Murder by Decree (1979)
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- PG
- 2h 4min
- Crime, Mystery
- 09 Feb 1979 (USA)
- Movie
Sherlock Holmes investigates the murders commited by Jack the Ripper and discovers a conspiracy to protect the killer.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- 5 wins & 5 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
Christopher Plummer | ... |
Sherlock Holmes
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James Mason | ... |
Dr. Watson
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David Hemmings | ... |
Inspector Foxborough
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Susan Clark | ... |
Mary Kelly
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Anthony Quayle | ... |
Sir Charles Warren
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John Gielgud | ... |
Prime Minister Lord Salisbury
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Frank Finlay | ... |
Inspector Lestrade
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Donald Sutherland | ... |
Robert Lees
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Geneviève Bujold | ... |
Annie Crook
(as Genevieve Bujold)
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Chris Wiggins | ... |
Doctor Hardy
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Tedde Moore | ... |
Mrs. Lees
(as Teddi Moore)
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Peter Jonfield | ... |
William Slade
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Roy Lansford | ... |
Sir Thomas Spivey
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Catherine Kessler | ... |
Carrie
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Ron Pember | ... |
Makins
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June Brown | ... |
Annie Chapman
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Ken Jones | ... |
Dock Guard
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Terry Duggan | ... |
Danny
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Hilary Sesta | ... |
Catherine Eddowes
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Anthony May | ... |
Lanier
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Betty Woolfe | ... |
Mrs. Hudson
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Iris Fry | ... |
Elizabeth Stride
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Geoffrey Russell | ... |
Home Secretary Henry Matthews
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Peggy Ann Clifford | ... |
Lees Housekeeper
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Ann Mitchell | ... |
Jane
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Katherine Stark | ... |
Molly
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Elaine Ives-Cameron | ... |
Ellen
(as Elaine Ives Cameron)
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Stella Courtney | ... |
Betty
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Judy Wilson | ... |
Emily
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Roy Pattison | ... |
Carroll
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Victor Langley | ... |
Prince of Wales
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Pamela Abbott | ... |
Princess Alexandra
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Robin Marchal | ... |
Duke of Clarence 'Eddy'
(as Robin Marchall)
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Richard Pescud | ... |
Doctor
(as Richard Pescuid)
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Pat Brackenbury | ... |
Nurse
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Dan Long | ... |
Constable Long
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Michael Cashman | ... |
Constable Watkins
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Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
John William Ault | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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Tony Clarkin | ... |
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
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Peter Dean | ... |
Police Constable (uncredited)
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John Dunbar | ... |
Man Exiting Royal Opera House (uncredited)
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Norman Gay | ... |
Distinguished Gentleman (uncredited)
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Barrie Holland | ... |
Victorian Gentleman (uncredited)
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Jim McManus | ... |
Policeman (uncredited)
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John Tatham | ... |
Audience Member at Royal Opera House (uncredited)
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Directed by
Bob Clark |
Written by
Arthur Conan Doyle | ... | (characters) |
John Hopkins | ... | (screenplay) |
Elwyn Jones | ... | (co-author) (book "The Ripper File") |
Stephen Knight | ... | (book: "Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution") |
John Lloyd | ... | (co-author) (book "The Ripper File") |
Produced by
Bob Clark | ... | producer |
René Dupont | ... | producer |
Robert A. Goldston | ... | producer |
Len Herberman | ... | executive producer |
Music by
Paul Zaza | ||
Carl Zittrer |
Cinematography by
Reginald H. Morris | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
Stan Cole |
Editorial Department
Ian McBride | ... | assistant editor |
Casting By
Karen Hazzard | ||
Irene Lamb |
Production Design by
Harry Pottle |
Art Direction by
Peter Childs |
Set Decoration by
Denise Exshaw |
Costume Design by
Judy Moorcroft |
Makeup Department
Colin Jamison | ... | chief hairdresser |
Jan Jamison | ... | assistant hairdresser (as Janet Jamison) |
Peter Robb-King | ... | chief makeup artist |
Jane Royle | ... | makeup artist |
Production Management
John Davis | ... | production manager: U.K. |
Ted Rouse | ... | production manager: Canada |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Dodds | ... | third assistant director |
Ken Goch | ... | second assistant director |
Ariel Levy | ... | assistant director |
Guy Travers | ... | second assistant director |
Art Department
Andy Andrews | ... | property master |
Ken Fleming | ... | stand-by carpenter (as Ken Flemming) |
Percy Godbold | ... | production buyer |
John Graham | ... | stand-by propman |
Jock Kay | ... | scenic artist |
