Tod Slaughter struts his stuff in this follow-up to MURDER IN THE RED BARN, and I'm pleased to say it's far better than his first movie. In that one, Slaughter was pretending to be a good guy for much of the film, only to be revealed as a villain halfway through. Here, as the well known murderer Sweeney Todd, he's devious and utterly slimy from the very beginning. Slaughter's performance is way over the top and he appears to be having a ball playing the role, one that he really was born to play. Whether he's cackling in the cellar, making plenty of ominous references to "polishing off" his customers, or generally being unpleasant to his young apprentice boy, Slaughter makes the film his own and he lights up the screen every time he appears. Never have I seen an actor put his all into a role like this before and the end result is almost tiring.As for the rest of the film, it's pretty decent although Slaughter is the pivotal element and everything else seems secondary. The supporting cast are adequate rather than being memorable, and there's witty dialogue to enjoy throughout. Even better, the filmmakers include a comic prologue and epilogue and aren't afraid to highlight the inherent black comedy of the story. The story is fast paced and there's plenty of incident packed into the seventy minute running time. Sets are still cheap but there's an almost Dickensian feel to the London period. Even better, things go way off kilter with a ten-minute interlude in the African jungle, as English colonial types battle vicious jungle natives who are pretty handy with spears and arrows. Obviously included just to pad out the running time, this is one of the most dated – and entertaining – parts of the movie.Todd's killer chair is always a hoot to see and something I personally found to be absolutely hilarious; I'll never get tired of watching the unsuspecting customers get flipped into the cellar. Censorship of the period saw any reference to cannibalism being deleted but those who know the full story of Mrs. Lovett – that she turned the victims' bodies into her meat pies – will enjoy many sly references to the "penny pies" and watching some of the dumber characters munching on them with relish. Rounding off with a fiery crescendo in which Todd gets his just desserts – it really is a great end to the film – this movie is a resounding success and one to be really relished – just like a crunchy meat pie.

Slimy and deranged Fleet Street, London barber Sweeney Todd (a gloriously ripe and juicy serving of prime eye-rolling Victorian theatrical ham by Tod Slaughter) murders costumers for their money and valuables. His baker accomplice Mrs. Lovatt (a fine performance by Stella Rho) disposes of the bodies by turning them into meat pies. Complications ensue when Sweeney tries to get the lovely young Johanna Oakley (the fetching Eve Lister) to marry him, which doesn't meet with Mrs. Lovatt's approval. Director George King relates the engrossingly ghoulish story at a constant swift pace and does a nice job of evoking a flavorful 19th century period atmosphere. Moreover, the game cast sink their teeth into the macabre material with obvious relish: While Slaughter clearly dominates the show with his marvelously over-the-top portrayal of the demonic and depraved Sweeney, there are still bang-up supporting turns by John Singer as Sweeney's eager young apprentice Tobias Rag, Bruce Seton as likable working class sailor Mark Ingerstreet, D.J. Williams as Johanna's stern father Stephen Oakley, Davina Craig as cheery maid Nan, Jerry Verno as Mark's helpful friend Pearley, and Billy Holland as smarmy, blackmailing fence Mr. Parsons. Technically, this picture is a rinky-dink shambles, with rough cinematography, scratchy sound, primitive fade-outs, and a mushy string score, but Slaughter's delightfully devilish full-blooded histrionics and a most amusing sense of pitch-black gallows humor both ensure that this film is a great deal of wickedly enjoyable fun all the same.

If you are watching this old British movie and only comparing it to the more recent movie or the Stephen Sondheim play, then you will no doubt be very disappointed because the stories are so different. However, if compared to films of the day, then this low-budget film is a better than average time-passer.Unlike the play and movie based on the play, this version of Sweeney Todd is different in so many ways--especially regarding his motivation to kill. The 1936 Todd kills only for greed sake and he is not crazy in the conventional sense--just a sociopathic and selfish jerk. There is no revenge motive--it's just money. Also, there is no wife or daughter and the pie shop may or may not be how he disposes of the bodies--it is only implied that they are made into meat pies. And, not surprisingly for the 1930s, there is no blood, as the victims are dispatched in a really neat way--just without all the blood.What does this film have going for it? Well, it does have a sick sense of humor and should appeal to classic film buffs who like dark films. Also it is pretty original--after all, Sondheim based his play on this film and the old legend.The biggest negatives are the terrible overacting by Mr. Slaughter (great name, huh?) who plays Sweeney Todd and the general lack of incidental music. While there is some music here and there, the film is generally very quiet and stark--betraying the film's low-budget roots.Still, it's an interesting film--just don't spend too much time comparing it to the Tim Burton incarnation--they're like two entirely different films.

The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1936) ** 1/2 (out of 4)A man sits down in a chair for a clean shave and notices a painting hanging up. He asks who it is and the barber tells him the sadistic story of Sweeney Todd (Tod Slaughter). Todd became a legend as a barber who slit the throats of his clients, threw their bodies into a basement and used them for meat pies.The British were extremely strict on what could or couldn't be seen in horror films so one should keep that in mind as they watch THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. If you're expecting anything bad then you're going to be disappointed and this horror film is rather tame even when compared to what was going on in American horror films of the era.With that said, there's something strange about this film that makes it mildly entertaining. Slaughter has been called Britain's Bela Lugosi, which I've always found as an insult to Lugosi since Slaughter just wasn't in the same league. At the same time, his over-the-top and in-your-face style is something that you don't see too often so that strange performance helps draw you to the character. There's no question that Slaughter could bring a certain madness to the role and that was entertaining.The film is a bit too talky and I'd also argue that it's way too dull in spots. With that said, the scenes in the basement have a nice atmosphere to them and this is where the horror elements work the best. The majority of the running time is more melodrama than anything else but these scenes in the basement are effective for what they are.