Maria Marten, or The Murder in the Red Barn

1935

1h 7m

IMDb RATING

5.4/10

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Crime

Drama

Horror

In 1820s rural England, a young girl is tricked by tales of marriage from a villainous Squire. When she becomes pregnant and disappears, a gipsy lad is blamed.

Directors

Milton Rosmer

Writers

Stars

Tod Slaughter

Sophie Stewart

D.J. Williams

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Top cast

Tod Slaughter

Squire William Corder

Maria Marten

Farmer Thomas Marten

Carlos, the gypsy

Mrs. Marten

Timothy Winterbottom

Nan, the maid

Gypsy Crone

Gambling Winner

Matthew Sennett (as Quentin McPhearson)

Antonia Brough

Maud Sennett

Noel Dainton

Officer Steele of the Bow Street Runners

Lawyer

Compere

Bandleader Withey

Jailer (uncredited)

Bit part (uncredited)

George Spence

Fiddler (uncredited)

Directors

Milton Rosmer

Writers

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Based on real events, this isn't really one of Tod Slaughter's more memorable efforts. He is the dastardly squire "Corder" who loses the enormous sum of £6,000 in a game of dice, back in England at the start of the 19th century. So as to avoid bankruptcy, he sets his sights on the rather plain daughter of a nearby wealthy family. Meantime, however, he also has designs on a young girl from the village to whom he promises marriage. When she becomes pregnant, local lad "Carlos" (Eric Portman) is blamed - but he isn't just going to sit there and take the blame, especially now the girl has disappeared, presumed dead! The star is certainly very adept at playing the cad, but Portman reminded me too much of a half-hearted Basil Rathbone and the innocent, ill-fated "Maria" (Sophia Stewart) came across more as a silent movie star, with only limited success delivering her dialogue. It does pack quite a bit of story into seventy minutes but it's all just bit too "Jamaica Inn"-lite for me.

Geronimo196718 Jun, 2022