The Crimes of Stephen Hawke Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

The Crimes of Stephen Hawke Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker May 18, 2024

Again unable to directly get into the business of the film, a radio show performance of musical comedy duo Flotsam and Jetsam open and close The Crimes of Stephen Hawke. While the subjects and personalities touched on in their performance may not be familiar to modern viewers nearly 100 years removed from the filming, it nonetheless provides and interesting window into the time of the film's production, and it is complete with some archival footage of London. Soon, Tod Slaughter appears on the show, briefly discussing his previous villainous roles before finally setting the stage for the film.

Slaughter, here, has perhaps one of the premier villainous monickers ever to appear in film, that of "The Spinebreaker". As the story begins, Hawke (aka "The Spinebreaker") is casing a home for a robbery when he is obliged to murder a child who has inadvertently stumbled upon his activities. Stephen Hawke, when not engaged in criminal pursuits, is an upstanding member of the community - a good-hearted but serious money lender. His schemes seem to be working perfectly until a guest is murdered at the 18th birthday party for his secretly adopted daughter, Julia, (Marjorie Taylor). When a guest is murdered at the soiree, one of the guests quickly jumps to the conclusion that Hawke is "The Spinebreaker". His old friend and father to one of Julia's suiters Joshua Trimble (D.J. Williams) soon begins to suspect this fact as well, and it seems that the years-held secret is on the verge of being revealed.

Although serial murder is again a focus of the film, much of the violence is either implied or carried out just out of frame. The viewer may hear the death cries of the victims, but they never bear witness to the actual act. Slaughter, as usual, plays his dual role with great relish, though here, as a criminal on the run, he spends more time emoting fear and paranoia rather than being the menacing figure he's fully capable of portraying. Without being able to inhabit a legitimately villainous character for the bulk of the film, it's ultimately a less satisfying affair for Slaughter's fans, though it is interesting to witness him mold a slightly different villain. The film focuses much of its attention on Julia and Matthew Trimble (Eric Portman), who is both her suitor and Hawke's pursuer. In playing their roles with traditional earnestness they are less exciting to watch but effectively drive the narrative.

The Crimes of Stephen Hawke Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Per the book included with the set, the original nitrate negative elements were scanned in 4K and restored in 2K resulting in a very appealing transfer, though as to be expected some minimal issues are present. The print is largely in good shape but there are some density fluctuations and missing frames on display. Detail is quite good, with period costumes and environmental particulars yielding strong textures. Black levels can be very pleasing, but whites are never truly brilliant and instead are a very light grey. It's a very pleasing and watchable film.

The Crimes of Stephen Hawke Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Again, here the LPCM English mono track is certainly satisfactory and listenable but it isn't without defect. There are some detectable sibilance issues throughout the film, though I did not notice any hiss or distortion. Dialogue is clear and understandable, and music is rendered in a manner consistent with other films of the era. The theatrical screams of "The Spinebreaker's" victims can sound a bit shrill, but serve their purpose by functioning as the brief soundtrack to murder.

The Crimes of Stephen Hawke Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The on-disc supplemental content located on Disc Two includes:

• 'The Crimes of Stephen Hawke' Audio Commentary With David McGillivray and Kim Newman

• 'It's Never Too Lake to Mend' Audio Commentary with Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby

• Image Galleries - Three image galleries are included here: 1.) The Crimes of Stephen Hawke, 2.) The Crimes of Stephen Hawke Script Treatment, and 3.) It's Never Too Late to Mend

• London After Dark (1929) (7.12) - Available to watch either silently or with a score from Current 93. It features a then current look at London, the West End, and a stage performance from Tod Slaughter.

The Crimes of Stephen Hawke Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

An interesting premise to be sure, The Crimes of Stephen Hawke is the tale of the decline and fall of a career criminal. Slaughter turns in a quality performance in a decidedly different role, but he doesn't dominate the screen time and rarely has the chance to engage in his particular trademark brand of melodrama. It's an important if less satisfying entry in Powerhouse Films' The Criminal Acts of Tod Slaughter: Eight Blood-and- Thunder Entertainments, 1935-1940 set. For Tod Slaughter fans, The Crimes of Stephen Hawke is recommended.