The Ticket of Leave Man

This is one of the scariest movies I have seen. If you want to see a really good horror movie see this movie. It has a great story line. It also has great acting. If it does not scary you know movie will. This is better then A Nightmare on elm street.

You've got to love Tod Slaughter. This hammy English actor has more or less been forgotten nowadays. He seems to be no more than a footnote of cinematic history. Yet I think this is a serious injustice, as every Tod Slaughter vehicle I have seen has never been anything less than entertaining. He specialized in playing cads in a series of Victorian melodramas. There weren't that many of them and Slaughter's cinematic career doesn't encompass all that many screen outings. He seemed to end up going back to the stage. His acting certainly would not have been out of place in the theatre, it's so hammy and over-the-top. But the leering villains he played were tremendously memorable, and Slaughter never seems to ever let you down. In this one, like all of them, he plays a middle-aged villain who lusts after a much younger woman, and nefariously sets a plan in motion where her fiancée is incarcerated, leaving Tod with seemingly easy access to the girl. This plot-line is extremely typical for his films. His character is a killer called the Tiger, who goes around London murdering people. He is aided by a stereotypical crooked Jewish moneylender. The innocent fellow they put in prison is the ticket of leave man of the title, i.e. a chap just out of jail looking for a break. Naturally, evil Tod has to deal with this chap when he comes back into society.

This is not the best Slaughter production. And like most of the others it's certainly no classic. But Tod is a very fun guy to watch and these melodramas he appeared in back in the 30's are still enjoyable to watch, unlike many other similar cheap productions from the time. This one is certainly formulaic, but it's acceptable when it's the unusual and unique attractions of Tod Slaughter that is the main draw.

Pudgy screen presence Tod Slaughter deliciously plays a killer named the Tiger, famed for his thieving, murder, and anonimity. Slaughter, as with all his films it seems, sets his sights on the fiancée of a young bank clerk. Tod practically drools as he leers at the young lady and then sets up a plan with a dishonest moneylender to set the boyfriend up with some counterfeit bank notes. The plan works and the young man serves his term in prison. He gets out early and finds that no one will give a second chance to a Ticket of Leave man, that is a man who has been released from prison. Slaughter, still with designs on the pretty young lady, must find new ways now to deal with the man she still loves. Maybe if the young man becomes too desperate he will go to a life of crime. Slaughter is wonderful in this film. When we first see him, he is wearing a striped outfit with a bowler hat that makes him look truly ridiculous. Even when he disguises himself as an older man trying to help ticket of leave men(this is done to impress the young lady), Slaughter still forces the young lady to kiss him for his favors. His screen time is a joy to behold. He leers better than any other actor ever has on the screen. If you doubt it...watch his films. Slaughter makes leering an art form. This is a nicely directed film and lots of fun. Director George King does a serviceable job with an above-average cast, but make no mistake...this is Tod's film all the way!

thoroughly enjoyed this Todd Slaughter vehicle,, to be honest I never heard of him before till this movie,, he's very funny, entertaining, and just a joy to watch on the screen as the "Tiger".. a con man goes around London, killing people,, then decides it's time to pull the ultimate con,, he sets up a charity,,, called ticket of leave man,, a charity to help those who have just gotten out of jail,, and need a break,, i.e. a job... our main character is very nieve, and get's taken in by the nefarious tiger... he meets a beautiful young woman he intends to marry, but now their future is in jeopardly as he has lost faith in being an honest man,, and is contemplating a life of crime, to better his financial situation, and take care of his girl...

The oh so hammy Tod Slaughter is good as usual in this mediocre crime thriller - it's more of a crime drama than a thriller. The film is a bit dry to me - it's missing something... darker elements. The film seems to "bright" or a bit "cheery" for a crime thriller. If it was meant to be comedy then this film would be perfect for that but the film is not a comedy. It doesn't have the elements of twisted darkness that one would expect from a Tod Slaughter film.

The movie is exactly what the description says: an innocent man is falsely accused of counterfeiting, put in prison and must prove he is innocent. "The Tiger" is actually responsible for the murders.

It's not a horrible film - but it's not all that great. I'll have to rate this one somewhere in the middle ground.

4.5/10