The Crimes of Stephen Hawke

Todd Slaughter is at it again folks,, this time playing a well -mannered banker by day, and being a father to his adopted daughter , but by night folks he becomes...... wait for it..... the Spinebreaker.. very gruesome killer. he kills the rich I guess because he figures that they don't need it. In the Daytime he plays a successful banker, and he also protects his adopted daughter from a potential suitor whom he doesn't really like that much,, I really liked this one because it moved quickly , there was very good dialogue between the characters, and there was some action and mystery,, very good film for the time period.. and Todd Slaughter continues to shine in this horror film.

The Crimes of Stephen Hawke (1936)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

London is under a crippling terror as people are being crushed to death by a man known as The Spinebreaker (Tod Slaughter).

THE CRIMES OF STEPHEN HAWKE starts out unlike any other movie that I can remember. It starts off at a radio station where we basically get a radio broadcast for the first seven or eight minutes and then we finally get to the main story. In a rather shocking manor, it starts off with a child being murdered.

This here was the third film Slaughter made following THE MURDER IN THE RED BARN and THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. Britain had pretty much put a ban on American horror movies and these British films had to walk a careful line. With that said, this here makes the murder of a child all the more shocking. There are some rather graphic and violent deaths for the era, although they aren't bloody or gory. The sound effects and screams of the people being crushed are certainly the highlight of the picture.

As was often the case with these films, the main reason people watch them today is for the over-the-top and at times wacky performance by Slaughter. I don't know how to describe him other than saying he was like John Barrymore had he gone insane and had a mental breakdown to the point where he was a raving dog. Once again he's all over the place here and he really makes himself stand apart from the other actors. The other actors are good but they just can't overtake the all-mighty Slaughter.

As far as the film goes, it's certainly a bit better than the star's previous two films and a strong argument could be made that this here is about as entertaining as his horror pictures got.

THE CRIMES OF STEPHEN HAWKE opens with a rather lengthy radio program featuring the creaky musical duo, "Flotsam and Jetsam", and a man telling a story. Then, finally, Mr. Tod Slaughter himself arrives to recount some of his most devilish film roles.

When the actual story begins, we are introduced to the title character, known by the public at large as: The Spine Breaker (Mr. Slaughter). True to form, a victim is claimed within a few minutes. Hawke is presented as insidious right out of the gate! Mr. Slaughter once again portrays his villain as the embodiment of murderous glee.

Hawke also has a contrived persona as a kindly moneylender. No one suspects him of actually being a cackling psychopath, not even his daughter. This ruse helps to keep the entertainment level high, as we know full well what this monster is up to. There are some fun, sinister double entendres from Mr. Hawke about his crimes.

Fans of Tod Slaughter will love this film. The uninitiated will marvel at his ability to chew through scenery like a nuclear-powered buzz saw!...

"Stephen Hawke is a moneylender whose compassion for his clients is only outshined by his devotion to his lovely daughter. What she and the rest of the public don't know is that Stephen Hawke is leading a double life. At night, he becomes 'The Spine Breaker', a notorious killer with the habit of viciously killing his victims in the most horrible ways imaginable," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis. Silly movie, enriched as much as possible by two under-appreciated British stars - murderous Tod Slaughter (as Stephen Hawke) and Shakespearian Eric Portman (as Matthew Trimble) - both deserving better productions.

**** The Crimes of Stephen Hawke (1936) George King ~ Tod Slaughter, Eric Portman, Marjorie Taylor

On the positive, Tod Slaughter did a great job of playing Stephen Hawke, there seems to be little 'extras' in making the characters a bit unique. He reminded me a bit of George C. Scott in action like Mr. Scrooge and Jon Pertwee in visual acting. The first half was a slick story, albeit a little slow to start. The ending was interesting, so not disappointed there either.

Writing became a bit unraveled half way through though, characters seem to be 'slipping' and the damsel in distress a bit static. Villains and heroes announce their plans to their adversary and delay actions that would guarantee success. Instead, they opt for gamesmanship presumably to build superficial drama.

The book-ending of a radio show was odd, awkward, and not really surprised to see the man snoozing in the chair. Funny, but accurate. If you've got the time, then the film is an okay watch, but not likely memorable.