punches as possible, given the era: it not only refuses to shy away from the fact that this lunatic is slaughtering prostitutes, it goes so far as to deal with the murder sequences. Zbonek stages them artfully amidst thick fog and shadows, avoiding the horror directly and heavily suggesting it with close-ups of razors and wide shots of strangulation.” Ah, the horror!
“…The London City Monster is more than a little clumsy. It also suffers from having way too many useless supporting characters […] But the strip is not entirely without value. There’s a beautiful chase in the foggy streets of London…” The Video Vacuum
Cast and Characters:
Hansjörg Felmy … Richard Sand
Marianne Koch…Ann Morlay
Dietmar Schoenherr … Doctor Morely Greely
Hans Nielsen…Inspector Dorne
Chariklia Baxevanos … Betty Ball
Peer Smith…Teddy Flynn
Fritz Tillman…Sir George Edwards
Walter Pfeil… Horrlick
Kurd Pieritz … mayor
Elsa Wagner … housekeeper Emily
Kai Fischer…Helen Capstick
Gudrun Schmidt … Evelyn Nichols
Adelheid Hinz … maid Betsy
Christiane Schmidtmer … girl with sunglasses
Albert Bessler … man in the insane asylum
Gerda Blisse … assistant
Manfred Grote … detective
Locations:
CCC-Atelier, Spandau, Berlin, Germany (Atelier)
London, United Kingdom
Original title:
The Monster of London City
German trailer:
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