4/5 Tod slaughters 'em!
  by Annie Van Auken (Planet Earth)
Known as the last of the Beitish barnstormers, Tod Slaughter (1885-1966) specialized in playing over-the-top maniacs. After a 30 year stage career he made his first film appearance relatively late in life (age 49). Between 1935 and '56 (with time off during WWII) Slaughter acted in 18 movies and two TV shows.

SYNOPSES--

CRIMES AT THE DARK HOUSE-- Slaughter portrays a murderer who assumes the identity of his wealthy Australian victim and then travels to England to claim the man's inheritance. His last role before a 5 year WWII hiatus.

MARIA MARTEN-- His movie debut. On stage, the young Tod was the village idiot, but here he has the lead (as Squire Corder), in a story based on an incident that occurred in Suffolk, England in 1827. The squire seduces, then kills a naive country girl, burying her remains under a barn floor.

SWEENEY TODD-- In one of his most renowned roles, Tod plays Todd! Tonsorial artist Sweeney T. supplies Mrs. Lovett with fillings for her meat pies: unwary customers who are dumped from his barber chair into a basement, where their throats are cut with a straight razor.


CLASSIC BRITISH THRILLERS features two 1930s movies, plus one film noir from the '40s that stars James and Pamela Mason.


Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.

(7.0) Crimes At The Dark House (UK-1940) - Tod Slaughter/Sylvia Marriott/Hilary Eaves/Geoffrey Wardwell/Hay Petrie/Margaret Yarde/Rita Grant/David Horne

(6.0) Maria Marten, Or The Murder In The Red Barn (UK-1935) - Tod Slaughter/Sophie Stewart/D.J. Williams/Eric Portman/Clare Grant/Gerard Tyrell/Ann Trevor

(6.4) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (UK-1936) - Tod Slaughter/Stella Rho/John Singer/Eve Lister/Bruce Seton/D.J. Williams/Davina Craig