Jack the Ripper : Michael Gothard

Michael Gothard

How come Michael Gothard wasnt credited on this film? He played a bigger role as Lusk than others who were named.

Tread carefully, because you tread on my dreams.

Re: Michael Gothard

Yes, I can't understand it either! (In my opinion this is Gothard's best performance on film - none of the phone-it-in of the Bond villain or the camp-it-up that came close to spoiling Ken Russell's "The Devils". Totally natural: the director in his DVD commentary even commented on the husky tone Gothard used, it was indeed the voice of someone who spent his life haranguing the crowds!)

I heard he committed suicide - if he had depression throughout his life he might been feeling bad at the end of filming and have asked for his name to be removed from the credits? A sort of statement of his lack of faith in himself? If so, how sad.

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Re: Michael Gothard

I watched this again last night and I'm pretty sure he was listed in the end credits. You're right though. His role was far larger than, say, Catherine Eddowes and his billing should have been more prominent. The same is also true of Lysette Anthony as Mary Jane Kelly.

The crediting of this film is quite bizarre. Gary Shail is listed as 'Pimp' yet he is referred to throughout the film as Billy so why he wasn't credited as such is a little strange.

"Damn you, vile woman, you've impeded my work since the day I escaped your wretched womb"

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Re: Michael Gothard

You are mistaken. His name is in the credits to the second episode. Maybe he is not listed on the first episode (I don't remember now)but he definitely is listed on the second, for sure. In the first episode, his part is very small, while in the second he has a lot more screen time.
A fine character actor, yes, and sadly much underrated. I liked him very much in "The Last Valley" alongside Michael Caine, and in Richard Lester's "The Four Musketeers" as the fanatic Puritan. He seemed to have been type-casted to play mainly villains and nasty characters because of his wild looks and particular voice that suited them nicely. It is sad that he ended up killing himself.

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