Murder by Decree poster

Murder by Decree

The Jack the Ripper Murders. Sherlock Holmes lifts the veil of secrecy, corruption and terror at the heart of the throne of England itself. Clue by clue... Murder by murder...

6.3(186)19792h 4m3

Sherlock Holmes is drawn into the case of Jack the Ripper, who is killing prostitutes in London's East End. Assisted by Dr. Watson, and using information provided by a renowned psychic, Robert Lees, Holmes finds that the murders may have their roots in a Royal indiscretion and that a cover-up is being managed by politicians at the highest level, all of whom happen to be Masons.

Share WhatsApp Telegram
Status
Released
Budget
—
Box office
—
Language
English
  • jack the ripper
  • sherlock holmes

Top billed cast

Behind the camera

Director

Bob Clark

Produced in

Canada, United Kingdom

Where to watch

All options

Availability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.

Gallery

Still from Murder by DecreeStill from Murder by DecreeStill from Murder by DecreeStill from Murder by DecreeStill from Murder by DecreeStill from Murder by DecreeStill from Murder by DecreeStill from Murder by DecreeStill from Murder by Decree

Videos

Release dates

  • United StatesUS

    • TheatricalPG9 Feb 1979
  • United KingdomGB

    • Theatrical20 Mar 1980
  • CanadaCA

    • Theatrical1 Feb 1979
  • DenmarkDK

    • Theatrical1519 Aug 1979
  • FranceFR

    • Theatrical13 Jun 1979
  • GermanyDE

    • Theatrical14 Sept 1979
  • RussiaRU

    • Physical16+DVD «Universal Pictures Rus»11 Aug 2009

Frequently asked questions

Murder by Decree was released on 1 February 1979.

Audience reviews

3
  • J

    John Chard

    5/8/2015

    9/10

    Elementary my dear Ripper! Murder by Decree is directed by Bob Clark and adapted to screenplay by John Hopkins from the novel The Ripper File written by Elwyn Jones and John Lloyd. It stars Christopher Plummer, James Mason, David Hemmings, Susan Clark, Frank Finlay, Anthony Quayle, Donald Sutherland, Geneviève Bujold & John Gielgud. Film pitches Sherlock Holmes (Plummer) and Dr. Watson (Mason) into the hunt for…

  • C

    CinemaSerf

    3/26/2023

    6/10

    Christopher Plummer dons the famous deerstalker in this well produced and stylish looking outing for "Sherlock Holmes". Here, together with stalwart colleague "Dr. Watson" (James Mason) they find themselves drawn into the mysterious investigation of a series of gruesome Whitechapel murders. What is being locally described as the "Jack the Ripper" crimes is baffling "Lestrade" (Frank Finlay) to the point that his job …

  • W

    Wuchak

    6/17/2026

    6/10

    **_What if Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson took on the 1888 Jack the Ripper case?_** This isn’t as colorful as “A Study in Terror” or the Hammer versions; nor is it as sordid & gory as Klaus Kinski’s 1976 rendition or Anthony Perkins’ future “Edge of Sanity,” nor as entertaining as the future “From Hell.” You could call it a respectable version of The Ripper case that’s dialogue-driven and eschews exploitation with t…

Member reviews

Sign in to rate and review. Browsing stays free and open.

Sign in

Member comments

0

Sign in to post a comment. Browsing stays free and open.

Sign in

More like this