The Ripper

Air Date: 9/13/74
Writer: Rudolph Borchert
Director: Allen Baron
Actors: 
Mickey Gilbert as The Ripper / Beatrice Colen as Jane Plumm / Ken Lynch as Captain R.M. Warren / Ruth McDevitt as Miss Engeweiler, the peeping tom / Roberta Collins as Police Detective Susan Catazzo / Denise Dillaway as Debbie Fielder / Robert Bryan Berger as Mail Boy / Donald Mantooth as Second Policeman / Cathey Paine as Ellen / Mews Small as Masseuse / Clint Young as Driver / Dulcie Jordan as Driver's Wife / Paul Baxley as Cop in alley / Uncredited actors as Michelle Shiftler, Laura Moresco, Lt. Phil

Memorable Line:
Kolchak (to Capt. Warren): "For once try being a cop instead of an ostrich!"

Story:
Is a Chicago serial killer the actual and original Jack the Ripper?

Review:
When I first saw this I thought to myself, "Great, another age-old evil, preying on women over the course of several centuries. Been there, done that".

Aside from mirroring the first two movies, another problem I had was that this villain didn't resemble Jack the Ripper in the least. Jack didn't write rhymes, and one doesn't make surgical-type incisions with a big assed sword. Also, how did he get so super strong? Why is electricity the only thing that can kill him? More importantly - where does someone find shoes that last for 70 years! Still, with Kolchak, a person really has to sit back and enjoy the ride. Get too tangled up with logic and you spoil the brew.

Overall the episode works, it's well-paced, well scripted and the acting is solid. Ken Lynch as Captain Warren (Warren, ironically, was also the name of one of the investigators in the original Ripper case) is commanding but clearly outclassed and outsmarted by the reporter. Their argument about the killer is notable for the sharp dialogue.

Kolchak working with Jane Plumm added depth; as his sincere concern over her safety fleshes him out as a caring, humane character. Other acting highlights: A squeamish Updyke trying to do Carl's job is priceless (Jack Grinnage is excellent overall). Also, Ruth McDevitt is seen - not as Miss Emily but as a Miss Emily reader. And Paul Baxley, who was William Shatner's stand-in on Star Trek, makes the first of many uncredited appearances.

So, despite the lapses, The Ripper shapes up to be an excellent episode. It had action, character development, the ending was tense and most appropriately, it made its debut on Friday the 13th.

Grade: A-