Expected more

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Another crime movie from the Slaughter& King team of the '30s; Slaughter acts in his usual Captain Fracasse style, he was, like Zucco, one of those movie stars who after-wards sank without a trace (and I certainly mean no disrespect to Zucco, he's not as trashy as Slaughter). A young, hopelessly bland and obviously tame bank clerk is pitted against a cereal killer who ravages the Paris sometimes in the 19th century. The unlikable young clerk is very in love with his employer's daughter, whom the father is quite disposed to sell in exchange for a large deposit of gold that would balance his firm. This crime movie also has a vaguely Sci—Fi subplot; the idea being that a person would raise from the dead with the clearest mind and able to give the police the sought after details. The story is dragged into Paris' underworld of taverns and lowlifes. Like other King flicks, it has that vaudeville atmosphere and stage look. These are sensational, eminently morbid tales told with a sort of grim enjoyment. The movie equivalent of the thrash rock of the '80s—or a Buttgereit of the '30s, take your pick.As an actor, Slaughter was the vilest trash; which you can see for yourself.

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.

1880: A vicious wolf-like fiend called the Face terrorizes Paris, France with his murderous misdeeds. After a bank gets robbed, the wealthy, but evil and cunning Chavalier Lucio del Gardo (a delightfully hammy portrayal by Todd Slaughter) tries to set up poor struggling bank clerk Lucien Cortier (a likable turn by John Warwick) as master criminal the Wolf so he can have the lovely Cecile de Brisson (fetching Marjorie Taylor) all too himself. Director George King, working from clever script by A.R. Rawlinson and Ronald Fayre, relates the involving story at a steady pace, offers a flavorsome evocation of the 19th century period setting, and stages the lively and exciting climax with considerable brio. Slaughter's deliciously robust, theatrical, and outsized acting is a total eye-rolling joy to watch; his vigorous and enthusiastic presence keeps the movie entertaining throughout. Moreover, Chavalier makes for a marvelously slimy, arrogant, and hateful villain. The supporting cast manage to hold their on with Slaughter: Warwick and Taylor are appealing leads, plus there are solid contributions from Aubrey Mallalieu as honest bank president M. de Brisson and Robert Adair as the no-nonsense Detective Gouffert. Harry Terry is genuinely creepy as the titular hirsute snarling freak. Hone Glendinng's cinematography is pretty rough around the edges, but overall acceptable. Jack Beaver's rousing and dramatic score does the stirring trick. A fun little quickie.

Face at the Window, The (1939) ** 1/2 (out of 4) A deranged killer known as "The Wolf" strikes terror into 1880's Paris. Is it the poor banker out to get money or the rich playboy (Tod Slaughter)? This is the best film from Slaughter that I've seen but his hammy performance, while getting laughs, makes it a bit hard to take the film too serious. The Wolf is a pretty good character and certainly a step up from Werewolf of London but the ending is wildly out of control. An interesting film nonetheless. The look and howl of the "wolf" here is a lot more effective than Universal's Werewolf of London.