Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, directed by George King, USA, 1936. DVD Review by Julian, 1/3/08.
More than seven decades before Burton and Depp made slitting people’s throats and turning their less identifiable parts into meat pies all the rage, C-level producer/director George King took his own stab at this tale of a coiffeur-cum-serial killer. The story, supposedly based on a real figure who did his dirty work at the dawn of the 19th century, was first published in a British penny dreadful around 1846. Since then, the demon barber’s turned up in countless variations across virtually every medium.
In this, (at least) the third cinematic production of the tale, Todd lacks the depth of motivation granted him by Burton’s adaptation. No, the Sweeney Todd on display here is pure psycho, a cackling weirdo with a penchant for smacking the help, leering at young women, and activating trap doors with a sheer glee that you have to see to appreciate. The film is carried on the hunched back of the appropriately named Tod Slaughter, a Victorian actor turned chicken farmer turned Victorian actor who, as Todd, never passes up an opportunity to bring the ham. There’s never any danger of Slaughter’s performance inspiring fear, but he sure makes you laugh enough to forget about the general shoddiness of everything going on around him. (Tod Slaughter trivia that no one but Tom Waits fans like Sean will care about: Slaughter’s film debut was in another Victorian gothic called Murder in the Red Barn. Cool, huh?)
Fans of the Burton production or curious film buffs may want to watch this story unfold just to appreciate the evolution of the narrative. There’s no evil judge, Beadle is an honest plodder, and the young hero (Anthony in the 2007 production, Tobias here) takes an inexplicable yet racist detour into the wildlands of Africa to fight off some savages. I did not make that up.
To the great disappointment of those looking for this one to bust out the gore, one thing you will not see here is any blood. In fact, there’s almost no on-screen violence at all. While many films of this era utilized ominous lighting, stylized editing, or close camera work to create an impression of violent action, director King lacks the budget or talent to compensate for his adherence to the overbearing Production Code.
There are certainly better horror movies from the era (start with Bride of Frankenstein, released a year before). Heck, there are even better adaptations of the same story. But while you may not regret missing this version of Todd, it just might be your best chance to get a heaping dose of Slaughter.
Rating: 2 screens (out of 5)
