This version of the classic tale about a demon barber and Mrs. Lovett, who owns a meat pie shop is a slightly disappointing, melodrama, it does offer up one of the classic horror performances.
Tod Slaughter not only chews up the scenery, he devours it. His is really the only performance worth watching in this film. Not just because he is sinister and evil, but because you can see that he is having the time of his life in this role.
There are many holes in this film, not the least of which is the fact that they barely even touch on what the secret ingredient of the meat pies is. Perhaps the idea was too squeamish for audiences in 1936, but without mention of it, you lose a large part of what made the story of Sweeney Todd so frightening.
I liked the opening and closing scenes, they frame the rest of the picture nicely.
Production aspects were minimal. It looks as if it were made on the cheap by Roger Corman.
5 out of 10
Tod Slaughter not only chews up the scenery, he devours it. His is really the only performance worth watching in this film. Not just because he is sinister and evil, but because you can see that he is having the time of his life in this role.
There are many holes in this film, not the least of which is the fact that they barely even touch on what the secret ingredient of the meat pies is. Perhaps the idea was too squeamish for audiences in 1936, but without mention of it, you lose a large part of what made the story of Sweeney Todd so frightening.
I liked the opening and closing scenes, they frame the rest of the picture nicely.
Production aspects were minimal. It looks as if it were made on the cheap by Roger Corman.
5 out of 10