The Mark of Cain (1947 film)
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| Directed by | Brian Desmond Hurst |
| Produced by | W.P. Lipscomb |
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| Music by | Bernard Stevens |
| Cinematography | Erwin Hillier |
| Edited by | Sidney Stone |
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| Distributed by | General Film Distributors |
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Running time
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88 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Mark of Cain is a 1947 British drama film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Eric Portman, Sally Gray and Patrick Holt. The film is based on the novel Airing in a Closed Carriage by Joseph Shearing, which in turn was based on the true life murder trial of Florence Maybrick. It was made at Denham Studios with sets designed by the art director Alex Vetchinsky.
English industrialist Richard Howard (Eric Portman) visits Bordeaux , France to buy cotton for his mills from Sarah Bonheur (Sally Gray), He becomes enamoured by Sarah and spends much of his business trip sight-seeing. When his younger brother, John (Patrick Holt] arrives to close the deal, he also is attracted to Sarah, and after a whirlwind courtship, marries her.
When living a lonely existence in John's grand house in Manchester, England, Sarah confides to Richard that she is depressed by her marriage. Richard encourages her to divorce John and run off with him. Sarah consults a lawyer, but finally ignores Richard's advice, and somehow reconciles with her husband. Seeking revenge, Richard then poisons his brother and attempts to frame Sarah for the murder.
Dr. White (James Hayter) is suspicious of the circumstances behind John’s rapid decline, and after his death, Sarah’s purchase of arsenic casts suspicion on her. In standing trial for murder, Richard defends Sarah thinking he will win her love, but she is found guilty. Another suitor, Jerome Thorn (Dermot Walsh), is convinced he knows the identity of the poisoner, and comes to Sarah's aid.
In reviewing The Mark of Cain, Britmovie wrote, "... the story never catches fire, one reason for this is the heavy-handed direction of Brian Desmond Hurst which fails to maintain adequate suspense. Dermot Walsh and Patrick Holt overplay their roles and both were a promise never really to be fulfilled, but Eric Portman dominates the film in a barnstorming acting performance. Sally Gray is somewhat inconsequential and there’s no spark of chemistry between the leads."
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Wikipedia