The stage play of Maria Marten was based on real events and was so extensively performed it was said to be the most frequently performed entertainment in nineteenth century Britain. This maybe goes some way to explain the opening of the movie which not only takes the form of a stage play but also introduces the characters in such a way that it is expected that the audience must know who they are in advance. But what makes this first cinematic sound version of most interest today is that it is the debut film of English actor Tod Slaughter. He was fifty years old by then and had made his name on the stage. He would go on to star in several other dark melodramas over the next few years, always playing a similar villainous character – an elder pillar of the community whose public face is wholesome but his private character is pretty evil and he always seems to be chasing after girls less than half his age. Slaughter is one of the greatly under-appreciated stars of yesteryear. He's a pretty obscure figure nowadays but in every film I have seen he has been an absolute riot to watch. His acting style is very over-the-top but he controls it well. In this film, like all the others, he is the undoubted draw.In this one Tod plays a squire who has a dalliance with a young farmer's daughter. Although it's never made explicit, it seems that she falls pregnant to him and is thrown out of her home by her sanctimonious father. The nefarious squire isn't suspected though but the girl threatens to blow the whistle on him so he takes her to the red barn one night and murders her and the blame falls on a young gypsy who had eyes for the girl. It's a typical plot-line for a Slaughter vehicle. But it's really entertaining and the period setting adds to the enjoyment too. It moves along at a cracking pace and is never boring. For fans of Slaughter this is a must.

"Based upon a true story, a small English town is the setting of a love triangle involving Squire Corder, the gypsy Carlos, and young Maria Marten. While Maria is smitten with Carlos, a roguish gypsy, she has attracted the attention of Squire Corder, a wealthy older man with a liking for younger women. When Maria disappears, after entering the (titled) Red Barn, suspicions fall upon Carlos, thanks to the efforts of Squire Corder," according to the DVD sleeve's revised synopsis.There is some worth in seeing Tod Slaughter (as William Corder) perform in this old English chestnut, but 1935's filmed version of "Maria Marten, or The Murder in the Red Barn" is far too rough around the edges to recommend very highly. This was Mr. Slaughter's movie star debut; he is enjoyable, but rapport with the camera would grow stronger in future films. Eric Portman (as Carlos) does well as Slaughter's rival. And, Sophie Stewart (as Maria Marten) makes it three British stars rising on screen.**** The Murder in the Red Barn (1935) Milton Rosmer ~ Tod Slaughter, Eric Portman, Sophie Stewart

Until a few weeks ago, I had never even heard of Tod Slaughter. Now I have got to see three of his films and I absolutely love him. He is the master of pomposity. He has virtually no moral sense. In all three films, he frolics with much younger women. He has no qualms about bumping off anyone that gets in his way. In this film, he is a squire who has run up some sizable gambling debts. He has been wooing a local man's daughter, for obvious reasons. She is even willing to marry him, but he needs money, so, instead, he becomes engaged to the ugly daughter of a rich man. To seal things up, he must kill the attractive young woman and then cover his tracks. No one believes the young gypsy man who figures things out. There is a lot of classism going on. He is one of the haves and the have nots must curtsy to him. When Slaughter is on the screen he is absolutely dominating. I'm now hoping to locate some more. This is a bleak but intense film. The setting is wonderful, in the stultifying country, with its secrets. What a cad!

Tod Slaughter was vastly underrated as an actor. This was his movie debut, at the ripe old age of 50. This movie is just so watchable, even now, some 66 years after it's first release. Tod plays the villainous squire Corder, a man of questionable morals, with a penchant for the young ladies of his locality. Sophie Stewart is the young lady that is drawn to the charms of the smooth-talking squire, oblivious of the attentions of the besotted gypsy Carlos. Alas, it transpires to be her undoing, and the lovely Maria of the title is done to death by that dastardly rogue Corder. The rest of the film is devoted to the eventual unmasking of the killer, and him getting his just desserts for that foul deed. Let's face it, there are so many films from this era that just don't quite stand up to scrutiny by the modern-day viewer, but appreciate this film for what it really is...a melodramatic masterpiece from the late, great N. Carter Slaughter.