Black the Ripper (lost blaxploitation horror film; existence unconfirmed; 1974-1976): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 22:13, 29 April 2024

The production note from the 1974 issue of Variety.

Status: Lost

Black the Ripper is an alleged blaxploitation horror film that may have been released around 1974 through 1976.^[1] The movie was a genre take on the Jack the Ripper story.

It is thought that Frank Saletri (the writer of the earlier genre horror movie Blackenstein) may have been the director, but Black the Ripper is otherwise shrouded in mystery. Due to the extremely obscure nature of the film, it cannot be confirmed if it finished production or ever saw a theatrical release.

Background

From the early to mid-1970s, a number of movies made by and starring black actors were released in order to appeal to African-American urban audiences. The genre was nicknamed "blaxploitation" and the resulting films are celebrated today for their freedom to show off a uniquely Black point of view, including several new takes on classic horror and other established genre properties. Besides this niche focus, many blaxploitation films were independently produced on small budgets; the results generally lacked mainstream marketability, playing mainly in smaller theatres in larger urban centres.^[2]

Production Details

Black the Ripper was first mentioned in a brief note in the May 8th, 1974 issue of Variety magazine that named Saletri and a cast of unknown actors, and indicated the film was two months into production. Later that year, on December, an advertisement promoting its future release was included in an issue of Monsters of the Movies magazine.^[3]Months later, the February 25th, 1976 issue of Variety claimed that the film was planned as a Memorial Day release.

This release didn't happen. Indeed, the movie would be forgotten entirely until 2013, when a user of a website for obscure films claimed to have seen it once while browsing torrent files. Another user of the same website released what are supposedly the only known screenshots.

Those who claim to have seen it say that the film seems hastily put together and incomplete, with several seemingly missing scenes. There is an opening credit sequence over a song credited to Mara Farmer, but no ending credits. In the opening credits, alongside Saletri as director, Michael Finn is listed as writer. While not confirmed, it is possible that this is the same Michael Finn who directed the 1974 genre film The Black Connection - especially given that movie was filmed in Las Vegas, where Saletri was known to have lived.

Plot

The film is claimed to open in a karate studio, where a character named Mike is training students. The training is interrupted by a phone call from a student who informs Mike that he will not be in due to his sister being murdered. The student further discloses that he had told his sister not to go to an ex-pimp named Sideback. Mike begins to take the investigation into his own hands after the police are of no help. As he is asking a prostitute questions about the murder, a voice is heard calling him off-screen and Sideback appears in the flesh.

A fight between Sideback and Mike breaks out. Both are arrested and jailed but later cleared when another murder occurs. After this, the film is said to abruptly shift focus to a mild-mannered Caucasian accountant named Todd, whom we first see interacting awkwardly with his attractive black secretary Carla. Todd asks Carla out on a date, and when she politely declines mutters "You deserve everything you’re going to get, strumpet" to himself as he walks away. The film then cuts to Todd sleeping where he dreams of picking up a black prostitute in Victorian-era London.

The film cuts back to Mike who is somehow now in charge of the police investigation, and also in a relationship with Carla (any scenes establishing either of these things are presumed to be among the lost). He receives an anxious call from her, as she has noticed the case in the paper and had overheard Todd mumbling to himself. The cops agree to keep an eye on Todd. Later in the evening, Mike is at Carla's house but has gone for food when Todd strikes, killing Carla's roommate. Mike returns just as Todd is trying to kill Carla. This leads to the final fight and results in Todd being thrown out of a third-story window.

Cast and crew

Directed by Frank R. Saletri
Written by Michael Finn
Hugh/Hugo Van Putten/Patten (possibly playing Mike)
Bole Nikoli
Renata Harmon
Marva Farmer
Dale Bech
Tiger Joe Marsh (only mentioned in the Monsters of the Movies ad)
Liz Renay (only mentioned in the Monsters of the Movies ad)

It is also possible though not confirmed that Antonio Fargas (previously best known as informant Huggy Bear on Starsky & Hutch) played the character Sideback.

Availability

The existence of Black the Ripper has yet to be confirmed. While a few people have claimed to have seen it and the website DailyGrindhouse.com has an article that goes into great detail about the film, it is not available in any official form, and no one named as connected with the production has come forward to describe their involvement. It is also worth noting that the aforementioned DG article was published on April Fools Day.

