Shadow of the Ripper by Sir Christopher Frayling

[Natalie Severn]

This groundbreaking documentary was commissioned by the BBC and had its first screening in 1988,as part of the Timewatch series and has since acquired cult ripper media status.
On Saturday 13th September it was given an airing at the Museum of Dockland"s series of "study days" -Jack the Ripper and Popular Culture ,as part of its Exhibition on Jack the Ripper and The East End .
In the film Frayling was the main narrator who took us "on location" to some of the Victorian locations and institutions connected with the story -such as William Stead"s "Liberal Club ",The Chamber of Horrors in Madame Tussauds and to London"s oldest and last surviving Music Hall, Wilton"s.He was accompanied in his quest by the expert Ripperologist, Martin Fido, who provided the narration to his ripper walks ,often with the background music of a Salvation Army band adding to the pathos while Fido extrapolated on Macnaghten"s theory of the five victims and how they met their fate.
Frayling"s intelligent and sensitive presentation of the events of the East End of the Autumn of 1888 was a moving portrait of the victims,showing their poverty and vulnerability,punctuated by the haunting notes of Faure"s Requiem, while still allowing a glimpse of East End resilience to thread its way through his narrative.It really was a refreshing change from the sensationalism and voyeurism that often finds its way into such films.
He dwelt at some length on various theories,the decadent aristocrat-trawling the East End for women victims ,the mad political agitator,.the crazed doctor while taking care not to suggest any of his own suspects.
Two places he mentioned particularly caught my attention,which I will return to in a few days.
One was the "People"s Palace",now replaced by Queen Mary"s College but on the same site,and opened in 1886 ostensibly to improve the education and cultural opportunities of the poor.
The other was Wilton"s Music Hall,which I have already mentioned,and which Frayling used as an example to discuss the ways in which raffish males of the affluent classes had used their wealth in the 1870"s and 1880"s to rent rooms above the Wiltons to use as brothels.He also emphasised how this practice at Wilton"s was very well known at the time and the gents concerned would be placed in the best plush seats at the front in order to get the best view of the particular chorus girl who they would later meet in one of the upstairs rooms.[We know Wilton"s ceased to function as a music hall in the mid 1880"s but this practice,he told us, was a well documented one and may have led to the plethora of "decadent toff" Ripper suspects].

[Howard Brown]

Thanks very much for the information,Nats. Just today,I made a post about Sir Frayling's documentary which Jon Menges had sent me months ago.

I understand that Wilton's ( I believe this music hall is also featured in the 1967 documentary " The London That Nobody Knows" ) had rooms for "toffs" from what you've kindly provided :

"The other was Wilton"s Music Hall,which I have already mentioned,and which Frayling used as an example to discuss the ways in which raffish males of the affluent classes had used their wealth in the 1870"s and 1880"s to rent rooms above the Wiltons to use as brothels"

Now...in light of what you've mentioned...I don't think there's an issue of whether men from the more affluent West End ( for an example) would visit such an establishment...and in fact,that sounds "just about right" considering what I know about my gender.

However, the issue which was brought up recently about "toffs' walking about in the East End is, I think you may agree, slightly different. Lets assume for the sake of argument that Wilton's was definitely used at times by philandering types for this sort of behavior, behavior I am sure Professor Frayling is correct about.

Its one thing to venture to a public music hall which has a reputation for tolerating this sort of "leisure class' "entertainment"....but to flaunt one's wealth,ostentatiously,on the streets of Spitalfields seems to me to be an entirely different issue.

For example, in some neighborhoods in Philadelphia, there are small motels which cater to and actually,encourage, prostitution, since it helps them pay their rent.

Yet, in the same neighborhoods, if some outsider ( since virtually no one would need to engage with a pross outdoors if they lived in the same neighborhood) would happen to walk around in a business suit or in apparel which indicated they were "stackin'" ( holding substantial dosh), their lives would be in absolute danger without a doubt at certain times of the night in their search for prostitutes....if ambulatory. In an auto,which is a 20th century accomodation, the risk would be lower,obviously.

What are your feelings on these ideas, Nats?

And, of course, anyone else.........................

[George Hutchinson]

Hi, How. It wasn't Wiltons in the Mason film. I'm not going to remember without checking the DVD but I think it might have been the Bedford, and I don't think it's there any more.

You will, however, see Wiltons in the brilliant 2002 film version of NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, as the scenes with the Crummels touring theatre company are shot there (a good five minutes).

PHILIP

[Jimmy]

Phil,

It was indeed the Bedford, which was in Camden.

JB

[Natalie Severn]

How,
Christopher Frayling made the reference to the Wilton"s Music Hall"s mid to late 80"s "side line" in "brothel sub lets ", while addressing the origin of the ideas that grew in Whitechapel ----and" The Press" about the Ripper coming from outside the East End---a raffish toff in the Wilton"s instance-but he also made sure he included the "mad doctor" theory of Macnaghten and Sims"s suspect,the kosher slaughterman,the Jewish agitator etc etc .

However Frayling was reminding people of the moralistic campaigning going on in Whitechapel at the time, by numbers of religious groups ,as well as the "scoops" and expose"s of WT Stead"s in the "Pall Mall Gazette" of 1888 and of the age old antagonisms between the East and the West and the fact that the idea of a toff or a group of toffs committing the murders has had support well into the 1970"s and 1980"s and,if the film " From Hell" is anything to go by ,made just a few years ago ,it seems to me they still do have support--myself I cant see why you all get so het up about such a notion?
Less than a year on ,in 1889, there was the infamous "Cleveland Street Scandal"---not only "hinting" at the involvement of The Duke of Clarence but "actually involving" a large number of aristocrats in a homosexual prostitution racket with "low class" "rent boys"---including the aristocratic managers of the male brothel in Cleveland Street,who Inspector Abberline allowed to "go abroad"instead of facing trial like poor old Oscar---[a bit like in the case of Tumblety and his bail jumping---the jangle of money in the pocket from certain people seems to have been a great "enabler" in such difficult circumstances!---well so long as you didnt have the Marquis of Queensbury to deal with I guess!].

