''Maria Marten'' is a 1928 British silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by Walter West starring

Trilby Clark Trilby Clark (born Gwendolyn Gladys Blakely Clark; 30 August 1896 – 7 July 1983) was an Australian actress who appeared in British films beginning in the silent film era. She was a lead role, leading lady in British films during the 1920s and ...

Warwick Ward Warwick Ward (3 December 1891 – 9 December 1967) was an English actor of the stage and screen, and a film producer. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1919 and 1933. He also produced 19 films between 1931 and 1958. He was born in ...

and

Dora Barton Dora Barton (''née'' Brockbank; 20 January 1880 – 13 September 1966) was an English actress who appeared in films between 1916 and 1938. She was the daughter of actress Mary Barton and the sister of actress Naomi Barton. She married actor ...

. It is based on the real story of the Red Barn Murder in the 1820s, and is one of five film versions of the events. The film shifted the action to fifty years earlier to the height of the

Georgian era The Georgian era was a period in British history from 1714 to , named after the Hanoverian Kings George I, George II, George III and George IV. The definition of the Georgian era is often extended to include the relatively short reign of Willi ...

. This was the last of the silent film adaptations of the Maria Marten story, and its success paved the way for the much better 1935 sound film remake starring

Tod Slaughter Norman Carter Slaughter (19 March 1885 – 19 February 1956), also known as Tod Slaughter, was an English actor, best known for playing over-the-top maniacs in macabre film adaptations of Victorian melodramas. Early life Slaughter was born o ...

. A 35mm print of the 1928 silent film exists in the British Film Institute's archives.Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 328. .

Plot

When his secret lover Maria Marten tells him she is pregnant with his child and asks him to marry her, the villainous Squire Corder murders her and buries her body in the red barn. The dead woman's ghost later visits her mother in a dream, and leads her to find her daughter's body, incriminating the squire.

Cast

as Maria Marten *

as Squire William Corder *

* James Knight as Carlos * Charles Ashton as Sam Giles * Vesta Sylva as Ann Marten *

Frank Perfitt Frank James Robert Perfitt (1880 – 1958) was a British film actor, born in Norwich, Norfolk in 1880. He died in Surrey in 1958. Selected filmography * '' The Flying Fifty-Five'' (1924) * '' Love and Hate'' (1924) * ''The Sins Ye Do'' (1924) * ...

as John Marten * Margot Armand as Lady Maud Derringham *

Judd Green Judd Green (also credited as R. Judd Green; 1866–1932) was a British film actor of the silent era. He was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire in 1866 and made his first screen appearance in 1914. Selected filmography * '' The Third String'' (1914) * ...

as William Giles * Tom Morris as Ishmael *

Chili Bouchier Chili Bouchier (born Dorothy Irene Boucher; 12 September 1909 – 9 September 1999) was an English film actress who achieved success during the silent film era, and went on to many screen appearances with the advent of sound films, before progre ...

References

Bibliography

* Chapman, Gary. ''London's Hollywood: The Gainsborough Studio in the Silent Years''. Edditt, 2014. * Low, Rachael. ''History of the British Film, 1918-1929''. George Allen & Unwin, 1971.

External links

* 1928 films British silent feature films British historical drama films 1920s historical drama films Films directed by Walter West Films set in Suffolk Films set in England Films set in the 19th century British black-and-white films 1928 drama films 1920s English-language films 1920s British films Silent drama films {{1920s-UK-film-stub