Murder by Decree (1979)
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86% of critics liked it
(7 reviews) -
61% of users liked it
(1,241 ratings)
The murders by the infamous British criminal, Jack the Ripper, catch the attention of Sherlock Holmes (Christopher Plummer), but he does not receive the expected call from Scotland Yard because he is being purposefully excluded from the investigation. Instead, Robert Lees (Donald Sutherland), a… More The murders by the infamous British criminal, Jack the Ripper, catch the attention of Sherlock Holmes (Christopher Plummer), but he does not receive the expected call from Scotland Yard because he is being purposefully excluded from the investigation. Instead, Robert Lees (Donald Sutherland), a psychic who volunteered information to the police about the murders, provides the Great Detective with the necessary incitement to action. As the murders proceed, it becomes clear to all concerned that it is more important to stop them than to announce their solution, and Holmes enters the fray with the help of his trusty aide, Dr. Watson (James Mason). The former mistress of a "prominent personage," Annie Crook (Genevieve Bujold), provides crucial information leading to a final confrontation on London's docks. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Directed By
- Bob Clark, Bob Clark (III)
- Written By
- Arthur Conan Doyle, John Hopkins
- Genres
- Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense
PG,
- In Theaters
- Feb 9, 1979 Wide
- On DVD
- Jan 21, 2003
Critic Reviews
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Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
A fond homage to the heyday of Hammer Studio, and a canny transmuting of Victorian Britannia to the tail end of the politicized '70s
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Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
May be my favorite Sherlock Holmes movie.
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Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
Plummer and Mason together make one of cinema's great -- certainly the most touching -- Holmes-Watson teams. Ripperologists will be pleased by how faithful the script is to historical incidents and persons involved.
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Jon Niccum, Lawrence Journal-World
A cool premise executed well
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Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Murder by Decree is spiffy entertainment for lovers of good mystery stories.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Christopher Plummer
as Sherlock Holmes
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James Mason
as Dr. John H. Watson
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Donald Sutherland
as Robert Lees
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Geneviève Bujold
as Annie Crook
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David Hemmings
as Inspector Foxborough
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Susan Clark
as Mary Kelly
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Anthony Quayle
as Sir Charles Warren
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John Gielgud
as Lord Salisbury Prime Minister
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Frank Finlay
as Inspector Lestrade
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June Brown
as Elizabeth Stride
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Ken Jones
as Dock Guard
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Peter Jonfield
as William Slade
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Tedde Moore
as Mrs. Lees
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Ron Pember
as Makins
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Chris Wiggins
as Dr. Harding
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Hilary Sesta
as Catherine Eddowes
- Terry Duggan
