The wonderfully theatrical Tod Slaughter is in great hammy form in this delicious "blood & thunder" period melodrama. Based on a play by Brooke Warren, it takes place in 1880 Paris. A poor bank clerk, Lucien Cortier (John Warwick), is accused of robbery and murder. But these crimes are actually the work of a fiendish criminal known only as The Wolf - whose hideous, drooling face turns up at windows before his crimes. A respected nobleman, Chevalier del Gardo (Slaughter), has a big interest in seeing Lucien convicted of these crimes, since he lusts after Luciens' sweetheart Cecile (Marjorie Taylor).
This 1939 version of "The Face at the Window" may be firmly dated now, but that is merely a large part of the appeal. The story (adapted for the screen by A. R. Rawlinson) is entertaining and very easy to follow, the atmosphere is superb, the makeup quite good (a man named Harry Terry is billed as The Face), and George Kings' direction is efficient in its straightforward approach. It may be distracting to a viewer to watch all these supposedly French characters when none of the actors attempt French accents, but that's a very minor quibble. The supporting cast is all good: also appearing are Aubrey Mallalieu as Luciens' boss and Ceciles' father, Robert Adair as the police inspector, Wallace Evennett as a professor (whose experiments with electricity become a crucial plot element), Kay Lewis as a maid, and Margaret Yarde as a saloon proprietress who is one of del Gardos' accomplices. But it is Slaughter who dominates the proceedings. Other viewers may well automatically become fans of the legendary scenery-chewer as this viewer did. Primarily a stage actor (which comes as no surprise), he graced several motion pictures with his presence, and they are clearly all the better for it.
Eight out of 10.
This 1939 version of "The Face at the Window" may be firmly dated now, but that is merely a large part of the appeal. The story (adapted for the screen by A. R. Rawlinson) is entertaining and very easy to follow, the atmosphere is superb, the makeup quite good (a man named Harry Terry is billed as The Face), and George Kings' direction is efficient in its straightforward approach. It may be distracting to a viewer to watch all these supposedly French characters when none of the actors attempt French accents, but that's a very minor quibble. The supporting cast is all good: also appearing are Aubrey Mallalieu as Luciens' boss and Ceciles' father, Robert Adair as the police inspector, Wallace Evennett as a professor (whose experiments with electricity become a crucial plot element), Kay Lewis as a maid, and Margaret Yarde as a saloon proprietress who is one of del Gardos' accomplices. But it is Slaughter who dominates the proceedings. Other viewers may well automatically become fans of the legendary scenery-chewer as this viewer did. Primarily a stage actor (which comes as no surprise), he graced several motion pictures with his presence, and they are clearly all the better for it.
Eight out of 10.