Runtime: 65 minutes
Directed by: George King
Starring: Tod Slaughter, Marjorie Taylor, John Warwick, Aubrey Mallalieu, Robert Adair
From: George King Productions
My first Tod Slaughter film; it is great that boutique labels like Indicator release sets focused around obscure actors. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known of this hammy British actor who spent a lot of time on stage but also made some cheap films—mainly in the 30’s. I did not purchase the set but rather viewed this movie on YouTube; it was found after a search which was sparked by seeing a mutual view another movie of his.
Slaughter was his real surname, so it was apt that a few of his films used horror or thriller elements, although this in particular was more a melodrama than anything else. The setting was 1880 Paris, a “Wolf Man” terrorizing the area & murdering half a dozen. Meanwhile, Tod plays a rich dude who helps a banker… & covets his daughter, but she already has a lover. There’s also a “mad professor” who has a theory about dead bodies & electricity which is hilariously goofy even by 1939 standards.
Most of the film is just OK. This includes the acting in general, the cliches, the obvious “based on a stage play” nature of the plot, the overly explanatory nature of the dialogue. That duly noted, the yarn was at least a bit different from the norm, featured a den of wretched scum & villainy known as The Blind Rat, and Slaughter hamming it up more than if his name was Porky Pig… he was truly the highlight with how he devoured the scenery whenever on screen, literally cackling at times. He played a significant role in my enjoyment of what was otherwise an average, stagy production.
In the next few days, don’t be surprised if my reviews consist of films that are in the horror genre period; I’m just in that kind of mood at the moment.
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