Slaughter was a singular institution in British theater, touring the country in lurid melodramas camped up into absurdity like SWEENEY TODD and SEXTON BLAKE AND THE HOODED TERROR. Most of these were filmed, and CRIMES AT THE DARK HOUSE, adapted from Wilkie Collins' 1860 novel, is one of
the best. Slaughter kills his rich wife and replaces her with a double, an escaped lunatic from the local asylum. Pretty entertaining if you don't take it seriously. Warner Bros. remade the story as THE WOMAN IN WHITE in 1948 with Alexis Smith and Sidney Greenstreet, but it was a dud.
Released:
1939
Rated:
NR
Length:
69 mins