This is a not that bad Hammer horror idea dragged down by the dull dialog and deathly slow pacing. The idea itself is a pretty good one, have Jack the Ripper beget another little ripperette, who proves lethal to those unfortunate enough to kiss her. Several bloody killings, prostitutes, and a whispering gallery all contribute to this 4 Star production, making it somewhat less of a snooze-fest than it otherwise would be.

The infant daughter of Jack the Ripper is witness to the brutal murder of her mother by her father. Fifteen years later she is a troubled young woman (Angharad Rees) who is seemingly possessed by the spirit of her father.I just finished watching Hammer's "Demons of the Mind" and was rather disappointed, so I decided to watch another Hammer of the same era to wash my palette clean. This was Peter Sasdy's third film for Hammer, following "Taste the Blood of Dracula" (1970) and "Countess Dracula" (1971).The use of Freudian psychoanalysis (and the illness of "hysteria") is an interesting touch, particularly considering the age Jack the Ripper's daughter would have been. I also particularly like the men's pointy mustaches.Why do films about killers systematically hunting prostitutes never get old?

As a small child, Anna (Angharad Rees) witnesses the murder of her mother at the hands of Jack the Ripper - her own father! She is taken in by a phony spiritualist, who also pimps her out.Anna takes over where her father left of, ostensibly the result of her trauma. Dr. Pritchard (Eric Porter), a Freudian psychoanalyst then takes her in to "cure" her.The good doctor doesn't have a clue as to what he is in for. He does manage to put forth a convincing performance, but he is not going to be successful in curing Anna. If he did, we would not have a movie to watch.Hammer shows it's continued ability to put out great films.

Anna sees her father (Jack the Ripper) stab her mother to death when she's a little girl. Twenty years later she's been adopted and knows nothing about her past--but she kills people when she flashes back to seeing her mother killed. Dr. John Pritchard (Eric Porter) knows she does this but wants to try to find out why and cure her while the bodies pile up.Interesting Hammer horror that mixes psychology with extreme violence. I originally caught this on network TV ages ago where all the violence was cut out. There's not a lot of it but what there is is VERY strong and incredibly gruesome. Even the R rated version released here in the US is edited! I finally saw it uncut on a Portuguese DVD. The color is a little faded and the end credits stop abruptly but it's letter-boxed and complete. The story is a little slowly paced but I was never bored and the violence shocked me--and I'm a hardened horror movie fan! The acting was excellent by Porter and Angharad Rees (playing the unfortunate Anna). The psychology is a little bit silly but the movie is strong and well-done. If you can see this uncut I recommend it.