Two brothers fall in love with the same woman, Sarah Bonheur. She chooses to marry John Howard but Richard Howard doesn't give up his desire and plots to murder his brother. When he does Sarah is accused of the crime and goes to trial. Will the truth come out? Indeed it does in this well paced melodrama directed by Brian Desmond Hurst from the novel by Joseph Shearing. It is gripping most of the way but finishes too over the top. Richard Howard who still loves Sarah actually plants evidence that points to her being guilty (why?) then says he has a scheme for proving her innocent in court (why?) which consists of a hysterical rant in the witness box that doesn't help her at all. It's all rather confusing really.
Richard Howard is played by Eric Portman and as usual he steals the film. His performance is fine throughout until the melodramatic ending where his character gives up on subtlety and becomes unconvincing. As Sarah I thought Sally Gray did not have the acting depth needed, but that might a debatable or even an unfair opinion. The rest of the cast of British actors give support in their usual professional way.
The film looks good portraying the Victorian period (cinematography by Erwin Hillier, production design by Alex Vetchinsky) and is mainly set in the Howard household but there is a nice location scene in a French wine estate and a brief location shoot in the highly recognisable Lincoln's Inn Field in London. A fair enough film and worth a watch.
Richard Howard is played by Eric Portman and as usual he steals the film. His performance is fine throughout until the melodramatic ending where his character gives up on subtlety and becomes unconvincing. As Sarah I thought Sally Gray did not have the acting depth needed, but that might a debatable or even an unfair opinion. The rest of the cast of British actors give support in their usual professional way.
The film looks good portraying the Victorian period (cinematography by Erwin Hillier, production design by Alex Vetchinsky) and is mainly set in the Howard household but there is a nice location scene in a French wine estate and a brief location shoot in the highly recognisable Lincoln's Inn Field in London. A fair enough film and worth a watch.