Man in the Attic

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Man in the Attic

1953

1h 22m

Mystery & Thriller

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4 Reviews

29%

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250+ Ratings

Jack the Ripper's rampage has all of London gripped in fear -- no matter how many constables patrol the streets, streetwalkers continue to turn up dead. On the night that a fourth woman is killed, the mysterious Slade (Jack Palance) rents out the attic of William and Helen Harley. Later, he meets their niece, Lily Bonner (Constance Smith), an actress. While he intrigues her, his behavior and obsessions arouse suspicion that Slade could be Jack the Ripper -- and Lily his next victim.

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Joe Lipsett

Murder Made Fiction Podcast - Bloody Disgusting

Mar 10

2.5/5

A solid, if unspectacular, adaptation of Marie Belloc Lowndes's The Lodger. This version places more emphasis on Lily's risque dancing career and Palance has no nuance as the film's villain, but it's reasonably entertaining.

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Josephine O'Neill

Daily Telegraph (Australia)

04/02/2019

Mr. Palance is defeated by a flatly lit commonplace production in which Constance Smith's leading lady and the households of Rhys Williams and Frances Bavier are strays from modern Hollywood.

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

04/15/2007

C

There's apparently no need or reason for this remake.

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Phil Hall

Film Threat

08/21/2006

2/5

Jack the Ripper, this time with a dull blade played by Jack Palance before he turned into a raging ham.

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G L.

@RT09869090 Apr 12

Jack the Ripper was renting a room in an attic, police should've looked there.

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Tom M

@RT77934561 10/31/2024

Yes, this is not factually true in any sense. The lead actress is a complete moron not to see through Palance and his creepy persona. But it starts off well in a melodramatic way and it mildly entertains.

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Anita B

@RT62101653 09/23/2024

What a load of trash! This is supposed to be set in 1888 London but right from the Get Go it just screams Hollywood - it was like watching a film set in 1880’s Wild West!!! Everything from the costumes to the film set itself screamed American. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Why couldn’t the yanks leave British History to the Experts - the likes of Pinewood Studios comes to mind - they would have done the film justice that’s for sure. I had to turn it off, couldn’t watch it. 😑

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nick s

@Nick_S 12/18/2023

Passable film with some good moments, but not particularly engaging. Jack Palance did a fairly good job as the misfit in the attic. I didn't think the musical numbers suited the tone of the movie

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03/09/2017

It completely makes up its own story surrounding the Jack The Ripper murders, but it's not a bad piece of fantasy from it.

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10/07/2015

Yet another retelling of The Lodger story (first told on screen by Alfred Hitchcock in 1926 / 1927) offers very little new plot points, but it is still fun.

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Hugo Fregonese

Director

Jack Palance

Slade

Constance Smith

Lily Bonner

Byron Palmer

Insp. Paul Warwick

Frances Bavier

Helen Harley

Rhys Williams

William Harle

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Synopsis

Jack the Ripper's rampage has all of London gripped in fear -- no matter how many constables patrol the streets, streetwalkers continue to turn up dead. On the night that a fourth woman is killed, the mysterious Slade (Jack Palance) rents out the attic of William and Helen Harley. Later, he meets their niece, Lily Bonner (Constance Smith), an actress. While he intrigues her, his behavior and obsessions arouse suspicion that Slade could be Jack the Ripper -- and Lily his next victim.

Director: Hugo Fregonese
Producer: Robert L. Jacks
Screenwriter: Robert Presnell Jr., Barré Lyndon
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Panoramic Productions, Leonard Goldstein
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 23, 1953, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 11, 2016
Runtime: 1h 22m