Maria Marten, or The Murder in the Red Barn

Squire William Corder wins the charms of an innocent country maiden, despite the attention she receives from Carlos, a gypsy. Corder seduces Maria and, after she becomes pregnant by him, he murders her in the red barn before burying her body there.

Decent melodrama set in the 19th Century, with a typically over the top performance by Tod Slaughter, so those familiar with his films will know what to expect. Sophie Stewart is the tragic Maria and there is an early role for Eric Portman as Carlos.

Prior to renting the video of this movie, I had no idea who Tod Slaughter was, why he has a cult following, or exactly what people meant when they said he was "hamming it up". I couldn't have told you the difference between a Victorian melodrama and a Greek tragedy.

Well, after viewing it, I still couldn't tell you what the big deal with Mr. Slaughter is or how this was any more melodramatic than, say, the movies Hitchcock was making at around the same time, but I will say that this movie was well made and thoroughly entertaining, with never a dull moment. You need not be a Tod Slaughter devotee or know a thing about the history of English theatre to enjoy it.

The Murder in the Red Barn reaffirms my belief that movies from the early sound period managed to pack a lot more into their short running times than today's, which have doubled in length. The action in this movie was non-stop.

Other reviewers have stated that this film feels more like a stage play, but I find that many of the films from this period have that feel. There obviously wasn't as wide a gap between the cinema and theatre back then as there is today.

Compact, entertaining thriller concerning a pompous aristocrat who, following a brief moment of ecstasy with an impressionable young farmer's girl, discovers he's responsible for an unwanted foetus. Tod Slaughter plays the immoral Mr Corder, under financial pressure due to gambling, being threatened by his dalliance now up the duff and in the mood to tell all to her father, who'll surely kill Corder for sullying the family name. What to do but a murder in the red barn.

Well told, straightforward without complications or surprises, just a decent little tale (based on a true event) that showcases stage actor Slaughter's adept villainy, and that of younger Eric Portman in one of his first pictures as the chivalrous Gypsy enamoured by Sophie Stewart's damsel in distress. The cast is immaculate and the inimitable producer George King delivers his usual pint-for-a-pound pulling no punches despite limited resources.

While it's 1935, there's no disguising the atrocious nature of the title crime, and this element along with Slaughter's portrayal of the corpulent, depraved and cowardly ogre is more than just a little unsettling at times. The scene in which he's goaded to "dig, dig" is quite chilling, and the conclusion thereafter is entirely fitting. Worth a look.

Many of Tod's melodramas like Maria Marten and The Face at the Window had been filmed numerous times since the dawn of British cinema. But in partnership with quota quickie producer George King, Tod stepped in front of film cameras for the first time to capture his signature role of Squire William Corder on celluloid. A typical 2-week residency at a provincial fleapit by Tod's company would consist of Maria Marten the first week and Sweeney the second.

Milton Rossmer handled directorial chores on this one instead of King and the difference shows. The camera is relatively mobile and seeks a number of interesting angles - especially as it prowls around the red Barn as Tod prepares to shoot the luckless Maria. Production values and period design are relatively high for what is in essence one of the much-derided quota-quickies. Tod is the central figure and a sympathetic, multi-faceted role for all his evil. At the opening barn dance, he is the life-and-soul of the party and ensures that all his guests are enjoying themselves as he cuts a merry caper on the dance floor. The flighty Maria is much taken with him - and who can blame her when the only alternative is the sullen Carlos the Gypsy. Far from being the callow young suitor who normally opposed Tod's leering baddies, Carlos is impulsive and a bit too handy with a knife for comfort. His pursuit of the uninterested Maria verges on stalking and Eric Portman plays him with an authority that matches Tod. The confrontation in the drawing room between the 2 men after Corder has received his dowry is an interesting conflict of two differing acting styles and I had to admire the way Corder was able to signal for help despite been at the mercy of Carlos. Tod Slaughter also demonstrates what a skilled comedy actor he was with some amusing interludes as he loses heavily at dice to a suavely-sleazy Dennis Hoey His facial contortions are a joy, as is his swindling of idiot Tim Winterbottom and his scarcely-concealed repulsion from his intended - the big-nosed Psalmist. By the end of the 30's, Tod's acting style was, even then, regarded as pass? and a bit of a joke. He was often reduced to performing shortened dramatic acts on stage on the ABC cinema circuit. Nonetheless, he kept active throughout his life (American soldiers stationed in Belfast during the war seeing him on stage didn't know what to make of him).

The Murder in the Red Barn (1935)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Maria Marten (Sophie Stewart) is torn between Carlos (Eric Portman), a poor gypsy who her father hates and Squire Corder (Tod Slaughter), a man she doesn't really care for but it would be more acceptable to marry him. She chooses the Squire but when he learns that she's pregnant he kills her and hides the body in the red barn.

THE MURDER IN THE RED BARN is the film that introduced the screen world to the one and only Tod Slaughter. This was a rather familiar tale as it was filmed several times during the silent era but Slaughter brought his own over-the-top performance to the role.

The biggest problem with the film is the fact that the British censors were so strict at the time that it would have been impossible to really dig into the story and do it any sort of justice. Quite often things aren't even hinted out so you're basically having to use your own imagination. The story itself is a good one but it's just not fully brought out here.

The film has pretty much been forgotten over the years except for those who enjoy watching Slaughter. The actor is certainly in a league of his own as he overacts incredibly bad but at the same time it's unlike anything you've seen before and on that level it is somewhat entertaining. Both Stewart and Portman are good in their supporting parts.

THE MURDERS IN THE RED BARN certainly isn't a classic or even a good film but it has some mild entertainment to it.