George King (5) (1899–1966)

A slightly unorthodox rendition of the famous tale that sees Sweeney Todd (Tod Slaughter) luring the unexpecting into his barber shop, where they meet a murderous end before being disposed of Mrs Lovatt (Stella Rho) owner of the pie shop next door to Todd. His ill-gotten fortune gives Todd the means to manipulate ship owner Stephen Oakley (D. J. Williams) into forcing his daughter Johanna (Eve Lister) to marry him. The story is a touch pedestrian, with quota-quickie director George King even throwing in a pointless and distracting foreign sequence. The sets are nicely atmospheric, however, and the cast go about their business with a wildly expressive theatrical approach and look as if they're having a fine old time. At the centre of it all, and effortlessly stealing the show, is the great Tod Slaughter who gives a fabulously campy pantomime villain performance full of grinning, hand-wringing obsequiousness and an air of skulking menace. He makes the whole film worthwhile and is a joy to watch in his oily, deadly glory.… (mer)