Several of the screenshots attached to this article have since been identified as having been lifted from other productions, although the few remaining unidentified ones (shown below) are consistent both with each other and the film's likely production values.

At best, Black the Ripper seems to have been hastily produced -- or perhaps salvaged after being initially scrapped, which would help explain the disjointed nature of the finished film -- for a possible minor local release, similar to many blaxploitation films of the time, and simply was not thought worthy of preservation.

Gallery

Advertisement from Monsters of the Movies.
Supposed still frame from Black the Ripper. This apparently was from a scene where a group of characters are hanging out.
Supposed still frame from Black the Ripper. This apparently shows Mike (black jacket) interrogating a former pimp known as Sideback (orange outfit).
Another supposed still frame from Black the Ripper.

References

↑ Daily Grindhouse article on Black the Ripper. Retrieved 15 Jul '20
↑ Encyclopedia Britannica article on blaxploitation films. Retrieved 15 Jul '20
↑ https://archive.org/details/Monsters_of_the_Movies_004_Curtis_Gambit-Woodman-Mal32/page/n43/mode/2up?q=Black+ripper+saletri

[1] Daily Grindhouse article on Black the Ripper. Retrieved 15 Jul '20

[2] Encyclopedia Britannica article on blaxploitation films. Retrieved 15 Jul '20

[3] ttps://archive.org/details/Monsters_of_the_Movies_004_Curtis_Gambit-Woodman-Mal32/page/n43/mode/2up?q=Black+ripper+saletri

