Displaying items by tag: Hay Petrie

CRIMES AT THE DARK HOUSE

UK, 1940, 69 minutes, Black-and-white.

Tod Slaughter, Sylvia Marriott, Hilary Eaves, Geoffrey Wardwell, Hay Petrie, David Hornel.

Directed by George King.

A curiosity item in the history of British filmmaking, especially the 1930s and 40s. In fact, in its 69 minutes, it is a brief retelling of Wilkie Collins classic novel, The Woman in White.

It is very much a Victorian style of storytelling, the drama of manners, stylised sets and decor, costumes, speaking and behaviour. But, it also has many overtones of Gothic horror, accommodation that was popular during the first half of the 1940s.

Perhaps the main reason to see this film is the presence of dramatic actor, Tod Slaughter. He portrays the film’s villain, the film opening in Australia, 1850, the Gold Rush, and a miner killing the heir to a property in England, returning and impersonating him, successful at first but there are revelations, a woman pregnant giving birth to a daughter which is his, the doctor who manages asylum who knows the truth but is ready to compromise, exercise blackmail. And there is the young woman who, according to an agreement, is to become his wife. She already has a young man who is eager to marry her.

So, within the short running time, there are all kinds of intrigues are complications. But, the focus is on Tod Slaughter, very theatrical, highly melodramatic, sometimes more than over the top, eyebrow-raising, grimaces, body movement (he is a big man), articulating his lines.

It is a style more suited to the theatre, even pantomime, a memory of a different era of performance and filmmaking.