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Greetings, and welcome to VIEWING THE CLASSICS. Here you'll find capsule reviews of vintage movies from the early days of cinema through the 1970s, with a special emphasis on sci-fi, horror, and mystery movies. Be sure to check out the Pages links, where you can find a Film Index of all my reviews, links to the reviews organized by cast members, directors, and other contributors, and links to my reviews of the films of talented young director Joshua Kennedy.

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Friday, November 22, 2013

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (1936)

Starring Tod Slaughter, Stella Rho, Johnny Singer, Eve Lister, Bruce Seton
Directed by George King
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A homicidal barber lures victims into his shop so he can steal their money and murder them, disposing of their bodies in his conspirator's meat pie shop.

Actor Tod Slaughter, who played a series of notorious killers in memorable British melodramas throughout the 1930s, has perhaps his best showcase in this adaptation of the well-known grisly stageplay.  Conveying the depraved character of Sweeney Todd through stares, mannerisms, and florid dialogue, it has to rank as my favorite among Slaughter's performances.  Although matter-of-factly filmed, Slaughter is supported by a good cast, and King's efficient direction.

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