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 |title=<center>Black the Ripper</center>
 |image=Black-ad.jpg
-|imagecaption=The production note from the 1974 issue of Variety
+|imagecaption=The production note from the 1974 issue of Variety.
-|status=<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence unconfirmed'''</span>
+|status=<span style="color:Red;">'''Lost'''</span>
 }}
-'''''Black the Ripper''''' is an alleged blaxploitation horror film that may have been released around years 1974 through 1976. The movie was a blaxploitation take on the Jack the Ripper story. It is thought that Frank Saletri, the director of the blaxploitation movie ''Blackenstein'' was the director of ''Black the Ripper''. ''Black the Ripper'' is shrouded in mystery as a production note of it was first mentioned in the May 8, 1974 issue of Variety magazine where it was said to be two months into production.  ''Black the Ripper'' was mentioned again in the February 25, 1976 issue of Variety where it had a planned release of Memorial Day. The movie would not surface again until 2013 when a user of a website for obscure films claimed to have seen it once while browsing torrent files. Another user of the same website released the only known screenshots of the film. Due to the relatively obscure nature of the film, it cannot be confirmed if the film finished production or even saw a theatrical release. As of the writing of this article, the film has yet to surface.
+'''''Black the Ripper''''' is an alleged blaxploitation horror film that may have been released around 1974 through 1976.<ref> [http://dailygrindhouse.com/thewire/black-the-ripper-1975/ Daily Grindhouse article on ''Black the Ripper''.] Retrieved 15 Jul '20</ref> The movie was a genre take on the Jack the Ripper story.
+It is thought that Frank Saletri (the writer of the earlier genre horror movie ''Blackenstein'') may have been the director, but ''Black the Ripper'' is otherwise shrouded in mystery. Due to the extremely obscure nature of the film, '''it cannot be confirmed if it finished production or ever saw a theatrical release.'''
 ==Background==
-From the early to mid-1970s, a myriad of movies starring black actors was released in order to appeal to the African-American urban audiences. These films would be nicknamed "blaxploitation" as they would often show the lead character molding their own destiny and not following stereotypes as commonly portrayed in Hollywood movies. Many blaxploitation films were often independently produced and as a result, many lacked in quality and did not have the marketability that other films of the era had.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/art/blaxploitation-movie Encyclopedia Britannica article on blaxploitation films] Retrieved 15 Jul '20</ref>
+From the early to mid-1970s, a number of movies made by and starring black actors were released in order to appeal to African-American urban audiences. The genre was nicknamed "blaxploitation" and the resulting films are celebrated today for their freedom to show off a uniquely Black point of view, including several new takes on classic horror and other established genre properties. Besides this niche focus, many blaxploitation films were independently produced on small budgets; the results generally lacked mainstream marketability, playing mainly in smaller theatres in larger urban centres.<ref>[https://britannica.com/art/blaxploitation-movie Encyclopedia Britannica article on blaxploitation films.] Retrieved 15 Jul '20</ref>
+==Production Details==
+''Black the Ripper'' was first mentioned in a brief note in the May 8th, 1974 issue of ''Variety'' magazine that named Saletri and a cast of unknown actors, and indicated the film was two months into production. Later that year, on December, an advertisement promoting its future release was included in an issue of ''Monsters of the Movies'' magazine.<ref>https://archive.org/details/Monsters_of_the_Movies_004_Curtis_Gambit-Woodman-Mal32/page/n43/mode/2up?q=Black+ripper+saletri</ref>Months later, the February 25th, 1976 issue of ''Variety'' claimed that the film was planned as a Memorial Day release.
+This release didn't happen. Indeed, the movie would be forgotten entirely until 2013, when a user of a website for obscure films claimed to have seen it once while browsing torrent files. Another user of the same website released what are supposedly the only known screenshots.
-==the movie==
+Those who claim to have seen it say that the film seems hastily put together and incomplete, with several seemingly missing scenes. There is an opening credit sequence over a song credited to Mara Farmer, but no ending credits. In the opening credits, alongside Saletri as director, Michael Finn is listed as writer. While not confirmed, it is possible that this is the same Michael Finn who directed the 1974 genre film ''The Black Connection'' - especially given that movie was filmed in Las Vegas, where Saletri was known to have lived.
-A lot is not known about ''Black the Ripper''. While the production note from the Variety magazine did list Frank Saletri as the director and a few unknown actors, not much else is known. Those who have seen the movie have gone on to note that scenes were often missing, the film was hastily put together and was overall incomplete. There is an opening credit with a song credited to Mara Farmer, but no ending credits. Users also mentioned how in the opening credits, alongside Frank Saletri as director, Michael Flinn is listed as having written the script. While not confirmed, it is possible that the same Michael Flinn who directed the 1974 film ''The Black Connection''. This theory is made all the more possible as ''The Black Connection'' was filmed in Las Vegas where Frank Saletri was known to have lived.
 ==Plot==
-Those who have seen the film have written this much as to how the movie plays out. The film opens in a karate studio where a character named Mike is training students. The training is interrupted by a phone call from a student who calls Mike to inform him that he will not be in due to his sister being murdered. The student mentions how he told his sister not to go to a character named Sideback. Mike begins to take the investigation into his own hands after the police are of no help and begins to track down Sideback. As Mike is asking a prostitute questions about the murder, a voice (who many claim sounds familiar to Antonio Fargas) comes from the distance and the character Sideback appears.
