THE CURSE OF THE WRAYDONS is another murky potboiler that comes to us courtesy of Tod Slaughter, the era's top ham actor. This Napoleonic-era story tells of traitors working for the French against the English, mixing it in with a Gothic-style story of family curses and inherent madness.
Of course, it's all just a vehicle for Slaughter to show off his undeniable talents, which consist of playing up his role theatrically. He's a villain prone to uncontrollable laughter, murky mannerisms, and outlandish facial expressions. His acting belongs on a Victorian stage, but here he was, starring in sensation films for over a decade, and aren't they a lot of fun!
THE CURSE OF THE WRAYDONS is a mixed bag of a film and certainly not perfect by anybody's measure. It's overlong, it feels very staged, and it's also incredibly slow with lots of added on dialogue scenes that go nowhere. However, scenes of Slaughter and his comrades plotting and committing murder are worth watching for, and the Grand Guignol-style climax has to be seen to be believed. There are some references to the legendary figure Spring-Heeled Jack here, but sadly no actual springing - the budget wasn't big enough for that.
