Murder by Decree

Murder by Decree
Original film poster
Directed by	Bob Clark
Produced by	Bob Clark René Dupont
Written by	John Hopkins
Based on	The Ripper File John Lloyd Elwyn Jones Sherlock Holmes characters by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Starring	Christopher Plummer James Mason David Hemmings Susan Clark
Music by	Paul Zaza Carl Zittrer
Cinematography	Reginald H. Morris
Distributed by	AVCO Embassy Pictures
Release date	1 February 1979 (Canada) 1979 (UK)
Running time	124 minutes
Country	United Kingdom Canada
Language	English (romagnolo)

Murder by Decree is a 1979 British-Canadian mystery thriller film directed by Bob Clark. It features the Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who are embroiled in the investigation surrounding the real-life 1888 Whitechapel murders committed by "Jack the Ripper". Christopher Plummer plays Holmes and James Mason plays Watson. Though it features a similar premise, it is notably different in tone and result to A Study in Terror. It is loosely based on The Ripper File by Elwyn Jones and John Lloyd.

The film's premise of the plot behind the murders is influenced by the book, Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution, by Stephen Knight, who presumed that the killings were part of a Masonic plot. The original script contained the names of the historical suspects, Sir William Gull, 1st Baronet and John Netley. In the actual film, they are represented by fictional analogues; Thomas Spivy (Gull) and William Slade (Netley). This plot device was later used in other Jack The Ripper-themed fiction, including the graphic novel From Hell.

The film was directed by Bob Clark. It stars Christopher Plummer and James Mason as Holmes and Watson, respectively, and presents a largely different version of Holmes from the Rathbone days, with the aesthete still prevailing, yet tinged with a humanity and emotional empathy. James Mason's Dr. Watson is also a departure from previous incarnations. Although he may appear at first to resemble the bumbling Nigel Bruce version of the character, he soon shows his level head and scientific and medical training to be as valuable assets as they were in the original stories. The supporting cast includes Donald Sutherland, Susan Clark, John Gielgud, Anthony Quayle, David Hemmings and Geneviève Bujold. Frank Finlay plays Inspector Lestrade, a part he had previously portrayed in the similar 1965 film A Study in Terror in which Quayle likewise played a supporting role. Plummer had earlier portrayed Holmes in 1977's Silver Blaze.