+The film is claimed to open in a karate studio, where a character named Mike is training students. The training is interrupted by a phone call from a student who informs Mike that he will not be in due to his sister being murdered. The student further discloses that he had told his sister not to go to an ex-pimp named Sideback. Mike begins to take the investigation into his own hands after the police are of no help. As he is asking a prostitute questions about the murder, a voice is heard calling him off-screen and Sideback appears in the flesh.
-A fight between Sideback and Mike breaks out, both are then arrested and taken to jail when another murder occurs. This clears Sideback as a suspect. After this, the film is said to take a strange turn. The film then turns to a mild-mannered Caucasian accountant named Todd, whom we first see interacting awkwardly with his attractive black secretary Carla. Todd asks Carla out on a date where she politely declines. Todd then utters “You deserve everything you’re going to get, strumpet” to himself as he walks away. The film then cuts to Todd sleeping where he dreams of picking up a black prostitute in Victorian-era London. The film cuts back to Mike who is somehow now in charge of the police. Mike receives a call from Carla as she noticed the case in the paper and had overheard Todd mumbling to himself. The cops agree to keep on eye on Todd.
+A fight between Sideback and Mike breaks out. Both are arrested and jailed but later cleared when another murder occurs. After this, the film is said to abruptly shift focus to a mild-mannered Caucasian accountant named Todd, whom we first see interacting awkwardly with his attractive black secretary Carla. Todd asks Carla out on a date, and when she politely declines mutters "You deserve everything you’re going to get, strumpet" to himself as he walks away. The film then cuts to Todd sleeping where he dreams of picking up a black prostitute in Victorian-era London.
-It is also at this point in the film that Carla and Mike are in a relationship, though this could have been established earlier in the film though footage establishing it could be missing. Later in the evening, Mike is at Carla's house when Todd strikes. Mike leaves for some food when Todd kills Carla's roommate. Mike then returns and sees Todd trying to kill Carla. This leads to the final fight and results in Todd being thrown out of a third-story window.
+The film cuts back to Mike who is somehow now in charge of the police investigation, and also in a relationship with Carla (any scenes establishing either of these things are presumed to be among the lost). He receives an anxious call from her, as she has noticed the case in the paper and had overheard Todd mumbling to himself. The cops agree to keep an eye on Todd. Later in the evening, Mike is at Carla's house but has gone for food when Todd strikes, killing Carla's roommate. Mike returns just as Todd is trying to kill Carla. This leads to the final fight and results in Todd being thrown out of a third-story window.
 ==Cast and crew==
-*Frank Salteri as director
+*Directed by Frank R. Saletri
-*Michael Flinn as play writer
+*Written by Michael Finn
-*Hugh Van Putten possibly Mike
+*Hugh/Hugo Van Putten/Patten (possibly playing Mike)
 *Bole Nikoli
 *Renata Harmon
 *Marva Farmer
 *Dale Bech
-It is also possible though not confirmed that Antonio Fargas could have been the character Sideback
+*Tiger Joe Marsh (only mentioned in the ''Monsters of the Movies'' ad)
+*Liz Renay (only mentioned in the ''Monsters of the Movies'' ad)
-==Avalibility==
+It is also possible though not confirmed that Antonio Fargas (previously best known as informant Huggy Bear on ''Starsky & Hutch'') played the character Sideback.
-''Black the Ripper'' has yet to be confirmed as existing. While a few people have claimed to have seen it on torrent and the website Dailygrindhouse.com has an article that goes into great detail about the film, the entire film has yet to be confirmed. Those who have seen ''Black the Ripper'' note that scenes are known to be missing from the film. None of the actors and actresses who starred in the film have come forward to identify the existence of the film. As of the writing of this article, there has been no confirmation of the film aside from a few alleged screenshots and a production note from Variety.
-==External link==
+==Availability==
-*[http://dailygrindhouse.com/thewire/black-the-ripper-1975/ Daily grind house article on ''Black the Ripper'']
+The existence of ''Black the Ripper'' has yet to be confirmed. While a few people have claimed to have seen it and the website DailyGrindhouse.com has an article that goes into great detail about the film, it is not available in any official form, and no one named as connected with the production has come forward to describe their involvement. It is also worth noting that the aforementioned DG article was published on April Fools Day.
-==Reference==
+Several of the screenshots attached to this article have since been identified as having been lifted from other productions, although the few remaining unidentified ones (shown below) are consistent both with each other and the film's likely production values.
+At best, ''Black the Ripper'' seems to have been hastily produced -- or perhaps salvaged after being initially scrapped, which would help explain the disjointed nature of the finished film -- for a possible minor local release, similar to many blaxploitation films of the time, and simply was not thought worthy of preservation.
+==Gallery==
+<gallery mode=packed heights=175px>
+File:black_the_ripper_ad_monstermagazine.jpg|Advertisement from Monsters of the Movies.
+File:Possible_Black_the_Ripper_Still_2.png|Supposed still frame from Black the Ripper. This apparently was from a scene where a group of characters are hanging out.
+File:Possible_Black_the_Ripper_Still_3.png|Supposed still frame from Black the Ripper. This apparently shows Mike (black jacket) interrogating a former pimp known as Sideback (orange outfit).
+File:Possible_Black_the_Ripper_Still_4.png|Another supposed still frame from Black the Ripper.
+</gallery>
+==References==
 {{reflist}}
 [[Category:Lost films]]
 [[Category:Existence unconfirmed]]