Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Non-musical Version)
by George King
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Bruce Seton, Eve Lister, John Singer, Stella Rho, Tod SlaughterDirector: George King
Brand: Alpha Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 68 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-10-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Alpha Video
Movie Reviews of Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Non-musical Version)
Movie Review: A "Quota Quickie" Of More Historic Interest Than Actual Entertainment Value
Summary: 2 Stars
Although some have tried to argue that he was an actual person, it seems likely that the story of a throat-cutting barber Sweeney Todd arose first as a bit of urban myth that was developed into an 1846 story titled THE STRING OF PEARLS by writer Thomas Prest. A year later the story was adapted to the stage as SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. The story has remained popular into the 21st Century and is today best known as a musical by Stephen Sondheim.
The 1936 English film came about due to English laws which required film studios to produce a certain number of films for every film imported. George King was among the producer-directors who specialized in "quota quickies" and Tod Slaughter was his "star." Born in 1885, Slaughter was never among the great actors of his day--but he was a stage favorite with provicial audiences, most especially when he played villians, and most especially when he played Sweeney Todd.
This particular version of the story differs a great deal from later versions, but the basic story remains the same. Todd is a London barber who occasionally cuts a throat; Mrs. Lovatt (Stella Rho) is his partner in crime, who bakes the victims up into pies. Now, make no mistake about it: this version of SWEENEY TODD is essentially one made by a pack of hacks, so you'll find no art here. It really is a "quota quickie," badly written, badly filmed, with a cast that goes from adequate to inept. Even so, Slaughter and Rho are quite entertaining, playing so broadly and with melodramatic glee that offers a window onto the playing styles of a by-gone era. The whole thing is so over-the-top, ultra-Victorian, English-gothic that it really can be quite a bit of fun if approached in the right spirit.
It would, however, be quite a bit more fun if the DVD prints available today were good quality. They are not. Indeed they are so poor that the film is barely watchable, and it goes without saying that there are no bonuses of any kind. Recommended, but really only for those who are interested in tracing the history of Sweeney Tod in his various incarnations.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
Summary of Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Non-musical Version)
''Unsuspecting wealthy customers have their pockets picked and their throats slit in Sweeney Todd's barber chair. His accomplice, Mrs. Lovatt, grinds the victims into the meat pies she sells in her pastry shop. Meanwhile, the mad barber has a romantic eye on a beautiful daughter of a business partner whom he is threatening to ruin financially. She, however, is in love with a handsome seaman who has embarked on a trip to earn the money he will need to wed her. When he returns as a wealthy man to his bride-to-be, he first stops for a shave at Sweeney's chamber of horrors. The demented barber sharpens his razor to make the young man his next victim!Tod Slaughter's remarkable talent for playing over-the-top maniacs in macabre Victorian settings in films like Murder In The Red Barn reached a pinnacle with Sweeney Todd. His delightful grin and maniacal glee after "polishing off" his victims is a trademark of the actor, who never gained quite the fame of his counterparts of the era, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. Directed with a smart tongue-in-cheek flair by George King, who helmed the best of Slaughter's films, Sweeney Todd features sharp performances and witty dialogue that transcends the age of the film. The bizarre and gruesome subject matter gained renewed interest nearly four decades later when Stephen Sondheim adapted the story into an unlikely smash Broadway musical.
Starring: Tod Slaughter & Stella Rho
Directed by: George King
Screenplay by: Frederick Hayward & H.F. Maltby
DVD Details:
- Run Time: 68 minutes
- Number of Discs: 1
- Originally Released in 1936
- Black & White
- No region encoding; For global distribution.
Packaging: DVD STYLE BOX Operating System: DVD MOVIE Weight: .450000 PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS AND COMPATABILITY PRIOR TO PURCHASING THIS ITEM. THERE ARE NO RETURNS OR EXCHANGES UNLESS IT IS DEFECTIVE.''
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