SWEENEY
TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (1936)/CRIMES
AT THE DARK HOUSE (1940)Director: George King
Raunchy Tonk/Ryko
SWEENEY
TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (1936)/CRIMES
AT THE DARK HOUSE (1940)Initially a leading man, English born actor Tod Slaughter's stage career took a turn for the macabre when he abandoned such heroic roles for those more mischievous. His villainous theatrics would ultimately lead him to the silver screen, first in Milton Rosmer’s MARIA MARTEN, OR THE MURDER IN THE RED BARN, released by Johnny Legend in 2004 and 2007, before playing the role that would define his career, that of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. With a maniacal laugh as sharp as his blade, Slaughter chews his way through two twisted tales of Victorian melodrama, rife with murder, mayhem and meat pies.
In
one of its first motion picture interpretations, Tod Slaughter plays the titular
barber Sweeney Todd, a gluttonous man whose shop and skills provide a morbid
means in which to fleece his unsuspecting clientele of their worldly possessions.
Having been at sea for months at a time, Sweeney entices sailors and explorers
with the relaxing notion of a fresh cut and shave to revitalize their spirits
after a long journey. Once in his chair, the beguiling charm of Mr. Todd lulls
each customer into a false sense of confidence that permits them invitation
to relax and inevitably boast about their most recent acquisitions. Aided by
the young Tobias (Johnny Singer), Sweeney preps each patron with care and precision
before sending his orphaned apprentice next door to Mrs. Lovatt's (Stella Rho)
to purchase one of her fattest meat pies. Finally alone, without witness or
distraction, Sweeney “polishes off” some of the finest men to walk
Fleet Street by way of a trap door and a sharp blade. In the spirit of neighbors
helping neighbors, Mrs. Lovatt disposes of Mr. Todd’s victims by including
them as the main ingredient in her shop's meat pies. The relationship is a twisted
but beneficial one, as each convenes in the basement between their shops to
share in the spoils and prepare the filling for the next batch of pies. Jealousy
and greed however begin to taint their partnership, as Mrs. Lovatt suspects
Mr. Todd of taking his compensation early from each victim and is equally none
to pleased with his growing infatuation with Johanna Oakley (Eve Lister), the
daughter of a local shipping magnate.
The
docking of the Golden Hope, returning from a voyage from Trader Patterson's
(Aubrey Mallalieu), brings with it the potential to unravel Sweeney’s
plans to marry Mrs. Oakley and obtain her father's latest vessel in the form
of old beau Mark (Bruce Seton). Seizing the occasion, as he has so many times
before, Sweeney persuades Mark to visit his shop before rushing to Johanna’s
side, as such a fine woman deserves a clean and proper man. Well aware of his
intentions toward Johanna, Sweeney takes Mark on a ride in his chair but when
the fall proves nonfatal, it is Mrs. Lovatt whose seizes the opportunity, hiding
the unconscious fellow in order to trick Sweeney into thinking that his prey
has somehow escaped. Released back into the streets, Mark immediately runs to
Johanna’s side but a plan must quickly be put in place if anyone is stop
Sweeney from taking Mrs. Oakley’s hand and continuing to provide Mrs.
Lovatt with a steady supply of pie filling.
Unlike
Tim Burton's 2007 adaptation, which found Johnny Depp hell-bent on revenge,
the motivations of Slaughter’s Todd lie solely in the lining of his pockets.
His modus operandi is also dissimilar, in that Slaughter prefers to snap his
victim’s necks via an unsuspecting tumble down a trapdoor before slitting
their throats, provided the initial fall doesn’t kill them, thus staying
closer to the story's origins than that of the Tim Burton production. The film
is essentially a one man show, in that Tod wholly owns every scene he appears
in, providing an over the top performance that is notably effective given the
nature of the role. A few vaudevillian setups and one liners provide for a handful
of comedic moments that still induce a chuckle and the film's light tone on
cannibalism, which is merely insinuated, is surprisingly successful at being
both creepy and humorous.
