Mark of the Phoenix

1958 British film by Maclean Rogers

November 1958 (1958-11) (UK)

Running time

78 minutesCountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglish

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.

Plot

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

Julia Arnall as Petra
Sheldon Lawrence as Chuck Martin
Anton Diffring as Inspector Schell
Eric Pohlmann as Duser
George Margo as Emilson
Michael Peake as Koos
Martin Miller as Brunet
Roger Delgado as Devron
Bernard Rebel as Vachek
Frederick Schrecker as Van de Velde
Pierre Chaminade as hotel receptionist
Corinne Grey as bride
Jennifer Jayne as Airline Ticket Clerk
Edouard Assaly as cafe waiter
Victor Beaumont as travel clerk
Norma Parnell as 2nd airline ticket clerk
Howard Greene as young detective
Tom Clegg as strong man
Patrick Troughton as police officer (uncredited)

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This spy story has all the usual trimmings as tough, handsome American jewel thief, portly art-collector gang leader, shot scientist, secret formula and brutal foreign agents as 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

^ "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.