"Jack the Ripper" inaccuracies.

[Mnemonic]

In the T.V adaptation of "Jack the Ripper" starring Michael Caine there are a number of factual errors in the production. Could you name me some?

[mightyWBA]

http://www.imbd.com/title/tt0095388/goofs

[ermintrude35]

Factual errors: George Lusk of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee was depicted as a violent, argumentative troublemaker when in fact he was not like that at all.


Factual errors: None of the uniformed policemen were shown as having been from Whitechapel's H-Division, for all of their badges were marked with a J. In actual fact, J-Division covers Bethnal Green, not Whitechapel.


Factual errors: The position of Mary Kelly's bed as viewed from the window into which Thomas Bowyer peered is wrong. It is shown with the foot of the bed closest to the window, when in fact from that angle the view should have been the same view of the bed as shown in the photograph of Mary Jane Kelly's remains (which was found by Donald Rumbelow).


Factual errors: Mary Jane Kelly is shown singing a song shortly before Jack the Ripper enters her room. The song she is singing is not the song she was reported as having sung on the night of her murder, "A Violet From Mother's Grave."


Factual errors: Sir William Gull did not examine the kidney which was sent to George Lusk along with the "From Hell" letter; it was examined by Doctor Thomas Openshaw.


Anachronisms: HRH Prince Albert Victor is referred to as the Duke of Clarence and Avondale, a title he did not receive until several years later.


Anachronisms: Just after Sir Charles Warren leaves the yard for the Lord Mayor's Parade, Superintendent Thomas Arnold remarks to Abberline, "He's offered to resign." In fact, Charles Warren resigned the day before the murder of Mary Kelly.


Factual errors: Catharine Eddowes and Mary Kelly are wearing glamorous clothing and look middle-class, when in fact they were down-at-heel unfortunates.


Factual errors: Sgt. Godly is shown wearing a fedora in 1888. The fedora style hat wasn't created until around 1910.

[Pippa68]

That hat was the one thing that really got on my nerves..it looked so ridiculous!

[Octavius]

Actually, the name Fedora comes from the title of an 1882 play, F�dora, the heroine of which, Princess Fedora Romazova, wore a similar style of hat.

So it is possible that a fedora type hat could have been worn by the gentry late in the 18thC, whether looking ridiclous or not.

[Reverandfunk]

No

[Pippa68]

The Sgt wouldn't have worn one, Oct...let's face it!

Wiki points out that the Fedora was worn 'as early as 1891'. Of course in this case the hat was worn in the UK (and was called a Trilby). I wonder if the fashion had come to the UK with such speed?

However I must admit that Wiki isn't the gospel.

[WoWo]

I agree I was really enjoying the film up to the point he wore the Fedora, I wish film producers did the decent thing and got their facts right.

It lost all credibility after that point.