Maria Marten, or The Murder in the Red Barn (1935)
Overview
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.
Cast
Tod Slaughter
Squire William Corder
Sophie Stewart
Maria Marten
Eric Portman
Carlos, the gypsy
Clare Greet
Mrs. Marten
Ann Trevor
Nan, the maid
Dennis Hoey
Gambling Winner
Antonia Brough
Maud Sennett
Lester Sharpe
Bandleader Withey
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- Reviews
CinemaSerf
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.