Anyway the Cleveland Street Scandal was a definite.It may not have taken place in the East End----but you bet lots of the boys who were "rented" came from the same neck of the woods as Mary Kelly!

Best
Norma
ps I havent said a word myself about Wilton"s featuring in any film,Philip and Jimmy.......

[Howard Brown]

Dear Phil:

Ah,yes...thats right. It was the Bedford. Thanks Brick !:kiss:

Dear Nats:

"and the fact that the idea of a toff or a group of toffs committing the murders has had support well into the 1970"s and 1980"s and,if the film " From Hell" is anything to go by ,made just a few years ago ,it seems to me they still do have support--myself I cant see why you all get so het up about such a notion?--Nats

I guess we just see things slightly differently,which is fine:kiss:. From Hell is as factual as most Ripper films go: not very, but its okay if we feel differently. I wasn't getting heated up about it. I just didn't and don't feel toffs would go out at night ( at the times when the C5 were killed) in the East End for street prosses. At Wilton's ? YES.:kiss:

Thanks for the reply,I appreciate it.

[Natalie Severn]

Perhaps something thats worth getting hold of are the five volumes of the autobiography of Frank Harris.Born in the 1850"s and living on until 1931 he became editor of the Saturday Review ,Max Beerbolm called him "The Best Talker in London"-and he certainly moved in aristocratic and upper middle class circles,rather like George Sims,another writer and journalist of the time .
One friend of forty years who held Harris in high regard was George Bernard Shaw who said of him "I think I know pretty well all the grievances his detractors had against him;but if I had to write his epitaph it should run,
"Here lies a man of letters who hated cruelty and injustice and bad art,and neverspared them in his own interest R.I.P."

His most famous book is his five volume autobiography, entitled ,"My Life and Loves by Frank Harris"-------a quick scan through it reveals the range of his literary friendships----the great Victorian poets such as Robert Browning,Matthew Arnold ,Tennyson, and his great friend Oscar Wilde about whom he wrote a superb biography.He was also on close friendly terms with the artist Whistler and knew several others including Degas and Beardsley.
Although the subject matter of the book can at times stray into rather indelicate description ,-certainly for my taste ,he makes some remarkably perceptive,if personal, observations of public figures and public and literary events of that time.
Now as you may be aware,it is Frank Harris who provided the detailed information on his one time great friendship with Lord Randolph Churchill and the "illness" Lord Randolph believed he had contracted as a student .It was after a heavy drinking bout at the Bullingdon Club-the smartest club in Oxford where he had had rather more than a skinful of scotch and to his horror the next day found himself waking up in a filthy room in bed with an old,grey haired woman; horror struck, he threw all the money he had loose on the bed and fled.Despite immediately taking himself off to the doctors he developed the first stages of you know what etc etc etc.

The book is worth reading just for the light it throws on other political figures we hear of in the Ripper case, such as Parnell,Gladstone ,Lord Grimthorpe, Balfour [a close acquaintance] and Mrs Asquith the Prime Minister"s wife who claimed Balfour won an argument with Harris at a dinner she attended given specially FOR Frank Harris---this event is recorded in her 1925 autobiography,"Places and Persons" . Labouchere and his "exposes" in his TRUTH magazine, are also discussed. The Evening News was the paper Harris was most associated with in his later years.

Anyway just thought I would remind you about Frank Harris and his old pal the Toff of Toffs, Lord Randolph:)

[Jimmy]

ps I havent said a word myself about Wilton"s featuring in any film,Philip and Jimmy.......

Indeed. That was How who brought that up.

[Natalie Severn]

Indeed. That was How who brought that up.
I am hoping to get some solid info on Wilton"s "side-line" soon Jimmy!
Meanwhile this tale of Sir Randolph as a student,waking up in bed next to an old dear with only one tooth , sort of illustrates that the quest for adventures in the fog [of alcohol that is-not the weather]was very much alive
in one particular toff from a very early age----and guess what? He was ever so well known for sporting an 18 carat gold watch chain about town :playball ....WheeeeeeeeeeeeH!!!

[Natalie Severn]

Dear Nats:


I guess we just see things slightly differently,which is fine:kiss:. From Hell is as factual as most Ripper films go: not very, but its okay if we feel differently. I wasn't getting heated up about it. I just didn't and don't feel toffs would go out at night ( at the times when the C5 were killed) in the East End for street prosses. At Wilton's ? YES.:kiss:

Thanks for the reply,I appreciate it.[/QUOTE]




Dear How,
I appreciate your reply:)
I only thought it worth mentioning Frank Harris since he is never mentioned now with regards to the case,despite the fact that he is included in "The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Literature " as an author of "works of importance".However the works they give are ,"The Man Shakespeare"," The Women of Shakespeare" and "Oscar Wilde" and not the,"Life and Loves of" which I have referred to.
Still,I have to be honest here ,Harris,when writing about "his loves" is not only rather nauseating but appears to be dipping in and out of fantasy a lot of the time.However when he is discussing the many political figures ,actors and writers ,movers and shakers of the age that he met,knew or came across -especially those in the 1880"s, he appears to have had a keenly observant eye.But I know its a bit strong to use his work as a source with half of it apparently made up-such a pity when he gives a quote like the one on Lord Randolph!
I hadnt realised until today,that he was editor of VANITY FAIR as well as "The Fortnightly" and "Saturday Reviews"!
Cheers
Norma