- Menu
Disc #1 -- Murder by Decree
Chapter Selections
Extras
Trailer
Commentary
With Co-Producer/ Director Bob Clark: On/Off
Poster & Still Gallery
Behind-The-Scenes Still Gallery
Talent Bios
Bob Clark
Christopher Plummer
James Mason
Screenplay
Resume
- Chapters
Disc #1 -- Murder by Decree
1. Main Titles [3:36]
2. Murder In Whitechapel [6:49]
3. Mysteries [4:47]
4. The Game's Afoot [6:45]
5. Information Please [6:34]
6. Invisible Writing [3:56]
7. Robert Lees [4:53]
8. Secret Signs [5:28]
9. Blood Ritual [2:51]
10. Intuitive Reasoning [5:18]
11. A Helping Hand [6:09]
12. The Puzzle [3:49]
13. Funeral [6:22]
14. Hospital Search [5:13]
15. In The Madhouse [3:03]
16. Annie Cook [8:18]
17. She Must Be Saved [4:11]
18. Into The Fog [5:39]
19. The Informant Unmasked [4:44]
20. Holmes And The Ripper [4:14]
21. The Star Chamber [7:53]
22. A Case of Conscience [6:59]
23. 221-B Baker Street [2:31]
24. End Titles [3:38]
- Features
Audio Commentary with Co-Producer /Director Bob Clark
Behind-the-Scenes Stills Gallery
Poster and Stills Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
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Directors
Bob Clark
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Producers
Robert A. Goldstone
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Composers (Music Score)
Paul Zaza
Carl Zittrer
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Co-Producers
Bob Clark
Rene Dupont
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Editors
Stan Cole
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Screen Writers
John Hopkins
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Others
Art Director - Peter Childs
Cinematographer - Reginald Morris
Composer (Music Score) - Paul Zaza
Composer (Music Score) - Carl Zittrer
Costume Designer - Judy Moorcraft
Executive Producer - Len Herberman
First Assistant Director - Ariel Levy
Production Designer - Kenneth Ian Davis
Production Designer - Harry Pottle
Sound Editor - Ken Heeley-Ray
Sound/Sound Designer - Joe Grimaldi
Sound/Sound Designer - Dave Appleby
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- Porky's
- Dan Monahan
- (WS, Spec, Sen)
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Murder by Decree is an unusual take on both a Sherlock Holmes movie and the Jack the Ripper murders. Unfortunately, unusual is not always good. What's strangest about
Bob Clark's film is that it abandons everything viewers have come to expect from a portrayal of the world's most famous detective.
Christopher Plummer is a fine actor, but his Holmes is everything the iconic version of the character is not -- emotional when he should be detached, impetuous when he should be rational, morally indignant when he should follow the evidentiary path with neutral disinterest. Instead of cerebral, this Holmes is a man of action, getting into numerous dust-ups and even lunging to strangle a character he considers unjust. When
Murder by Decree is not taking itself too seriously, it's taking itself too lightly, framing the relationship between Holmes and Dr. Watson (a passive and ineffectual
James Mason) as whimsical fodder for a weekly buddy television series, something like
"Magnum P.I." The film's small scale also mimics that of TV --
Clark's team floods his locations with fog, ostensibly creating an air of mystery, but actually trying to cloak the fact that his London is just three streets on a small set, shot from different angles. Excepting a few sudden action scenes, the film is basically two hours of turgidly paced talking-head sequences, capped by Holmes prancing around a courtroom, dramatically pointing the finger of blame at every British official short of the Queen of England. Since
John Hopkins' script does a poor job generating sympathy for the victims or establishing any sense of London torn asunder, it's hard to understand why Holmes is so agitated. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi
- Christopher Plummer : Best Actor - Genie Awards, 1980
- Reginald Morris : Best Cinematography - Genie Awards, 1980
- Bob Clark : Best Director - Genie Awards, 1980
- Stan Cole : Best Editing - Genie Awards, 1980
- Paul Zaza : Best Score - Genie Awards, 1980
- Carl Zittrer : Best Score - Genie Awards, 1980
- Joe Grimaldi : Best Sound - Genie Awards, 1980
- Dave Appleby : Best Sound - Genie Awards, 1980
- Ken Heeley-Ray : Best Sound Editing - Genie Awards, 1980
- Geneviève Bujold : Best Supporting Actress - Genie Awards, 1980
