5/5 A Beautiful New Version of Two Old Classics
  by Raymond Funamoto (Honolulu, HI, USA)
The Great Johnny Legend has presented two classic Tod Slaughter features, SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET and CRIMES AT THE DARK HOUSE. The first is a classic story that has its origin in a "penny dreadful"(or penny number, referring to 19th century British fiction publications, usually lurid serial stories appearing in parts over a number of weeks, each part costing a penny) entitled THE STRING OF PEARLS: A ROMANCE written by either James Malcom Rymer or Thomas Peckett Prest(the same two to whom was attributed VARNEY THE VAMPIRE; OR, THE FEAST OF BLOOD) and later dramatized into a play entitled THE STRING OF PEARLS by George Dibden Pitt. The second is based on the classic epistolary mystery novel by the famed author Wilkie Collins entitled THE WOMAN IN WHITE. SWEENEY TODD has been dramatized and filmed many times by such actors as G.A. Baughan(1926; lost film), Moore Marriott(1928; silent film), Tod Slaughter's version(1936), Mavor Moore(1947; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio play), John Miranda(1970; Andy Milligan's film BLOODTHIRSTY BUTCHERS), Freddie Jones(1970; part of the MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION ITV T.V. Series), Barry Morse(1973; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation T.V. Series THE PURPLE PLAYHOUSE), Len Cariou, later replaced by George Hearn(1979-82; Stephen Sondheim & Hugh Wheeler's Muscial Thriller), Ben Kingsley(1998; British Sky Broadcasting T.V. Movie), Ray Winstone(2006; BBC Television Drama), Johnny Depp(2007; Tim Burton's Musical Film). Tod Slaughter gives the BEST performance out of all of these other versions, and I may be prejudiced, but no one could "polish off"(a term used in SWEENEY TODD to refer to both clean-shaving a client or slitting their throat!) a potential victim as Tod could, with his unctuous, leering, crocodilian-smiling manner, rubbing his hands together and chuckling most macabrely as he winks to the audience to come and join him in his devilish fun! Likewise in CRIMES AT THE DARK HOUSE, Tod completely dominates the story, even "polishing off" his cohort Count Fosco(played by Hay Petrie) in a twist from the story which has Count Fosco as the prime mover. Whether driving a spike into a sleeping prospector in Australia's ear and assuming his identity as the false Sir Percival Glyde, throttling lovely damsels or old beldams with "So You Wanted To Be A Bride, My Dear, I'll Make You A Bride, The Bride of Death!!!! Hah hah hah hah hah!!!!!" Tod is colpletely in his element, slitting throats for "fun & profit" as the redoubtable Sweeney Todd, terrorizing his young barber's assistant Tobias and supplying his henchwoman Mr. Lovatt(Stella Rho) with the "material"(i.e., human flesh from the corpses of the victims) to make her "delicious" meat pies!!!!! Nobody could upstage Tod, he is an unsung hero in the annals of cult and horror cinema who has been sadly neglected by fans and DVD companies alike! All we have had access to until now have been scratchy, jumpy, poor quality ZIV T.V. prints on such labels like Alpha Video, the cheapie outfit. Now, finally, with the auspices and hard work of the Great Johnny Legend, we can enjoy Tod's capers as they were meant to be seen, in beuatiful pristine prints which Mr. Legend has worked long and hard to acquire and present as a labor of love to Tod's fans everywhere. Tod Slaughter(Norman Carter Slaughter) may have been a HAM, but he was a SUCCULENT HAM of the FIRST WATER, right up there with Robert Newton(ARRRRRRRRR, MATEY!!!!!), Charles Laughton(THIS IS MUTINY, MR. CHRISTIAN!!!!!) and other cinematic greats. I, and others and only hope there will be more of Tod's films coming from Johnny Legend's skilled expertise, including THE CRIMES OF STEPHEN HAWKE, THE FACE AT THE WINDOW, THE TICKET OF LEAVE MAN, THE CURSE OF THE WRAYDONS, NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND, MARIA MARTEN OR THE MURDER IN THE RED BARN, etc. A FIVE-STAR product, I recommend it without reservations!