Summary
Mark of the Phoenix is a 1958 British 'B' drama film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Julia Arnall, Sheldon Lawrence and Anton Diffring.[2] An American jewel thief comes into possession of a newly developed metal.
| Mark of the Phoenix | |
|---|---|
 Poster for French release | |
| Directed by | Maclean Rogers |
| Written by | Norman Hudis |
| Based on | novel The Phoenix Sings by Desmond Cory[1] |
| Produced by | W.G. Chalmers |
| Starring | Julia Arnall Sheldon Lawrence Anton Diffring |
| Cinematography | Geoffrey Faithfull |
| Edited by | Harry Booth |
| Music by | Wilfred Burns (uncredited) |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Butcher's Film Service (UK) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 78 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot edit
A newly developed and valuable metal is stolen and formed into a cigarette case for transportation to East Germany, but an American jewel thief comes into possession of it and finds himself a target.
Cast edit
- Julia Arnall – Petra
- Sheldon Lawrence – Chuck Martin
- Anton Diffring – Inspector Schell
- Eric Pohlmann – Duser
- George Margo – Emilson
- Michael Peake – Koos
- Martin Miller – Brunet
- Roger Delgado – Devron
- Bernard Rebel – Vachek
- Frederick Schrecker – Van de Velde
- Pierre Chaminade – hotel receptionist
- Corinne Grey – bride
- Jennifer Jayne – Airline Ticket Clerk
- Edouard Assaly – cafe waiter
- Victor Beaumont – travel clerk
- Norma Parnell – 2nd airline ticket clerk
- Howard Greene – young detective
- Tom Clegg – strong man
- Patrick Troughton – police officer (uncredited)
Critical reception edit
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This spy story has all the usual trimmings – tough, handsome American jewel thief, portly art-collector gang leader, shot scientist, secret formula and brutal foreign agents – but almost makes up for their familiarity by lively pacing. This turns out to be the film’s sole virtue, however, since direction, dialogue and performances are on a distressingly amateurish level.”[3]
In British Sound Films David Quinlan wrote: ''Feverishly complicated thriller, not too well acted.''[4]
The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 1/5 stars, writing: "This dismal low-budget thriller has a corkscrew plot involving rare metals, jewel thieves, international blackmail, the Cold War and much else. [...] The mediocre cast is typical of British B-movies of the period, with the sole exception of Anton Diffring."[5]
References edit
- ^ "Desmond Cory Book Gallery - 1950s".
- ^ "Mark of the Phoenix". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ "Mark of the Phoenix". Monthly Film Bulletin. 26 (300): 138. 1 January 1959.
- ^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 345. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.
- ^ Radio Times Guide to Films (18th ed.). London: Immediate Media Company. 2017. p. 593. ISBN 9780992936440.
External links edit
- Mark of the Phoenix at IMDb
- Mark of the Phoenix at ReelStreets
