Horror Maniacs

Knowing that this movie is Tod Slaughter's take on the tale of Burke and Hare promises a great deal more than this tawdry, cheap little bore could possibly deliver. It's shot on cramped, ugly sets, the story moves in fits and starts, it's endlessly talky and never gives Slaughter a chance to cut loose in his grand style. The movies he made in the 1930s are all entertaining and, for the tolerant, enjoyable and watchable even today. But if you like those, you can safely skip this one. Slaughter is given few chances to emote in his gloriously florid style; instead, he's handed reams of dull lines to read, as is everyone else. He has a few moments, but not many; more are provided by Aubrey Woods as Jamie with the barrow.

Under an hour in length, this film about two bodysnatchers named Wally Hart and Mr. Moore(obviously meant to be Burke and Hare)showcases the immense talent of British ham Tod Slaughter, one of the truly forgotten kings of horror. It is weak in plot development, and it has little action, but the film does a good job creating the atmosphere of the poor and wicked in Edinburgh during a time when bodies were needed for medical use. A lot more could have been done with the film, but taken as it is, it is entertaining just as a vehicle in which to see Tod Slaughter cackle and gesture about. It is not Slaughter's best, however, but he does have moments as an amoral ressurectionist who kills for money with no compunction or moral barrier at all. The rest of the cast is average at best, and the film suffers from a very evident low budget. This was one of Slaughter's last "big" films. It is a shame that he was never given a budget for a film that would have made him more popular with audiences today. So few people have seen his films, and this film seems to be somewhat obscure. I recommend the film based on his presence(not performance).

Surprising to find this was filmed in 1948, it has that same very slow pacing of the pre-war classic horrors such as the incomparable Dracula in 1936. It is very much in the tradition of Victorian stage melodrama and there was no greater exponent and resurrectionist of the genre than Todd Slaughter, florid theatrical actor-manager and famous ham who here makes his last film outing. Surrounded by some excellent character actors - Henry Oscar and Aubrey Woods, the normally OTT Slaughter is more confined but perhaps more effective. In a way this is a film noir - for reasons perhaps of economy, exteriors are all studio bound at night but in portraying the dingy canyon like lanes of Edinburgh works very well. The production is rather stagey - but stage melodrama was Slaughter's speciality. The plot is wordy but quite involving and genuinely grim

Not exactly a must-see but for those interested in the more curious British films certainly well worth watching. Thanks yet again to Talking Pictures TV for screening it

A 6.5

Atmospherically lit but studio-bound and talky. Having made several Old Mother Riley films with Arthur Lucan, Tod Slaughter must by comparison have seemed to director Oswald Mitchell like a Method actor; and although he cackles diabolically a couple of times his performance actually seems rather subdued set beside his thirties villains and Robert Newton's Bill Sykes the same year.

Aubrey Woods as poor 'Daft Jamie' came fresh from playing Smike the previous year in Cavalcanti's 'Nicholas Nickleby'; while it would be another twenty years before Eddie Malin became a familiar face on TV as Walter Tattersall in 'Nearest and Dearest'.

This dark thriller was a nice surprise. I'd not seen this before so when it appeared on telly, thanks to the Talking Pictures channel, I took the chance on it as the premise interested me. Based on the nefarious Burke and Hare this tells the story of William Hart (Slaughter) and Mr Moore (Oscar) and their dealings with Dr Cox (Bell), for whom they procure cadavers for. However, the doctor has a need for younger and fresher bodies so, greedy for money, Hart and Moore comply with the doctor's wishes... by turning murderous...

There's a lot which is good about this film. I liked the way the director, Mitchell, opted for a more realistic feel. The streets of Edinburgh are close and tight. People pretty much lived in each other's pockets in that era. Mitchell, then adds eeriness by adding fog and shadows. It's also nice to see the size of the living quarters that the common folk were subjected to. Hart runs a rooming house, in which there are just two rooms downstairs, a living room and a kitchen. The living room is sparse, containing a table and chairs and a bed, where he and his wife sleep. Upstairs is for their guests. Life is hard so it's no wonder you do what you have to just to survive. A hard life can make for hard men and both Hart and Moore have no compunctions about beating their wives into sublimation. Moore's wife is so under the fist she's only too happy to squeal on Hart's wife, so she can take what's coming to her.

This builds up a bleak overlook to the film. So enter Aubrey Woods portraying the simpleton Jamie Wilson. This character is there not only to lift the film with a comedic element but is also the crux and pivotal role of the movie. This was a good idea by the writer, Gilling, and the director. Woods excels as Jamie and has some of the best lines in the film. It's also nice because he is a breath of fresh air amongst the plethora of melodramatic actors, which can become a little too heavy at times when they deliver their lines - and this is probably the only drawback to the film. Though, for the times, the acting is good to fair.

If you like your dark thrillers then I would recommend you check this out, should you get the chance.