The Face at the Window

Though you often read about the "quota quickies" made in Britain under a law that required a certain amount of screen time to be allotted to local product, you don't see many of them in America-- and for good reason: most were cranked out cheaply just to comply with the law, and are awful. In a few cases, however, the quota quickie laws provided opportunity for Britain's seemingly bottomless reserve of superior stage actors to be preserved on film-- that's why we have them to thank for Arthur Wontner's very fine Sherlock Holmes in some (not nearly as fine) Holmes movies, and it's also why we have a healthy collection of films starring the splendid ham Tod Slaughter, who toured for years as a ripsnorting baddie in authentic Victorian melodramas (such as Sweeney Todd) and transferred a number of them with minimal alteration to film. The Face at the Window is reportedly the highest-budgeted of Slaughter's films, and thus probably isn't technically a quota quickie at all, but it's still brought to the screen with the smell of fresh greasepaint straight from the provinces-- specifically the provinces circa 1895. Slaughter's larger than life performances give us as good a picture of what Victorian audiences ate up as the D'Oyly Carte company did of Gilbert and Sullivan's productions, because like them he was less reviving the old melodramas than carrying on their tradition intact. You may think you've seen people doing the Snidely Whiplash-style villain, and don't need to see them again, but you haven't lived until you've seen a seemingly sane and proper Slaughter dissolve in maniacal glee-- a-ha, ahahaha, ahahahahahahahahaha!

In 1880, the criminal called The Face is responsible for a murderous rampage in France. When the Brisson Bank is robbed in Paris and the employee Michelle is murdered, the wealthy Chevalier Lucio del Gardo (Tod Slaughter) is the only chance to save the bank.

Another team-up between actor Tod Slaughter and director George King (who expertly told the tale of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street). This dynamic duo really nailed it and for that I thank them.

This is something of a horror film, though it tends to be more along the lines of a crime story. There is little about it that is outright terrifying or scary. That in no way takes away from the picture and all those involved should be proud.

Tod Slaughter has to be one of the most reliably entertaining screen actors of the 30's. I've seen most of this guys films and he never disappoints. There's no doubt that his acting style is hammier than a hammy thing but there's nothing wrong with that surely? It takes considerable charisma and skill to overact as compellingly as Slaughter. This film follows a very similar narrative path to many of his other vehicles, i.e. Slaughter plays a rich pillar of the community who lives a double-life as an evil criminal, he lusts after a woman half his age who is not interested in him, so he sets about framing her fiancé with a crime he did not commit leaving the poor girl easy prey for him. Almost all his movies could be described thus. But it doesn't really seem to matter very much as Slaughter is always terrific as the leering cad and is easily the best thing about the films he stars in.

Slaughter's films were all Victorian melodramas first and foremost but this one definitely moves into more definite horror and even science fiction territory. The monster who is the face of the title is an effective looking baddie although he doesn't really get to do much and his presence in the movie doesn't make an awful lot of sense. But not to worry because, as I mentioned earlier, this is Slaughter's film and he delivers the goods as usual.

Tod Slaughter (1885-1956) was an unabashed and unapologetic purveyor of Victorian style stage melodrama. He had barnstormed throughout the English provinces during the early days of the Twentieth Century before serving in World War I.

By 1930, to stem the ever growing influx of Hollywood movies into England, a law was passed saying that 20% of all films had to be British made. In order to meet this goal, the "Quota Quickie" was established. These were essentially British B movies quickly and cheaply made to keep British artists and technicians employed. How they performed at the box office was of little concern.

Tod Slaughter's 8 QQ movies, shot between 1935-1940, were tailor made for that system. These were essentially his stage shows turned into film productions which were a cinematic capturing of a type of material and a style of performance that had flourished during the Victorian Era. This allows the viewer a glimpse into that time.

For those who have never seen him, think of Tod as a live action Snidely Whiplash (Dudley Do-Right's nemesis in ROCKY & BULLWINKLE). His most renowned film is SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (1936) which served as the basis of the Stephen Sondheim musical (1979) and the Tim Burton movie with Johnny Depp (2007). Slaughter's most highly regarded movie (originally and today) is THE FACE IN THE WINDOW (1939).

The setting is 1880 Paris and a series of unsolved killings are committed by a criminal known only as "The Wolf" so called because right before a murder occurs the howl of a wolf is heard and a horrible visage is seen through a window. Could the mustache twirling, hand rubbing Chevalier Delgado be behind it all? We all know the answer to that question so it becomes a matter of going along for the ride and waiting for him to get his "just desserts".

This new restoration of FACE is part of a multi disc set. THE CRIMES OF TOD SLAUGHTER. Never has it or any of his other movies ever looked this good. If you would like to see the textbook definition of the word "Melodrama" then look no further. As Slaughter liked to say of his movies "They are full of "strong meat"...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

This was a fun wolf man film. It is true that Tod Slaughter is quite a bit of a 'ham' (like Vincent Price) and it is his performance that made the film fun to watch. This movie is a good watch if you enjoy the classics and werewolf films. The film is a horror film but has touches of comedy in it tastefully done.

Who is "The Face at the Window"? We have two plausible suspects: Chevalier Lucio del Gardo (Tod Slaughter) and Lucien Cortier (John Warwick) but could it be someone else? Don't expect this film to be anything like "Werewolf of London" or "Wolf Man" -- this flick it a different story than either of two mentioned films.

This movie would make a great manatee' or a rainy day film. I quite enjoyed this movie.

7/10