So what makes the 1944 Lodger the “crown jewels” of Ripper cinema? If you ask my husband, the first thing he’ll say is “the atmosphere.” The movie has excellent production values and a wonderful Gothic feel, complete with foggy London streets, unusual camera angles, and creative use of light and shadow. The film stock here, with its lush but subtle gradations of gray, is a long way from the stark high-contrast stock of lower budget films from the era.
But beyond the film’s look and feel, The Lodger (1944) has a great script and an A-list cast. Laird Cregar and Merle Oberon were up-and-coming stars at Fox, while acting greats Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Sara Allgood (one of Hitchcock’s early favorites) filled out the parts of the landlord and landlady. Future Oscar winner George Sanders takes a delicious turn as the ever-so-sophisticated police detective. Even bit player Helena Pickard brings so much humanity to the poor has-been Annie Rowley that it's hard to maintain dry eyes so long as she is on the screen.
Even a drab script could turn to magic in the capable hands of a cast like this! But this is no drab script. For starters, it’s based on Marie Belloc-Lowndes’ novel — which means that its makers would have had to try really hard to screw it up all up! This film doesn’t come even close. It makes some changes, of course (they all do). But the essentials of the novel are there.
In the Belloc-Lowndes novel, the killer is self-titled “The Avenger,” and he preys explicitly on alcoholic women. (I suppose Belloc-Lowndes probably could not get “prostitutes” past the censors). In the 1944 Lodger, the killer is called Jack the Ripper - for the first time in English-language cinema - and he preys on actresses, or women who once appeared on the London stage. (In this case, the change was made explicitly to get the script past censors).
Article comments
1 - Ragozy
Interestingly enough, this is one of those jewels in the rough. For years my father talked about this film - which he had seen as a young man.
On a visit a few years before he passed away, TCM showed this film. We were all told that this was a no misser and we all sat down and watched. Was it a good film because it was something my father remembered; or perhaps because we were altogether with him? It doesn't matter. Good film!
2 - Cindy Collins Smith
Thanks, Ragozy. Not sure what you mean by "jewel in the rough" (I would tend to say that about a high-quality film done on a small budget - like Detour). But I enjoyed reading about your family watching The Lodger together with your father.
3 - Christine
Unfortunately this is not available in region 2 DVD format. Sniff! I am a film geek and fan of Ripper cinema and this film seems to be best Lodger adaptation. The 1940´s Hollywood version of Victorian London, B&W photography and all, with clean-mouthed literate language and only implied violence - yummy! Sounds a jewel crown instead of sinking in to the Whitechapel sewers...