Mark of the Phoenix ** (1958, Julia Arnall, Sheldon Lawrence, Anton Diffring, Eric Pohlmann) – Classic Movie Review 13,528

The 1958 British black and white second feature thriller film Mark of the Phoenix stars Sheldon Lawrence as an American jewel thief who comes into possession of a valuable stolen newly developed metal.

Director Maclean Rogers’s 1958 British black and white second feature thriller film Mark of the Phoenix stars Julia Arnall, Sheldon Lawrence, Anton Diffring, and Eric Pohlmann, along with George Margo, Michael Peake, Martin Miller, Roger Delgado, Bernard Rebel, Jennifer Jayne, and Tom Cleggg.

Even though it’s very short at 64 minutes, Mark of the Phoenix is an unremarkable, over-convoluted and over-extended British heist thriller support movie.

Sheldon Lawrence stars as Chuck Martin, an American jewel thief burglar converting to the side of law and order to stop a ruthless art collector getting his hands on some newly developed precious metal that has been converted into a cigarette case to smuggle from Belgium into East Europe.

The film is untidy and none too compelling or particularly well acted, though Anton Diffring (as the German police inspector, Inspector Schell), Roger Delgado (as Devron) and Eric Pohlmann (as Duser) certainly help with their carefully honed turns, and Jennifer Jayne is always a pleasure to watch, even in a tiny role as airline ticket clerk.

The script is written by one of the Carry On film regular writers, Norman Hudis, based on the novel The Phoenix Sings by Desmond Cory.

Also in the cast are Howard Greene, Norma Parnell, Victor Beaumont, Edouard Assaly, Corinne Grey, Frederick Schrecker, Pierre Chaminade, Arthur Dibbs, Howard Knight, and Patrick Troughton as police officer (uncredited).

It is made by Butcher’s Film Service and released by them in November 1958 (UK).

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,528

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