Based
on Wilkie Collins' "The Woman in White", CRIMES AT THE DARK HOUSE
opens in the Australian outback circa 1850 with Tod murdering a sleeping prospector
by driving a stake through his ear. The scene is distinctly gruesome, as there
is no obvious motive for the killing, setting a ghastly tone that foreshadows
the numerous deaths to come. By chance, Tod discovers a letter on his victim
addressed to a Sir Percival Glyde, requesting his return home to recoup the
benefits of his inheritance. Donning the identity of Sir. Percival, Tod travels
to Blackwater Park, London in an attempt to step into the dead man’s shoes
and take any and all inheritance for himself, but instead finds nothing but
an amassing pile of debt. His arrival is greeted by family lawyer Mr. Merriman
(David Keir) who informs him of his family’s wish to marry Laura Fairlie
(Hilary Eaves), a marriage that was arranged when both were far too young to
remember. Such a union sounds like the answer to all woes, as Ms. Fairlie comes
with a dowry of one hundred thousand pounds, but matters are further complicated
for the fake Sir Percival by the unexpected visit of Dr. Fosco (Hay Petrie),
the proprietor of the local insane asylum. It appears that the real Percival
Glyde bore a child before traveling to Australia, one who is now a resident
of the good doctor's and could potentially unmask him as fraud. Dr. Fosco is
however willing to keep his secrets under tight lock and key for a price, however
the pot begins to boil over when the faux Percival discovers that not only has
the insane offspring escaped, but the manor is being haunted by a woman in white
and he may have knocked up one of the help.
Tod
is again in top form, strangling women and men and loving every attention grabbing
moment. The story unfolds in such a manner that you almost want to root for
the man with no name, just to see how far he can take the sinister charade.
Both films present on this release provide proper service to the talents of
Mr. Slaughter; CRIMES features a cast of well-rounded players, more suited to
the foils of Slaughter. Of particular note is Hay Petrie, who despite being
about three feet shorter than Tod, holds his own, providing every bit as slimy
and deceitful as his counterpart. While their running times are nearly identical
(both just under 69 minutes) CRIMES throws so much at the screen in terms of
melodrama that the pace feels brisk in comparison to TODD and while not for
all tastes, both features prove to be a ghastly look back and a fond remembrance
of “Europe’s Horror Man”.
If
anyone has a flair for (self) promotion and advertising it's Johnny Legend,
and while the cover for his Slaughtermania double bill makes several impressive
claims ("Beautifully Restored & Classically Reframed, First Time on
DVD!") they unfortunately don't live up to the hype. Alpha released both
SWEENEY TODD and CRIMES AT THE DARK HOUSE, in 2004, with CRIMES appearing again
years later in several collections including volume one of VCI’s British
Cinema, Classic "B" Film Collection and a Tales of Terror, 50 film
movie pack by Mill Creek Entertainment. Not to mention the DVD-R that Johnny
himself previously released, it's safe to say that both films have found their
way into DVD player before, although admittedly neither have ever seen a release
that could be deemed beautifully restored, including this one, but the picture
for both does appear to be properly framed as advertised. Both prints, presented
full frame, suffer from a constant barrage of scratches and debris from beginning
to end. There is a rather impressive amount of detail displayed, particularly
in CRIMES but for the most part the picture quality is simply serviceable. Audio
for TODD is dominated by a persistent hiss, almost as if someone was slowing
releasing the air out of balloon just behind your ear. After awhile it tends
to bleed out into a low crackle before a sudden pop revives it back to a healthy
hiss. CRIMES fairs far better but a hiss is still present.
Extras
include a 12-minute history lesson in which Johnny provides some back story
to the life of Tod Slaughter and relives his first introduction to the man and
the great appreciation he has grown to have for his films. The featurette, while
interesting and informative, is nearly impossible to watch as it appears to
have been shot on a home video camera hooked up to a television that was then
pointed at the screen while recording, resulting in a hypnotic, strobbing effect
that could potentially induce a migraine headache in matter of minutes. The
on-screen interview is concluded by trailers for Terence Fisher’s THE
HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, Alfred Vohrer’s DEAD EYES OF LONDON and a double
ad for THE FROZEN DEAD and IT!. “Vintage Slaughter Art”, a collection
of four Slaughter promos and “Tod Slaughter Live!” a 13-minute radio
interpretation of SWEENEY TODD, provide for a fitting, if not flawed tribute
to the devilish smile and talents of Tod Slaughter. (Jason
McElreath)