Ken Pattenden | ... | construction manager |
Tom Raeburn | ... | charge hand props (as Tommy Raeburn) |
Adrian Start | ... | art stand-by |
Paul Wolstencroft | ... | stage hand |
Gus Walker | ... | construction manager (uncredited) |
Sound Department
David Appleby | ... | re-recording mixer (as Dave Appleby) |
Martin Ashbee | ... | assistant sound editor |
Ron Butcher | ... | sound maintenance |
Steven Cole | ... | assistant sound editor |
Dennis Drummond | ... | sound editor |
Patrick Drummond | ... | sound editor |
Wayne Griffin | ... | sound editor |
Joe Grimaldi | ... | re-recording mixer |
Kenneth Heeley-Ray | ... | supervising sound editor (as Ken Heeley Ray) |
John W. Mitchell | ... | sound recordist (as John Mitchell) |
Keith Pamplin | ... | boom operator |
Don White | ... | foley recording mixer |
Special Effects by
Michael Albrechtsen | ... | special effects |
Visual Effects by
Cliff Culley | ... | visual effects supervisor |
Stunts
Bill Weston | ... | stunt coordinator |
Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Blanshard | ... | still photographer |
David Farrell | ... | still photographer |
Dennis Fraser | ... | grip |
Maurice Gillett | ... | gaffer |
Michael J. Jacobs | ... | special unit photographer |
Terry Lewis | ... | best boy |
Ray Meehan | ... | gaffer |
Jimmy Turrell | ... | camera operator (as James Turrell) |
David Wynn-Jones | ... | focus |
Graham Attwood | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ron Beck | ... | wardrobe supervisor |
Edward Morton | ... | wardrobe assistant |
Janet Tebrooke | ... | wardrobe mistress |
Music Department
Frank Morrone | ... | music engineer |
Script and Continuity Department
Marjorie Lavelly | ... | continuity |
Transportation Department
Howard Pugh | ... | driver: cast |
Additional Crew
Andy Birmingham | ... | production accountant |
Marilyn Clarke | ... | production assistant |
S.C. Dacy | ... | publicist |
Robert A. Goldston | ... | presenter |
Bob Halliday | ... | police liaison |
Lynda Levy | ... | unit publicist |
Liz Taylor | ... | secretary to producer |
John William Ault | ... | film extra (uncredited) |
Judith May | ... | accountant secretary (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC)
- Famous Players
- Highlight
- Murder by Decree Productions (copyright holder)
Distributors
- Columbia-EMI-Warner (1979) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Ambassador Film Distributors (1979) (Canada) (theatrical)
- AVCO Embassy Pictures (1979) (United States) (theatrical)
- Parafrance Films (1979) (France) (theatrical)
- Ascot Filmverleih (1979) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Filmways Australasian Distributors (1979) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Vesna Film (1979) (Yugoslavia) (theatrical)
- Cineriz (1980) (Italy) (theatrical)
- El Chico de los Recados (1980) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Fram Film (1980) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Sofilmes (1980) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1980) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Home Box Office (HBO) (1980) (United States) (tv) (pay television)
- Magnetic Video (1980) (United States) (VHS)
- CBS (1981) (United States) (tv) (broadcast premiere)
- Savoy Filmi (1983) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Embassy Video (1983) (West Germany) (VHS)
- Embassy Home Entertainment Australia (1984) (Australia) (video)
- Globo Vídeo (1984) (Brazil) (VHS)
- Nordic Video (1984) (Finland) (VHS)
- Embassy Home Entertainment (1986) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Embassy Home Entertainment (1986) (United States) (VHS)
- Interglobal Home Video (1986) (Canada) (VHS)
- Indevideo (Mexico) (VHS)
- M6 (1989) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
- BMG Video (1992) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Anchor Bay Entertainment (2003) (United States) (DVD)
- Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
- Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment (2003) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- RCV Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- StudioCanal (2005) (France) (DVD)
- Lionsgate Home Entertainment (2009) (United States) (DVD)
- VL-Musiikki (2012) (Finland) (DVD)
- StudioCanal (2017) (Germany) (DVD)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2017) (Australia) (DVD)
- Kino Lorber (2020) (United States) (Blu-ray)
- The Big Pieces Company (2020) (Canada)
- Trimuse Entertainment Inc. (2020) (Canada)
- Nelson Entertainment (United States) (VHS)
- Pan-Canadian Video Presentations (Canada) (VHS)
- RCA (II) (United States) (video) (CED Videodisc)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Lee Lighting (lighting)
- MGM Laboratories (release prints)
- Medallion-PFA Film & Video (answer print)
- Pathé Sound and Post Production Center (post-production facilities)
- Rank Film Laboratories (processing)
Storyline
Plot Summary |
Sherlock Holmes investigates London's most infamous case, Jack the Ripper. As he investigates, he finds that the Ripper has friends in high places.
Written by John Vogel |
Plot Keywords | |
Taglines | Sherlock Holmes unveils the secrecy of Jack the Ripper - clue by clue - murder by murder. See more » |
Genres | |
Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
Certification |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
Budget | CAD5,000,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
Trivia | Peter O'Toole was originally cast as Sherlock Holmes, and Sir Laurence Olivier was cast as Dr. Watson. But the two actors had not worked well together in the past, and were unable to overcome their differences for this movie. See more » |
Goofs | Holmes refers to the cab that ran him over as a "hansom." Those were two-wheeled vehicles, and Holmes was attacked by a four-wheeler. He had post-traumatic amnesia, didn't remember exactly what ran him down and assumed it was a Hansom. See more » |
Movie Connections | Featured in Hair/Murder By Decree/A Perfect Couple/The Champ/Buck Rogers in the 25th Century/Love at First Bite/In Search of Dracula (1979). See more » |
Soundtracks | God Save the Queen See more » |
Quotes |
Prime Minister Lord Salisbury:
You have my word. Sherlock Holmes: [Acidly] I would prefer some more reliable authority. See more » |