Jack the Ripper: scene of the Hanbury Street murder, filmed in 1967

James Mason scares the wits out of an old lady by turning up at her door unannounced and asking 'can I come in?' Like you do...

Particularly frightening for the pensioner as she lives at 29 Hanbury Street - scene of one of Jack the Ripper's murders.

From 'The London Nobody Knows'. A fascinating quirky documentary that was made in 1967 and based on a guide book of the same name. Until recently this was another example of British film heritage that spent most of its time gathering dust in an archive somewhere. It was shown on Channel 4 twice in the 1980's.

However, it has now been released on DVD with a film called 'Le Bicyclettes de Belsize'.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• jack
• the
• ripper
• hanbury
• street
• murder
• spitalfields
• brick
• lane
• london
• james
• mason

[martynhanson]

The problem with most people who study the Ripper case is their mind is closed and they think it must be one murderer. If they look at the cases then at least some of them suggest the victim was not murdered there and dumped. But people have problems with this as it automatically rules out a plethora of red herrings

[doubledeckers]

@martynhanson - yes if you look at the murder at this particular location, the Ripper and victim would have had to pass through the house to get into the garden. There was no back lane apparently (you can kind of see that from this video). Criminals tend to plan out their escape route in advance. Who would choose to murder a woman in this spot? She might scream the place down and the only way out was back through the house. More likely the victim was murdered elsewhere and quietly dumped.

[uncled39]

We have so much history in this country that we tend to dismiss so many buildings as unimportant that other newer countries like America for instance would cherish. When we knock down these buildings it is too late and we can never get them back. Victorian buildings that have stood for over a century are destroyed and replaced with bland flimsy buildings without a soul that will more than likely be swept away in twenty years.

[doubledeckers]

@uncled39 - cinemas are particularly under threat at the moment. Almost none are listed. The Odeon in both Newcastle and Manchester have effectively been destroyed inside, although they are still standing.

[aeronuk1]

@estelle715 It would have been pre-arranged you know, he wouldnt have just turned up on her door step.

[wendytrendy1]

@uncled39 well said

[billymoon1965]

Mary Ann Nichols AKA Polly Nichols Mary Ann Kelly. AKA Catherine Eddows Mary Kelly AKA Mary jane Kelly Is this all just coincidence ? Annie chapman & Liz Stride both lived at 35 Dorset street , Mary Kelly was at 26 dorset st , Polly lived across the street at 18 thrawl st . Catherine Eddows was less than 100 yards away in flower & dean street . 80.000 prostitutes living in London . Still just coincidence ? Wake up people !

[chewbury]

@doubledeckers It's not a house - it's a passage - and the door was generally open at all times due to people living in the building leaving for work very early.

[gentle7ways7]

@doubledeckers accept the man next door heard her or the killer slump against the fence and her voice say "no" as this man took a leak in the yard as they did back then. this would dissmiss then she was dumped and killed elsewhere but curiously the killer must have walked through the house to reach the yard.she must have felt at ease with this man which discounts the maniac they were looking for,evidently he must have had self control.

[Tokyorosebiz]

Check out Hang Jack by TOKYO ROSE

[martynhanson]

why is it that people assume it was one murderer? The problem with witness statements - re Mary Kelly- a woman who knew her said she saw her on the street corner hours after she was supposed to be dead. Witnesses do contradict each other from time to time. On the subject of Mary Kelly it never ceases to amaze me how people just accept that 'Jack' went indoors and never see any significance to the breaking of a pattern - truly amazing!!

[Wideboy75]

@martynhanson

If you actually take the time to read the evidence you will see the statement s of two witnesses, elizabeth long saw a couple standing by the doorway, she later identified the deceased woman. The second witness walked into the back yard of number 27 , right next door to 29 at the time of the murder and heard a woman saying "No" then a fall against the fence. He didnt bother to look over the fence even though it was only 5ft tall. Read the evidence and stop making stuff up x

[TheFraggle78]

...and by video footage I mean from the time before the sites were demolished off course, and completely changed appearence - into what they look like today. The old London, especially Whitechapel perhaps, was indeed very poor and dirty, but what an experience it would have been to walk those narrow streets today if they looked exactly the same as in late 1800's. The old houses, aleways, gaslamps, darkness and fog...and off course ole Jack waiting for you behind the next corner ;)

[TheFraggle78]

Amazing video! I've been fascinated by the Ripper murders since I was 12-13 yrs old(33 today), and I wrote a project about it in school. I've also visited all the murder sites plus Ten Bells in London several times, but I've never ever seen any actual video footage from any of the sites, and in color! Only photographs taken in the late 1800's. Today most of the locations look completely different, and I thought the war destroyed them. This is fantastic! The houses should have been preserved!

[glynnybear]

she wasn't "just over there" she was actually lying parallel to the fence near the doorstep