Sexton Blake and the Hooded Terror

George King directed a series of Victorian melodramas starring Tod Slaughter in a variety of dastardly roles. This film, also from King, is a little bit different from the others. In it Slaughter again is a gleeful villain but this time he shares billing with the hero of the piece, namely Sexton Blake who is clearly a different version of Sherlock Holmes. The Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone were very popular at the time so perhaps this is not so surprising but the similarities are massive, even extending to both detectives living on the same street! But in any case, this is the lower rent version for sure.

Slaughter is always an entertaining presence and here is no exception. However, because he is not the sole star of the show he doesn't get as much screen time as usual. This means that the film's trump card isn't utilised as well as it could be. Much of the running time is dedicated to the detective story, rather than Slaughter hamming it up big time and that's a shame. For this reason Sexton Blake and the Hooded Terror cannot be described as vintage Slaughter. Still, like all the other King/Slaughter films it does have some entertainment value. Unlike those films, this one has a very enigmatic ending, clearly designed as such to allow for future adventures starring the villainous Hooded Terror. Well, these films never materialised so the ending here remains simply a little unusual.

Sexton Blake (George Curzon) and his sidekick Tinker (Tony Sympson) try to unmask the head of a crime syndicate in "The Hooded Terror," a 1938 B British film. Sexton lives on Baker Street, I guess up the road a bit from Sherlock, whom he takes after with his scientific experiments, his assistant, his landlady, and his amateur status.

Somehwat slow-moving, this film is a combination of suspense with a touch of horror. Tod Slaughter plays the villainous Michael Larron, and Greta Gynt is Mademoiselle Julie.

If you're a Slaughter fan, you will enjoy this perhaps better than I did. Curzon and Sympson are pleasant, but they just don't have the panache and bite of Sherlock and Watson.

Tod Slaughter makes this film great fun to watch. If you ever want to see a Slaughter film out of curiousity of whom this forgotten horror actor is, well...this is one to see. SEXTON BLAKE AND THE HODDED TERROR is made on a low budget, but pulls off with both class and suspense. The actors takes their assignment serious and a variety of scenes makes it fast paced and exciting. The leading lady is Greta Gynt who also played against Bela Lugosi in DARK EYES OF LONDON. This time she is menaced by Slaughter and entrapped in his house of horrors where there is plenty to enjoy for horror fans. Perhaps the film uses too much time to establish the story, but once it gets going there are plenty to enjoy. Some people compare simularities between Bela Lugosi and Tod Slaughter. If there are any, it must be in their enthusiasm and "over the top" performance in low budget horror films. But in many ways that saves the show. Have fun with this "gem" from British cinema and lets hope it will be available restored on dvd asap.

Sexton Blake and the Hooded Terror (1938)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Sexton Blake (George Curzon) is looking for some stolen stamps worth a fortune and soon he runs into the Hooded Terror, a group of men who wear black costumes with a snake on the front. It seems that millionaire Michael Larron (Tod Slaughter) might be the mastermind of the group.

You know, Tod Slaughter takes quite a beating from some people because his "horror" films are more melodrama than horror. It's important to remember that Britain pretty much put a ban on horror movies so that explains why their "horror" movies from this period contain more drama, mystery and romance than actual horror elements. With that said, SEXTONBLAKE AND THE HOODED TERROR is a pretty bland mystery and those wanting horror will have to wait until the very end of the picture.

The biggest problem is that there's simply way too much boring talking for the first hour of the picture and there's not enough happening to keep you entertained. Once the film finally picks up its pace at the end you finally get some entertainment and especially with the underground tomb where all sorts of creepy things lurk including some large snakes. I will say that Curzon was good in the lead role and even Slaughter manages to not overact in his typical fashion. Still, the movie is pretty forgettable and is only for die-hard fans of Slaughter.

When Granite Grant arrives at detective Blake Sexton's door on Baker Street, he has every intention of delivering news of the Black Quorum (the most powerful criminal organization of the century) and it's leader, the Hooded Terror. But he is garroted before Sexton's housekeeper, Mrs. Bardell, has time to answer the door. A clue on the body reveals the identity of the Hooded Terror to Sexton, who begins to pursue the Black Quorum, with the help of his faithful assistant Tinker and Mademoiselle Galley, a French secret service agent.

Yes, Sexton Blake outwardly bears some similarity to Sherlock Holmes such as being a genius detective, having a maid and living in Baker Street as well as having a sidekick, but character wise I didn't find Blake to be too similar with Sherlock as Sherlock tends to be more complex and up himself.

This is quite a fun B mystery thriller with a deliciously creepy performance by Tod Slaughter as the leader of the hooded terror, an odd and atmospheric sequence featuring dummies at the casino table, plenty of danger for our hero and a fast moving plot. Ok it's not as sharp as Basil Rathbone's Sherlock series and it can be a bit talky, but it's a decently entertaining film.